MxMIndia

Tag: Shripad Kulkarni

  • This workshop will be helmed by Media Veteran Shripad Kulkarni, Managing Director, Vizeum India

    Shripad Kulkarni to conduct AAAI workshop on media strategy

    By A Correspondent

     

    Shripad Kulkarni

    Not many of the younger set of professionals would remember that Shripad Kulkarni, Managing Director, Vizeum India has been an educator for many years. Now the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) under the aegis of its AAAI Prowess initiative, has invited Kulkarni to conduct a one-day workshop ‘‘Media Strategy in the Digital Age” scheduled for September 22 at its training centre in Mumbai.

     

    The one-day workshop would take stock of the media changing landscape i.e. what has changed and what will change and will cover basic media concepts; digital media concepts; approach to media in the new milieu; a new construct for media strategy; basics of new age tools and digital strategy and aligning creative approach to different digital media messaging.

     

  • As part of the mandate, Vizeum's scope of work for its latest client will range across TVC, print, radio, OOH, digital and activations

    Vizeum wins media mandate for Mathrubhumi Group

     

     

    Vizeum, the full-service media agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, has bagged the media mandate for Mathrubhumi Group.

     

    As part of the mandate, Vizeum’s scope of work for its latest client will range across TVC, print, radio, OOH, digital and activations amongst others wherein Vizeum will focus on promoting their 18 brands.

     

    Said Shreyams Kumar, Joint Managing Director, Mathrubhumi Group: “Mathrubhumi has been at the forefront of future proofing the brand and has diversified into many new age business areas. We are happy to have Vizeum on board and hope they will effectively communicate our key brand attributes through our media campaigns, taking the brand to the next level.”

     

    Added Shripad Kulkarni, Managing Director, Vizeum India: “We are extremely happy to have Mathrubhumi Group as part of our client roster. Mathrubhumi is a progressive group that has many new age initiatives.  The Group’s aspirations are perfectly in sync with a growing agency network like ours. We shall strive to promote the wide ranging portfolio of leading brands of the Mathrubhumi Group.”

     

  • Named Binary, this latest service from the Vizeum stable, aims to bridge the gap and provide the right mix between the old world learnings and new-age solutions

    Vizeum launches Binary Consulting Service for digital transformation

    By A Correspondent

     

    Vizeum, the full-service media agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, has launched a media consultancy service in India in an attempt to help mainstream media companies adapt and transform for the new-age digital ecosystem.

     

    Named Binary, this latest service from the Vizeum stable, aims to bridge the gap and provide the right mix between the old world learnings and new-age solutions.

     

    Binary will cover customizable and dynamic modules under two key areas – the Transition and the Transformation roadmap.

     

    “In this age of media disruption, the mainstream media companies have no option but to transform. The new milieu is unlike what we have experienced in the past and needs a fresh perspective. The consumer-media interface is at a tipping point even as the youth of India continue to consume news and content through newer platforms. Clearly, the need to have and follow a transformation roadmap is but inevitable. And yet, few companies have one,” says Shripad Kulkarni, MD, Vizeum India.

     

    “There is still time and opportunity for mainstream media to capitalize on their strengths. But it needs a ‘refresh’ strategy to be absolutely relevant to Young India and to the digital brands that target them. The transition must be consistent and lead them into a Transformation Vision Roadmap,” he added.

     

    Binary Transition will cover the four modules – RevenueMax (New Age Pricing and Sales Strategies for revenue maximisation) True 3600 (Holistic, Marcom Strategy to be relevant in the new milieu), Trainware (Getting the team trained and ready for the New Age challenges) and Sales Assist (Technology based real time sales support).

     

    Binary Transform covers the sequential modules – Digital Audit, Content Strategy, “The New Company” and Strategic Road Map for Digital Transformation.

     

  • The agency won the account following a multi-agency pitch

    Vizeum appointed AOR for TCL Corporation

    By A Correspondent

     

    Vizeum, the media agency from Dentsu Aegis network, has been appointed as the Media AOR for TCL Corporation. The agency won the account following a multi-agency pitch.

     

    TCL Corporation, a global corporate group focused on the production of smart products and the provision of online application services, has announced its entry into the Indian market with the launch of a range of Smartphones and Televisions through an exclusive tie up with Amazon.

     

    On a global footprint expansion mode, TCL is looking towards India as a strategic market with substantial growth opportunities in India. They will be launching a range of advanced technology oriented convergence products in the country. TCL looks forward to broaden the presence of its mobile Internet products designed for enhancing Indian consumer’s digital lifestyles.

     

    Commenting on the partnership with Vizeum, Praveen Valecha, Regional Director – TCL, said, “The agency has demonstrated deep understanding of the categories, with an offline and online integration for the launch, and we believe their ‘digital at its heart’ approach will help us in building a brand we look forward to partner with Vizeum in this journey of launching a comprehensive mobile and Television portfolio.”

     

    Amita Karwal, COO, Vizeum, on the partnership with TCL said, “Delighted to be given an opportunity to build a brand in a category where the market and consumer dynamics are changing continuously. We look forward to supporting the brand across all the marketing communication platforms.”

     

    Shripad Kulkarni, MD Vizeum added, “We are happy that TCL has chosen us as their AOR. We understand the challenges in scaling up in this category and are setting up a bespoke team comprising specialists across relevant Communication Platforms for TCL.”

     

    It is estimated that the marketing spends will be around Rs.35 Crores.

     

     

  • Following the win, the first movie from the Warner Bros slate that Vizeum worked on was The Conjuring 2

    Vizeum wins media AoR for Warner Bros Pictures India

    By A Correspondent

     

    Vizeum has been appointed as the media AoR for Warner Bros Pictures, India. The agency won the account following a multi-agency pitch that was carried out over a period of six months.

     

    Following the win, the first movie from the Warner Bros slate that Vizeum worked on was The Conjuring 2, which did decent box-office collections in its genre.

     

    Shripad Kulkarni

    Commenting on the win, Shripad Kulkarni, Managing Director, Vizeum India said, “We are delighted with this win. We look forward to our partnership with Warner Bros Pictures. We are confident that we will add tremendous value to the theatrical marketing of their movies.”

     

    He further added, “Vizeum’s philosophy of focusing on ‘simple strategy to address client’s business objective, activating it brilliantly’ guided our audience connection approach. Our media solutions will singularly aim at delivering box office success, by seamlessly integrating offline and online efforts around one PR-able idea.”

     

  • Srei is one of the largest private sector integrated infrastructure institutions in the country

    Vizeum awarded media duties of Srei

    By A Correspondent

     

    Vizeum, the media agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, has been awarded the media duties of Srei following a multi-agency pitch. With this, Srei joins Vizeum’s long list of successful wins this year including Hindware, JetPrivilege, VGP Universal Kingdom, Saint-Gobain and HDFC Bank.

     

    Srei is one of the largest private sector integrated infrastructure institutions in the country. The company has been playing a significant role in nation-building for two-and-a-half decades, both in urban and rural India. Headquartered in Kolkata, the company has a network of 86 branches covering almost the entire geography of India and has also replicated its business model overseas. Vizeum has been appointed to manage the client’s corporate brand campaign. For the record, Vizeum already handles the media mandate for Srei’s Non Convertible Debentures (NCD).

     

    Commenting on the win, Sugato Banerji, Head, Brand and Corporate Communications, Srei said, “We are happy to increase the portfolio of Vizeum as our media agency partner. We are confident that with their proven approach of creating solutions with the business constraints in mind, they will bring substantial value to our corporate brand.”

     

    Shripad Kulkarni

    Shripad Kulkarni, Managing Director, Vizeum India, said, “It’s very satisfying to see Srei reaffirming their confidence in our solution based approach by awarding further responsibilities. We were managing the media duties of Srei’s NCD product for the past 2 years and the excellent work put in by the team is one of the key reasons behind this.”

     

    Samarjit Rajkumar, Executive Vice President, added, “Our clients have always been our ambassadors. Srei invited us on strong client recommendation and now we look forward to delivering communication solutions that address the client’s business challenges in India. This business will be handled out of our Mumbai office.”

     

  • As Dentsu Aegis brings in the former Allied Media boss to head Vizeum, S Yesudas is to focus on content and analytics, but could well exit group

    Exit: S Yesudas, Enter: Shripad Kulkarni

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    The two are a study in contrasts. One, flamboyant, aggressive, very media-friendly, and the other a hardnosed planner, huge believer in research and statistics and understated.

     

    Ashish Bhasin

    The story goes that the office of Dentsu Aegis Network South Asia Chairman & CEO Ashish Bhasin was planning to make the news public only on Thursday, the day former Percept Allied Media CEO Shripad Kulkarni was to have joined the organisation. But, as it happened, exchange4media flashed the news mid-afternoon and the Dentsu PR office had to hurriedly put out the communiqué it was set to outbox today.

    S Yesudas, the marathon-runner and stylish outgoing CEO of Vizeum, is known to be among the most press-friendly media agency captains. The joke is that news on his account wins hit the media even before people in his organisation get to know about it. So even though it will never be known on how the news leaked to e4m, Bhasin, who was leaving for New Delhi on Wednesday evening, was reportedly livid.

    Vizeum may have been winning accounts at steady intervals, but Bhasin and the Vizeum worldwide bosses wanted the agency to take a different course. And being an old Carat Chief Operating Officer (Carat is Dentsu Aegis’s flagship media arm), Shripad Kulkarni, who was looking to exit Percept Allied Media, was a natural choice for the India office of the London-headquartered agency. While Yesudas was offered special projects to look at content and analytics, it was clear that he was evaluating options outside the group, including investors if he doesn’t find the right suitor.

     

    Kulkarni requested that he doesn’t want to be drawn into any conversation on the transition. “The sheer dynamism of Vizeum as a brand excites me,” said Kulkarni.

     

    When we spoke with Yesudas, he echoed what was stated in a Dentsu Aegis communiqué in terms of his role ahead. But then the story that comes out from e4m and that has been linked by him on his Facebook account says that he has quit Vizeum. Bhasin was gracious in his recognition of the work Yesudas had put in. “I also want to thank Yesudas for the great job that he has done in helping start Vizeum operations in India from the scratch and bringing the agency to the level at which it is today,” he said in the communiqué.

     

    Both Kulkarni and Yesudas will report to Bhasin. Yesudas spoke to MxMIndia and indicated that he is considering options outside the group too. His Facebook post though said it all: “Friends, It has been an incredible 6 years with Vizeum India, starting the company from scratch with a laptop and 100 business cards, without any global clients or automatic alignments, we managed to carve out a niche for ourselves. ”

     

    And it added: “After two decades of media planning and buying which included setting up successful/ profitable businesses both in India and overseas, all those organisations going on to winning many awards and accolades, helping move many brands up the ladder and touching the lives of many a talents, I thought it was time for me to jump and develop my wings on the way, on two areas which I feel will hold immense potential for the future of brand-consumer connect, CONTENT and ANALYTICS. For those closer to the media business, SoV in my definition is Share of Vision and SoE is Share of Empathy, the former being brand to consumer and later the other way. Wish me all the best and watch this space for more action.”

     

    Kulkarni meanwhile has his work cut out for him. Vizeum may be doing well international as per RECMA ratings, but in India the qualitative assessement is in the negative.  With more than 30 years of experience across various media specialisations, Kulkarni was until last week, CEO of Percept Allied Media which he founded in 2006. An MBA from the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute, Mumbai, Kulkarni has worked in agencies like Contract, Clarion, Ogilvy and his own entrepreneurial venture called M:ideas. He serves on the Board of media research body MRUC.

     

    Commenting on the appointment, Bhasin said: “With the wealth of experience that Shripad brings in and the thorough knowledge of the business that he has, I am sure Vizeum India will touch new heights under his leadership.”  Some of the clients that Vizeum handles in India include BMW, Lotus Herbals, TI Cycles, MTV, Hindware, Jet Airways, Allied Blenders and Distillers, Luxor and the recently won HDFC Bank  amongst others.

     

  • S.Yesudas will now focus on content and analytics, something that he is extremely passionate about, while continuing to report to Ashish Bhasin

    Dentsu Aegis appoints Shripad Kulkarni to lead Vizeum in India

    By A Correspondent

     

    Shripad Kulkarni

    Vizeum India has roped in Shripad Kulkarni as the Managing Director. Shripad will report to Ashish Bhasin, Chairman & CEO Dentsu Aegis Network, South Asia and will join the Dentsu Aegis Network India Executive Council.

     

    Meanwhile, S.Yesudas will now focus on content and analytics, something that he is extremely passionate about, while continuing to report to Ashish Bhasin.

     

    S Yesudas

    With more than 25 years of experience across various media specializations, Shripad has worked in agencies such as Carat, Contract, Clarion and O&M. Prior to joining Vizeum, Shripad was CEO – Allied Media, a Percept Group company. Shripad, who serves on the Board of MRUC, was the founding CEO of Allied Media. An MBA from JBIMS, Shripad also holds a Master’s Degree in Statistics and a Diploma in Operations Research. He is also a well-known trainer and ran a media school prior to joining Allied Media.

     

     

    Ashish Bhasin

    Commenting on the appointment, Ashish Bhasin, Chairman & CEO Dentsu Aegis Network said, “I am very pleased to welcome Shripad as the MD of Vizeum India. With the wealth of experience that he brings in and the thorough knowledge of the business that he has, I am sure Vizeum India will touch new heights under his leadership.”

     

    “I also want to thank Yesudas for the great job that he has done in helping start Vizeum operations in India from the scratch and bringing the agency to the level, at which it is today. I have no doubts that he will equally excel in the new opportunities. Shripad now has a great platform to take Vizeum India to the next orbit because our ambitions for Vizeum India are tremendous,” he added.

     

  • A quick chat with the veteran media agency professional who quit Percept Media after a 12 years of association with the promoters

    Jaldi 5 with Shripad Kulkarni: Entrepeneurial spirit of Percept promoters gives a different kind of high

    He’s always understated. So rather than get that exclusive from Economic Times on his quitting, he let the news that he was moving from Percept be tucked in somewhere in a press release from the Mumbai-based media conglomerate. But with the belief that it should be the work that must do the talking, Shripad Kulkarni has now taken the plunge out of Allied Media, the company he set up and sold to Percept in 2006. His new port of call will be disclosed soon, we were told.

     

    An MBA from the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, Kulkarni has been in media from way back in 1985 when he joined Contract and later Ogilvy. Before his MBA he worked in a slew of research firms after a Master’s in statistics and a course in operations research. He has also worked with Carat as Chief Operating Officer. Excerpts from a quick chat with Shripad Kulkarni…

     

    01. Nine years at Percept is a long, looooong time. Leaving it must’ve been quite a decision. Moving out from one’s comfort zone isn’t easy…

    Yes, comfort zone is the right phrase. Actually it’s 12 years of association. And, if you are the first person moving in as the head, it has another dimension of ownership and passion which makes it difficult to leave.

     

    02. These few days before you move to your new workplace must be quite weird, especially since you’ve spent so much time at Percept. Right?

    Yes, it is a funny emptiness in the routine. A little like withdrawal symptoms when smokers quit! But spending more time at home is really good!

     

    03. Tell me, how are the Singh brothers to work with? There are some who say they are tough and crafty. But, then, there are people like you who have been with them for so long, and you aren’t the only one who has done that?

    Percept is  a one-of-its-kind institution in 360-degrees marcom. And this nobody will deny. What is unsaid is about the entrepreneural spirit the promoters infuse. This spirit is unparalleled! This is what gives a lot of people like me who have stayed long a different kind of high. And, entrepreneurial environment isn’t what all can relish or handle is what I would say in this context!

     

    04. As you look back at your last nine years at Percept Allied Media, what would be that one thing that you are very proud of having achieved?

    It is undoubtably building a team which was ranked in Top 5 in Brand Equity Reckoner within a couple of years

     

    05. Next is what? Where do you go from here?

    There are two things I will do:

    One is to take this opportunity to hit the REFRESH Button. My next assignment will be a fresh look at Marcom. We tend to look for a ‘continuous change’ which is actually finetuning of the old. Digital has ushered in a new set of Customers, whole new Customer Decision Journey and a Paradigm Shift of the Marketplace. This calls for a discontinuity in our approach to Marcom. A Rethink and Reinvention of Marcom principles as we have known so far is what this REFRESH Button is about!

     

    Second, is to do my bit on the impending talent crunch the Marcom industry is facing. I will soon start an Online MasterClass in Marcom. I am putting together a Plan of Action!

     

  • The restructuring in the Media business is in keeping with the evolving and dynamic changes in the M&E Industry

    Percept integrates media companies to form Percept Media as Shripad Kulkarni quits after 9 years

    By A Correspondent

     

    Media and entertainment major Percept has restructured and integrated its media and outdoor businesses into a single entity ‘Percept Media’. This follows the exit of veteran media professional Shripad Kulkarni as CEO of Percept Allied Media.

     

    Currently the Percept Group encompasses Allied Media – the media planning, evaluation and buying unit along with the Digital Media services arm; and Percept Out of Home – the communications specialist providing innovative solutions in the outdoor and rural media arena. The revised structure will see the two media service companies integrate into a single vertical under the nomenclature ‘Percept Media’, to become a single platform offering innovative and collaborative 360-degree media solutions to stakeholders.

     

    Ajay Upadhyay

    The leadership team of the newly created Percept Media vertical will comprise Ajay Upadhyay, COO, Percept Limited, who will serve as Chief Mentor to guide the integration process of the Media vertical; and Sanjay Shukla, COO, Percept One who will be responsible for directly supervising the entire integration and restructuring process as a part of the Percept One portfolio.Following the exit of Kulkarni, the erstwhile CEO of Allied Media earlier this month, P M Balakrishna has been elevated to CEO, Allied Media and will also hold the position of Executive Vice President, Percept Media. Rajneesh Bahl has been promoted to the post of Executive Vice President, Percept Media, and will also continue to serve in the capacity of CEO, Percept Out of Home overseeing the entire OOH operations for the company. Milind Dewulkar will take charge as CFO of the newly created Percept Media vertical.

     

    Sanjay Shukla

    The restructuring in the nedia business is in keeping with the evolving and dynamic changes in the M&E Industry and will enable Percept to offer greater efficiencies in the way it operates and functions. The new structure would also offer Percept’s clients greater synergy in the range of solutions and service offerings in the media domain thereby translating into greater value add and a heightened level of customer service and value for all stakeholders.

    Kulkarni, who has spent the last nine of his 30-year work experience with Percept, will reportedly announce his next move later in the week.

     

  • It signals a big opportunity opening up in the Bottom of Pyramid which both BJP and marketers must address.

    AAPHEW! | Shripad Kulkarni: Arvind Kejriwal’s ‘Wake up Call’ to BJP and marketers!

    By Shripad Kulkarni

     

    This is not about the communication or media strategy of the Aam Aadmi Party versus the new age digital strategy of Narendra Modi/Amit Shah’s Bharatiya Janata Party. Nor is this post about the outreach programme of the two parties (we already know very well that you need to reach out and connect with consumers to succeed). It signals a big opportunity opening up in the Bottom of Pyramid (BOP) which both the BJP and marketers must address.

     

    The BOP – 40% (or bottom two quintiles) of Urban India is the next emerging market!

     

    The Middle Classes were the bull’s eye TG for the Modi/Shah approach. Arvind Kejriwal rightly found a gap and zeroed in on the BOP.

     

    The BOP, especially in the Metros, is now economically well off. These people have the aspiration and quite a few of them partake of basic consumer goods. But the ‘quality of basic living’ is a daily fight. A classic case of consumer aspiration but failure of public goods. And, now, these people have a new found voice. If Kejriwal delivers in some measure on power, water, transport, education, sanitation, healthcare, the BOP people would have tasted blood. BOP people in city after city, state after state will have to be wooed by politicians.

     

    What’s more, once governments provide decent quality basics of living, the discretionary income of the BOP segment will actually grow. The ‘value’ spaces of consumption that Rama Bijapurkar has written about will present a range of opportunities. And therein may be the key to opening up the huge market called Bharat! The new driver for the Indian economy!!!

     

  • Media planners say official broadcaster ESPN Star Sports hopes to earn Rs95-100 crore by selling advertisement spots during the 17-day event in July-August as well as related programmes

    Olympics countdown: Hero, Airtel etc flock to hockey on rising public interest

    By Ratna Bhushan & Meenakshi Verma Ambwani

     

    Indian marketers are joining the ‘Chak De India’ brigade going to London Olympics. A day after the Indian hockey team qualified for the Olympics in spectacular style, advertisers such as Hero MotoCorp, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone plan to associate with the team and the event while Coca-Cola and Samsung may look to cash in on their official partnerships for the event, say people involved in their media buying plans.

     

    Media planners say official broadcaster ESPN Star Sports hopes to earn Rs95-100 crore by selling advertisement spots during the 17-day event in July-August as well as related programmes that will be spread over five months starting March.

     

    This amount is several times more than Rs5-7 crore that Doordarshan had raked in during the Beijing Olympics in 2008, but experts say three factors will help ESPN Star Sports reach its revenue target.

     

    These are, Indian cricket team’s disastrous performance in recent times that has pushed the sport’s television viewership to new lows; the fact that the Olympics is being shown on a private channel for the first time, leading to aggressive marketing of the event; and, a strong revival in interest in hockey and other sports.

     

    “The hockey team qualifier has changed things. Many companies are now seeing the Olympics as an opportunity to cash in on their global partnerships,” said Navin Khemka, senior vice-president at media buying firm Zenith Optimedia, which buys media for Reckitt Benckiser.

     

    Advertisers game for London

    ESPN Software Executive VP Sanjay Kailash said there is significant interest among Indian brands to advertise on the Olympics. “With the Indian team qualifying for hockey, the interest and buzz around the Olympics among Indian viewers and advertisers will only increase,” he said.

     

    ESPN Star Sports plans to rope in eight partners for the event. Consumer electronics giant Samsung is the official partner of the Indian delegation to the London Olympics while dairy products brand Amul on Monday announced a deal to sponsor the Indian contingent.

     

    “The hockey team’s performance has added muscle to our sponsorship plans,” said RS Sodhi, managing director of Amul brand owner Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, which will provide Rs1 crore for athletes who have qualified for the London Olympics.

     

    A Samsung spokeswoman said the company is yet to work out the specifics of its Olympics campaign. The firm is supporting training expenses of six players. Two-wheeler manufacturer Hero MotoCorp, the title sponsor for the Olympics qualifying tournament concluded in New Delhi on Sunday, is also expected to pick up broadcasting spots.

     

    Others such as telecom services providers Bharti Airtel and Vodafone too have evinced interest in associating with the Indian team, either on ground or on television, say media planners. Sahara Group, which renewed its five year sponsorship deal with Hockey India earlier this month, too may pitch in.

     

    Cricket’s loss helps

    In a strange turn of the wheel of fortune, the Indian hockey team, by merely qualifying for an event it had missed only once since the country’s Independence, has stolen the limelight from the national cricket team that won the World Cup less than a year ago.

     

    Television rating points for India’s ongoing series in Australia have plunged to less than 2, now that India has lost all the Test matches and is almost certain to finish last in the three-nation one-day international tournament.

     

    The downturn started in England last year, when the Indian team lost all its matches and meekly surrendered its top ranking in Tests to the host country. Yet, ESPN Star is expected to have earned about Rs300 crore in advertising revenues from the three-month Indian tour to Australia.

     

    “Family viewership for cricket has dropped and rates are now out of reach of certain brands,” says Shripad Kulkarni, chief executive officer of Allied Media, part of sports entertainment company Percept.

     

    Source: The Economic Times
    Copyright © 2012, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved