MxMIndia

Tag: Tarun Rai

  • The absence of some agencies at the Abby Awards is not a dampener, says Tarun Rai, CEO, J. Walter Thompson South Asia

    Tarun Rai: Having JWT and Contract in Top 3 is the best part

    It’s a hat-trick for you…

    Yes, it’s fantastic, three years in a row. JWT is on top and Contract in comes at No 3. So for me, it is even better news than just being at the top.

     

    Since you’ve have joined JWT things have changed. We’ve heard about you you working in the background to rebuild the agency. Tell us more…

    I have just finished a year myself, last month. It has been a very, very exciting ride. And most people don’t know, but there has been a complete turnaround in business performance. And here, we’re at Goafest and to be able to also do well creatively — and again not just for JWT but also Contract — is extremely heartening for me. The other thing I believe we have won on, are big brands like Unilever and Godrej. And to me there are other many other firsts to this. We have also won the Young Abbys Gold, and to me that is very heartening too. Not only have we won the maximum number of Golds, but also the maximum number of metals. I understand there were 200 shortlists, which itself is a record. So the sense I get is that our work is looking better across the board, and also to have won in various categories, including PR, shows us that we are winning across platforms. So overall, it has been fantastic news to me at Goafest, and it feels great to be here. Over the last one year, I think we have succeeded in turning the agency around. And I think we are poised to have a fantastic 2016.

     

    What is being the No 1 agency at Goafest mean to an agency which has been success and has a rich past?

    It means a lot. To me they’re awards, but awards are a reflection of what’s going on in the agency. They’re a huge pat on the back to all the creative people we have. And as I said, to have both JWT and Contract in the Top 3 is the cherry on the cake. I feel really honoured to have done so well and it is a tremendous tribute to Senthil, Teesta, Ashish of Contract and the entire team.

     

    One of the things that Goafest is known for, apart from the participation of a lot of big as well as small agencies is, notable omissions. Does that take away from your big win?

    I don’t think so. You know it’s up to them to participate or not. From what I was reading in the media, 96 per cent of all agencies have participated. If that four per cent doesn’t want to, well, that’s their decision. So it can’t put a dampener on the victory celebrations.

     

  • The veteran adperson who took HTA and then JWT to dizzying heights, passed away on the weekend

    RIP, Mike Khanna. Chairman Emeritus,JWT

     

    A Correspondent

     

    To generations of advertising, marketing and media professionals in the country, Mike Khanna, short for Mahinder K Khanna has been an institution. Like the legendrary Subhas Ghoshal from whom he took over the reins of JWT (then HTA), Khanna was among the greats of Indian advertising who built their agency and the brands it nurtured to dizzying heights.

     

    Veteran adperson and Chairman Emeritus, JWT, Mike Khanna passed away late Saturday at age 76. He took over the reins of JWT (then HTA) from the legendary Subhas Ghoshal in 1984 and spent over 38 years with the agency before assuming the role of Chairman Emeritus in January 2004 when he passed the baton of the CEO on to Colvyn Harris.

     

    Khanna, always very proper and regarded as the man who ensured that HTA, and then JWT, emerged as the #1 agency in the country. Not just in size, but also in systems and processes.

     

    Speaking on his passing, Tarun Rai, CEO, JWT said: “J Walter Thompson owes so much to Mike. And many, like me, owe their careers to him.  He was a legend in Indian advertising and a great leader and motivator. For decades, he and HTA (and later JWT) were synonymous. His legacy is extraordinary. He will be missed.” Rai worked very closely with Khanna during his earlier tenure with JWT.

     

    Khanna, notes a JWT statement, built HTA into “not just the single largest agency in India but also one that was known to build some of the leading brands of the country”. He played an active role in industry affairs, such as the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). Khanna started his professional life in market research with SSC&B, New York. An economics honours graduate, he obtained his MBA from New York University. He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the AAAI.

     

    There are several tributes via Twitter and Facebook, and we’d like to reproduce this by by Colvyn Harris in dna. Not only did Harris succeed him, he also worked with him closely and ensured the transition was smooth.

    By Colvyn Harris

    The legacy lives on Mike, in the stories we share about you. And in the  great institution you built. Many of us owe you for being mentor and guide in our professional and personal lives.

    How does one tell a story of the passing away of a true legend of our times, or words to express the impact Mike had on so many.

    We were blessed to have known him and his ideals and values, which still continue, and which have become the foundation of India’s finest advertising agency –  Hindustan Thompson Associates then, and now J Walter Thompson.

    His belief was best articulated in an oft-used phrase which summed up our purpose so appropriately: “to build the finest company, which would stand the test of time…”.

    Mike lived by human values of decency and grace, of professionalism and exactitude, and set the highest standards for us; so evident all across a company which thrives by those very values even today.

    In his footsteps, generations will follow, in our company and across the advertising industry where he played  such an invaluable role.

    Mike Khanna will be remembered for many aspects. The professional who was instrumental in the huge success of the company; the CEO who led us all to be what we are and what we achieved; for being the complete family man; and the charismatic and charming persona for the advertising fraternity given the man he was.

    For the advertising industry, his passing leaves a huge void, as many knew him as a friend having been the generation that together built our industry.

    For the professionals who walked the corridors of HTA and went on to greater success, their true inspiration was Mike.

    To sum it up in Nelson Mandela’s words:

    “when a man has done what he considers to be his duty…he can rest in peace”.

    You will be remembered Mike.  Always.

     Colvyn Harris is now Executive Director Global Growth & Client Development at JWT

    The funeral took place on Sunday afternoon in Mumbai.

     

  • Carlton will be reporting into Tarun Rai and will continue to lead HDS's creative leadership

    JWT elevates Carlton D’Silva as CEO, Hungama Digital Services

    By A Correspondent

     

    Carlton D'Silva

    J. Walter Thompson South Asia has named Carlton D’Silva as the new Chief Executive Officer, Hungama Digital Services. Carlton will be reporting into Tarun Rai and will continue to lead HDS’s creative leadership as its Chief Creative Officer.

     

    In his new role, Carlton will be responsible for leading the growth at HDS and further enhancing its creative output. He will partner Tarun to seamlessly integrate and deliver on J. Walter Thompson South Asia’s creative vision to offer the best value proposition to its clients. Carlton will have complete oversight of all six offices of HDS, including Hungama Promo Marketing.

     

    Tarun Rai

    Announcing his elevation, Tarun Rai, Chief Executive Officer, J. Walter Thompson South Asia said, “Carlton is a dynamic, creative leader with strategic capabilities, which makes him an ideal choice to head HDS. He is young, ambitious and has the drive to take HDS to the next level.”

     

    Carlton has spent close to 16 years with HDS. He is imaginative and inspiring and has diverse experience of working with some of the biggest brands in the country. He has won several awards and accolades for HDS across national and international award shows.

     

    Neeraj Roy

    “We are delighted to elevate Carlton as the CEO of HDS. Apart from being one of the most experienced digital advertising professionals in India, Carlton has demonstrated tremendous leadership qualities in leading a team of top performers who have won accolades for their clients and given them innovative and sustainable solutions with impactful and engaging consumer interactions. In his new role, Carlton will prepare our clients from leveraging creative digital activations and transform their communities to transactions. I wish him all the very best, always!”, said Neeraj Roy, Director on board, HDS.

     

  • Tarun Rai formally assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer J. Walter Thompson South Asia today (March 2, 2015)

    Homecoming for Tarun Rai as he takes charge as CEO, JWT South Asia

    By A Correspondent

     

    Tarun Rai

    Tarun Rai formally assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer J. Walter Thompson South Asia today. He will be based out of the agency’s Mumbai office. He succeeds Colvyn Harris who will assume the role of Executive Director, Global Growth and Client Development.

     

    In his new role as CEO, Mr Rai will lead J. Walter Thompson South Asia, which includes India, Sri Lanka and Nepal, as well as J. Walter Thompson’s Indian companies, including Contract Advertising, Hungama Digital Services, J. Walter Thompson Mindset, Encompass and Social Wavelength.

     

    “I am delighted to take charge of J. Walter Thompson’s South Asia operations and look forward to connecting with each of our offices and clients across the region. It’s a great homecoming for me and I am very excited to kick start this new inning,” Mr Rai said.

     

    Mr Rai joins J. Walter Thompson from Worldwide Media, where he held the role of CEO since 2008. During his previous tenure at J. Walter Thompson, he helped build some of the world’s most reputed brands; his clients included Hindustan Unilever, Diageo, GlaxoSmithKline, Pizza Hut, De Beers, ITC, Tata Steel, Nestlé, Hero, Godrej and Kellogg’s.

     

  • For J Walter Thompson CEO Gustavo Martinez, the 2020 agenda is about growth, work, new kind of talent and a new way of working

    Why India is a key office for JWT

     

    By Pritha Mitra Dasgupta

     

    Gustavo Martinez, the new global CEO of J Walter Thompson (JWT), says India will have to play a big role in pushing the advertising agency’s global growth rate to 6%-7% a year from less than 4% now. Mr Martinez, who spent about a year to know the network offices and set a growth agenda for 2020 before officially taking over as global CEO on January 1, 2015, started out by announcing new management structures in two of JWT’s biggest offices – New York and India.

     

    “I spent about 11 months to define and understand the company, to create and plan and now it is time to implement,” Mr Martinez said. He said the 2020 agenda is about growth, work, new kind of talent and new way of working. “I think we need to grow at least 6-7% per year globally between organic and inorganic,” he said. “Non-organic is clearly through acquisitions in new capabilities like digital, social content agency, content agency, digital platforms …. Organic is trying to expand our portfolio of clients.

     

    And that’s why it is important for people like Colvyn Harris to join my growth global team to specially deliver the organic growth,” Mr Martinez said. He expects India to be one of the biggest growth providers for the firm, adding he will be happy if JWT grows at about 8% rate in India. “India is a continent. It’s a region in itself,” he said. While JWT is still the largest agency network in India, industry estimate reveals that the JWT India suffered severe revenue losses of about Rs 55-60 crore, in the last two years. Mr Martinez denied this. “The facts are wrong. JWT India is still one of our largest companies and one of the most profitable companies we have in the organisation,” he said.

     

    “I also don’t want to measure JWT one year or the last six months performance. I will see the whole trend of the organisation. Clearly, in order to deliver the growth, we have set very ambitious targets and India needs to push the envelope.

     

    And therefore we are… reinforcing and reenergising the organisation.” On Tuesday, the firm had announced Tarun Rai as the new CEO of JWT South Asia, replacing Colvyn Harris who has been promoted as executive director, global growth and client development.

     

    In terms of improving skillset in JWT, Mr Martinez said ‘shopper marketing’ is an avenue that needs to be built in India. “Retail is still very traditional in India. I think because of the implementation of the new laws, the regulations it will catch up with the rest of the world. Shopper marketing will definitely become one of the fastest growing disciplines within our communication portfolio,” Mr Martinez said.

     

    He said that while global investor sentiment is positive towards India, the government needs to simplify regulations and processes as they are currently “extremely complex”. “My clients are definitely willing to increase their investments in the country. There was some kind of bitterness before because India didn’t crystallise enough.

     

    I think after the formation of the new government the sentiment is up again,” he said. Mr Martinez listed lack of infrastructure and legal problems among the hurdles that stopped big investment flow into India. “That for me will be the big challenge. It exactly what happened with Mexico two or three years ago. The new president put in the right changes and the laws but the problem was implementation.

     

    In India, the Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) will be successful only if he can implement his plan,” he said. He also said mobile phone will play a dominant role in the future. “We are already becoming a multi-screen kind of consumer. Everything is going to be mobile. Data is going to fundamental and third is creativity. How can be more creative taking advantage and leverage all the new resources and channels that we have?” Mr Martinez said.

     

    To deal with this kind of challenges, Mr Martinez is introducing a new style of management in the system that he called “channel agnostic”. “Focus on how we can deliver the new demands of the clients. More focus towards digital orientation and technology orientation. We need to have a management ready to embrace the challenges and try to even foresee those challenges and to readopt the structure in a nimble way for these changes,” Mr Martinez said.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2015, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • The outgoing WWM CEO will take over from Colvyn Harris who will assume a global role

    Change of Guard at JWT. Tarun Rai is new CEO South Asia

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    There is a change of guard at JWT in India. Gustavo Martinez, Chief Executive Officer of J  Walter Thompson Company,  announced that Tarun Rai will succeed Colyvn  Harris as CEO,  J. Walter Thompson South Asia, beginning early 2015. Mr Harris, 57, who has had a longstanding tenure with the company, will assume the role of Executive Director, Global Growth and Client Development, reporting to Martinez.

     

     

    In the role of CEO, Mr Rai will lead J Walter Thompson South Asia, which includes India,  Sri Lanka and Nepal, as well as J. Walter Thompson’s Indian companies, including  Contract Advertising, Hungama Digital Services, J. Walter Thompson Mindset, Encompass and Social Wavelength. He will report to Gustavo Martinez, and will work closely with Nick Romas, J Walter Thompson Asia Pacific CFO.

     

    “I am thrilled to welcome Tarun Rai back to J. Walter Thompson,” said Mr Martinez. “Tarun has the global business acumen and pioneering spirit needed to lead J. Walter Thompson South Asia. He was an important part of our, and now he will be a critical part of our future.”

     

    As was reported by MxMIndia on Monda, Mr Rai, 51, has announced his decision to leave Worldwide Media, where he held the role of CEO since 2008.

     

    “It’s wonderful to return home to J Walter Thompson during this pivotal time in the company’s history,” says Mr Rai. “Being away for a few years has given me an invaluable ‘outside-in’ perspective of the advertising business. Having a chance to head J. Walter  Thompson South Asia and work with Gustavo Martinez as he leads J. Walter Thompson into the next 150 years is a huge honour.”

     

    During his last tenure at J Walter Thompson, Mr Rai worked with clients like Hindustan Unilever, Diageo, GlaxoSmithKline, Pizza Hut, De Beers, ITC, Tata Steel, Nestlé, Hero, Godrej and Kellogg’s amongst others. He is someone who understands and reflects J. Walter Thompson’s values and ethics, notes a communique Mr Rai is an advertising and media professional with more than 25 years’ experience. He holds a business degree and is an alumnus of the London School of Economics.

     

    Mr Harris, who has spent 35 years at J. Walter Thompson, has been CEO of Contract Advertising and Managing Director of J. Walter Thompson Colombo, as well as holding various industry leadership roles and board positions, including President of the Advertising Agencies Association of India.

     

    Under his leadership, JWT has built a formidable reputation with a diverse spectrum of traditional, mainstream, activation, events and digital marketing services capabilities, including the acquisitions of Encompass, Hungama  Digital Services, Mindset and Social Wavelength, adds the communiqué. The agency also won its first Cannes  Grand Prix and first Titanium Lion under his leadership, and was the highest awarded Indian agency at Cannes 2014.

     

    “Every day has been an opportunity across my professional career at J. Walter Thompson,” said Mr Harris. “Building our capabilities to meet the ambition of our clients’ brands has been my relentless passion and purpose. I have worked with the most amazing and talented team one can ever hope for, and the bluest-of-blue chip clients across every category one can dream of. I am proud to have sustained and grown our client partnerships, and that our clients continue to be leaders in their respective categories for the ideas we have delivered for them. I look forward to being an integral part of the global client development team.”

     

    “I am deeply grateful for Colvyn Harris’ longstanding leadership and commitment to J Walter Thompson,” said Mr Martinez. “Colvyn has been a real asset and a great support during my first 11 months in the company. He will continue to help me further the growth of the company in this new role.

     

    “2015 will be a big year, especially for J Walter Thompson South Asia under Tarun’s leadership and vision,” he added.

     

     

  • J Walter Thompson names Tarun Rai as its new South Asia CEO replacing Colvyn Harris who will take up a global role as executive director, global growth and client development

    Tarun Rai to take charge at JWT South, Colvyn Harris gets global role

    By A Correspondent

     

    Tarun Rai

    J Walter Thompson, one of the largest advertising agencies in the world, has named Tarun Rai as its new South Asia CEO, replacing Colvyn Harris, who has been heading JWT in India for 10 years.

     

    Mr Rai was the CEO of Worldwide Media, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bennett, Coleman & Co Ltd that owns The Times of India and The Economic Times. Mr Harris will take up a global role as executive director, global growth and client development. Both Messrs Harris and Rai will report to Gustavo Martinez, global CEO at JWT. “This change in India management is on the back of my vision of creating a new style of management,” Mr Martinez said. “Tarun (Rai) has the global business acumen and pioneering spirit needed to lead JWT South Asia.”

     

    Colvyn Harris

    JWT is India’s largest advertising agency with annual revenues of Rs 2,000 crore. The new management will take to office in the third week of February. Mr Rai is a JWT veteran, having had a 19-year stint at the agency before quitting in 2008.

     

    As JWT South Asia head he will be in charge of the agency’s operations in India, Sri Lanka and Nepal, as well as JWT’s Indian companies Contract Advertising, Hungama Digital Services, JWT Mindset, Encompass and Social Wavelength. He will work closely with Nick Romas, JWT Asia Pacific CFO. Harris, in his new role, will manage JWT’s global growth and will primarily work out of its New York, London and Singapore offices.

     

    Mr Martinez said that the process of selecting a successor for Harris has been on for a while. Talking about the new management and creative leadership in India, he said, “I want to give Tarun Rai the time to come in and make his point of view (which Bob Jeffrey gave me) and allow him to set up his team.” At JWT, Mr Rai handled several major clients including Hindustan Unilever, Diageo, GlaxoSmithKline, Pizza Hut, DeBeers, ITC and Tata Steel.

     

    An alumnus of the London School of Economics, Tarun Rai has over 25 years’ experience in advertising and media. Mr Harris has completed 35 years at JWT, and his roles included being Contract Advertising CEO, JWT Colombo managing director. “Every day has been an opportunity across my professional career at JWT,” Mr Harris said. “I look forward to being an integral part of the global client development team.”

     

  • The head of Times Conferences and TimesPro will take charge as Tarun Rai moves on after a seven-year stint

    Deepak Lamba to take charge of WWM as Tarun Rai to move on

    By A Correspondent

     

    Deepak Lamba

    It wasn’t called the seven-year itch for nothing. Former adman Tarun Rai who’s had a great run as CEO of World Wide Media (WWM) has decided to move on.  He helmed the organisation since February 2008.

     

    And taking charge of WWM will be Deepak Lamba who is currently helming Times Conferences and Times Centre of Learning (with initiatives like TimesPro etc). Mr Lamba holds the designation of President, Bennett, Coleman and Company Ltd since June 2012. He joined BCCL after being Business Head of Bloomberg TV India channel. Before spending two years at the business news channel, he was with MTV for a four-year period. Mr Lamba will continue to hold charge of the learning and conference divisions.

     

    Tarun Rai

    While Mr Rai confirmed the development to MxMIndia, he did not reveal his next move. Prior to WWM, he worked with ad agency network JWT for nearly 20 years. His last position at JWT was that of Managing Partner. Mr Rai will continue till end-February.

    Mr Lamba was not available for comment, thought MxMIndia learns the announcement of his appointment as head of WWM was made late last week week.

    WWM is the publisher of popular magazines Filmfare and Femina along with a variety of others like Food Food, Lonely Planet, Top Gear amongst others.

     

  • The objective was to engage with the millennial woman of today while driving connect with brand Femina

    DDB Mudra West launches new campaign for Femina

    By A Correspondent

     

    DDB Mudra West launched Femina’s new positioning and tagline “Be Unstoppable” through a unique and disruptive marketing approach. First in a series of initiatives, Femina unveiled their new positioning and tagline through a powerful and provocative cover  for their July issue titled ‘My Body, My Rules’, with cover girl Huma Qureshi.

     

    The objective was to engage with the millennial woman of today while driving connect with brand Femina.

     

    The creative process followed was to choose a unique and disruptive marketing approach by creating interventions that bring alive the ‘Unstoppable Mantra’ and drive engagement. The cover which is the brand’s most valuable space was used as a platform to communicate “Be Unstoppable”.

     

    The first issue ‘My Body, My Rules’ exemplified the brand positioning, saluting women who’ve chosen to go beyond conventions and refuse to be boxed into someone else’s definition of perfection. Using a striking visual of Huma Qureshi juxtaposed with the ‘ideal’ body form of a mannequin the issue makes a powerful point about body image. The issue campaign encouraged women to embrace their bodies – perfections and imperfections alike.

     

    A differentiated approach to traditional brand campaigns, Femina intends to roll out a series of interventions throughout the year to bring alive its ‘unstoppable’ message.

     

    Going forward, Femina will also be playing up the brand thought of ‘Be Unstoppable’ through a thematic campaign across Print and Digital mediums as well as B2B ads. The thematic campaign brings alive the brands unstoppable mantra as poster ads for the new woman of today. The ads cover a range of topics like career, relationships, beauty, fashion etc.

     

    Tarun Rai

    Elaborating on how Femina has changed the game in the last five decades, Tarun Rai, CEO, Worldwide Media says, “Over the last five decades Femina itself has been unstoppable. It has always been progressive, always championed the modern Indian woman, always inspired her to achieve more and celebrated her successes. And Femina has succeeded and grown in stature because it has continuously changed itself and stayed relevant to its readers. In a sense Femina epitomises the journey of the modern Indian woman in the last five decades. Our new tag line – Be Unstoppable – captures Femina’s belief that modern Indian women have the confidence today to live their lives on their terms and achieve more.”

     

  • The magazine will have 10 issues a year and target beauty professionals across the country

    Femina forays into B2B segment with Femina Salon & Spa

    By A Correspondent

     

    Bestselling women’s magazine Femina  has announced its its entry into the Business-to-business (B2B) magazine sphere with the launch of Femina Salon & Spa.  The magazine will target beauty professionals across the country. It will have 10 issues a year.

     

    Speaking about the launch, Tarun Rai, CEO, Worldwide Media said, “Beauty is a booming business in India. The numbers of salons and spas across the country are increasing every month. And so are the professionals in the space. Femina, has been in the beauty business itself for the past many decades. It has been advising its readers about the latest trends and products. We decided to leverage Femina’s knowledge of the industry and the Indian woman and produce a specialist magazine for the specialists in the beauty industry.”

     

    Tanya Chaitanya, editor, Femina , added, “When it came to launching a beauty manual, a go-to guide for all those in the salon and spa business, it became Femina’s prerogative to introduce to the industry a high-quality product that focuses on all trends and techniques that are tried-and-tested for the Indian market.”

     

    Femina Salon & Spa was launched in Mumbai recently. Other than the flagship English edition, Femina is also published in Hindi and Tamil.

     

  • DDB Mudra used crowdsourcing via social media to get readers to develop and execute the editorial and design content for the entire issue

    Made By You issue makes Femina a crowdsourced hit

    By A Correspondent

     

    Crowdsourcing, a technique being increasingly employed by marketers, has been used to create logos, movies, books, etc. Femina’s ‘Made by You’ issue is a move to get readers to develop and execute the editorial and design content for the entire issue.

     

    Marketing is inbuilt into the publishing of this issue, and every author is a potential word of mouth marketer. Femina Made by You is thus a bridge in terms of being able to merge the world of publishing and marketing.

     

    Tarun Rai

    Tarun Rai, CEO, Worldwide Media, said, “Worldwide Media has grown at a furious pace. From just four magazines four years ago, we now have 13. And as a publishing house we have been leading from the front. Femina Made By You is another first for the magazine industry. A crowd-sourced issue, at the scale we have visualized it, is unprecedented. And it is only appropriate that it is Femina that is bringing it out as there is no other English women’s magazine with the stature and readership that Femina has.”

     

    Tanya Chaitanya, Editor, Femina said, “Femina Made by You is exactly what it promises to be. An issue made by the real women who have always been our core focus. A Mumbai reader’s take on relationships, a Delhi girl’s hunt for the latest It bag, a Kolkata woman’s expertise in the kitchen, a Chennai career girl’s tips on being a 9-to-5 ninja – it’s all trending here.”

     

    DDB Mudra used simple techniques for crowdsourcing and keeping the technology in the background while developing this issue. The techniques included Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest. To start with, a Facebook app – “Made By You Issue” – was created on the Femina Facebook page. The app focused on a simple idea that ‘If you’ve got a story, we’ve got the space’.

     

    The second initiative was to introduce the contributors to the Femina India editorial team. The team ‘met’ select authors via Google Hangouts. The objective of this meet was to bring women from different corners closer and give them a single platform to discuss and share their ideas. Finally a filtering process was used for the entries that would finally get featured in this magazine. Here the Femina India editorial team led by the editor, Tanya Chaitanya, was involved.

     

    Besides receiving entries from metros in India, there was participation from non-metros as well including Dehradun, Panchkul, Jalandhar, Pune, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Ludhiana, Indore, Guwahati, Jalandhar, Bhopal, Kanpur, Nagpur, Amritsar and Surat.

     

    Statistics:

    Facebook

    1.Daily people talking about Femina: 1,20,394(total)

    2. Daily total reach: 2.97 million (total)

    3. Daily total impressions: 12.1 million (total)

    4. Friends of fans reached: 40 million

    5. Fans added: 41, 435

     

    Twitter

    1. Total followers: 10,650

    2. Tweets done: 1578

    2. Re-tweets received: 688

    3. Potential impressions: 17 million

    4. Potential reach: 12 million

    5. Mentions: 4,320

    6. Followers added: 692

    7. Blogger coverages: 30

     

  • The two-day Indian Magazine Congress which begins in Mumbai today is a must-attend event for stakeholders

    Growth mantras beckon @ IMC 2013

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    By the time you read this, the seventh edition of the Indian Magazine Congress (IMC) would have been be kicked off by AIM president Tarun Rai. The two-day conference has been organised by the Association of Indian Magazines (AIM) and is the most significant gathering of the magazine industry in India. The attendees include people from the Indian magazine fraternity including representatives from the Ministry of Information, Magazine Publishers, Media owners, Marketers and advertisers, Media planners and buyers, Magazine Editors, Brand Managers, Circulation specialists, Magazine Distributors, Researchers, Media and financial consultants and Industry analysts.

     

    Tarun Rai

    According to recent IRS figures, the magazine industry is definitely facing tough times. However, Mr Rai opined, “All media is facing tough times. In fact, as per the latest Madison Media Outlook, magazines have done better than projected by showing a growth of 4.5 percent over 2012. And yes, publishers do recognize that the economic environment of the country is tough and advertising spending will be more conservative.”

     

    The theme ‘Magazines: New Directions. New Opportunities’ will explore the digital opportunities for the magazine industry. Mr Rai said, “Digital is the big opportunity for magazines. We have now more vehicles to take our content to people. More easily. The challenge, though, is to quickly learn to repurpose our content for digital. To equip our people through training to best exploit the digital opportunities. To recruit new talent where needed.”

     

    The line-up of speakers is as impressive as the theme itself.

     

    “Yes, we do have a great line-up of speakers. We have very senior professionals from media, marketing and creative. We also have 15 international speakers who have flown down specially for the IMC. The delegates cannot afford to miss any session starting with the opening address of Nitin Paranjpe,” said Mr Rai.

     

    The speakers include names such as Chris Llewellyn, President and CEO, FIPP, UK; Peter A. Kreisky, Chairman, Kreisky Media Consultancy, USA; Andrew Duck, Managing Director, Audience Media, Vietnam; Fabrizio D’Angelo, MD, Hubert Burda Media, Germany; Mike Lovell, International Director, Meredith Corporation, USA; Sandra Gotelli, International Publisher and Head of Licensing, Mondadori, Italy; Torsten Klein, President, Gruner + Jahr International, Germany.

     

    MxM India brings to you the profile of the not-to-be-missed-speakers.

     

    Chris Llewellyn has been serving as Federation of the Periodical Press (FIPP) president and CEO in the organisation since 2009. He has been a member of the FIPP Management Board since 1999, and served as its chairman between 2005 and 2007. FIPP is the worldwide magazine media association that represents companies and individuals involved in the creation, publishing or distribution of quality content, in whatever form, by whatever channel, and in the most appropriate frequency, to defined audiences of interest.

     

    Peter Kreisky founded Kreisky Media after being at the helm of Mercer Management Consulting’s worldwide media and entertainment practice for 10 years, preceded by a career at McKinsey & Company and CBS Inc. His experience spans Europe and North America, in just about every sector of the media industry. The Kreisky Media Consultancy provides corporate strategy and management advisory services for top management, focused exclusively on the media and entertainment industry: magazine, book, and newspaper publishing, digital media, the Internet, television, music, motion pictures, information, advertising, media retailing.

     

    Audience Media is an innovative company offering the latest multi-media marketing and communication solutions to clients around the world, including Photo Review Australia, BBC Good Food and PrintNZ. The company was founded in 2011 by Andrew Duck, Rolf Rohwer and Mike Coker. Audience Media intends to stay at the forefront of developing technologies.

     

    Fabrizio D’Angelo, head of Hubert Burda International, has also served as FIPP’s Vice-Chairman. In February 2012, Hubert Burda Media pooled its international print activities in a new umbrella organization, Burda International (BI). It was then that Burda CEO Dr. Paul-Bernhard Kallen appointed Fabrizio d’Angelo as Managing Director. However, Mr. d’Angelo has been in charge of BHI since December 2008.

     

    Mike Lovell leads the licensing of Meredith’s leading consumer brands outside the U.S. Meredith is the leading media and marketing company serving American women. It is the industry leader in creating content in key consumer interest areas such as home, family, health and wellness and self-development and uses multiple distribution platforms – including print, television, online, mobile, tablets, and video – to give consumers content they desire and to deliver the messages of its advertising and marketing partners.

     

    Sandra Gotelli of Mondadori, Italy has been managing the International editions of Mondadori Magazines since 2006, which includes: 15 Grazia editions (7 weeklies, 1 fortnighly, 9 monthlies); Casaviva: 7 editions, Interniand Sale & Pepe. Mondadori is one of Europe’s top publishing companies.

     

    European Gruner + Jahr International (G+J) publishes close to 285 print titles and accompanying homepages in over 20 countries, has printing plants in Germany and the United States, and owns professional websites. In 2012, the group bought India-based startup SeventyNine, a mobile media distribution and analytics platform for Rs 38 crore. In January 1998, Torsten-Joern Klein joined G+J AG, where he was named Publishing Director of Berliner Zeitung and Berliner Kurier, published by Berlin Newspaper Publishing Group. From 2000 through the end of 2003, Torsten- Joern Klein was Managing Director of Berlin Newspaper Publishing Group, responsible for all of Gruner + Jahrs newspaper operations in Berlin. He was appointed member of the G+J Executive Board in January 2004. He is President of G+J International and has the responsibility for all magazines and online activities of Gruner + Jahr outside Germany.

     

    On the one hand we have BusinessWorld turning fortnightly, and on the other Discovery Channel Magazine announcing its entry into India. This may be the right time to take home received knowledge, and follow it to grow and progress.