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Category: MAM

  • Yatin Mehrishi appointed as CEO of Mirchi, ENIL

    Yatin Mehrishi appointed as CEO of Mirchi, ENIL

    Mumbai: Entertainment Network India’s (ENIL) Mirchi, one of India’s largest city-centric music and entertainment companies, has strengthened its leadership position as it has announced the appointment of Yatish Mehrishi as its CEO.

    Prashant Pandey, who was previously managing director & CEO of Mirchi, ENIL, will continue his role and duties as managing director.

    Mehrishi will be spearheading the company’s performance across all dimensions and will continue to ensure Mirchi remains the audience’s go-to destination for all things music and entertainment.

    He is a seasoned professional with over 23 years of experience across diverse sectors spanning FMCG, telecom, and fashion, having worked with organisations like Pepsico, Motorola, and Arvind Fashions, which was his previous stint as chief revenue officer.

    Having worked with ENIL earlier for 11 years as chief operating officer, he brings with him a rich experience and a strong understanding of the radio, media & entertainment industry.

    Commenting on Mehrishi’s appointment, BCCL managing director Vineet Jain said, “Over the past 20 years, Mirchi has evolved into a multi-platform, multi-format brand that has a presence across FM, live, and digital realms. In line with Mirchi’s new transformational journey, I am confident that Yatish’s return to ENIL will help accelerate our journey of being a digital-first brand.”

    Commenting on his new role, Mehrishi said, “I am super excited to be back with ENIL. For years, Mirchi has been the consumers’ go-to for music and entertainment, dominating the audio industry, and now, with its new app, Mirchi Plus, it is set to redefine the audio entertainment industry further. With the recent shift in consumer behaviour towards digital, I am looking forward to championing Mirchi’s digital journey and replicating our radio journey’s success.”

  • Faces Canada hands over digital AOR duties to Grapes

    Faces Canada hands over digital AOR duties to Grapes

    Mumbai: Grapes has bagged the digital media mandate for the cosmetic brand Faces Canada. The mandate will be handled by the agency’s Mumbai office.

    As a part of this, the agency will look after social media management & community building, digital campaign strategy, and product launches. The mandate has been won following a multi-agency pitch.

    With the association, the brand aims to level up its game when it comes to social media presence and expand the target audience beyond metro cities.

    Speaking on the win, Grapes CEO and co-founder Shradha Agarwal said, “We are really looking forward to working with Faces Canada. As a premium cosmetic brand, it is part of a niche industry, and this brings to the forefront our proficiency in leaving behind a strong recall value amongst the audience for the brand with the help of our ingenious campaigns.”

    Talking about the collaboration, Faces Canada creative director Devkey Advani said, “We’re a brand that cares and we never compromise on quality, which can be seen in all our products; they’re good-for-skin AND high-performance. Just like our clutter-breaking products, we needed unique digital messaging to amplify visibility amongst the target audience. With content becoming massy and cluttered, it’s become more imperative than ever to stand apart from the noise. Grapes coming in with their expertise to efficiently lead the digital presence made it easy for us to choose them without any second thoughts. We look forward to reaching creative milestones together in the coming time.”

  • Global Creator Network wins AJIO’s social and content mandate

    Global Creator Network wins AJIO’s social and content mandate

    Mumbai: On Tuesday, Ajio announced the hiring of OML Entertainment’s branded content arm, Global Creator Network (GCN), to handle its social and content mandate. This new collaboration will bring a spunk, verve, bold and fresh perspective to Ajio’s digital communication.

    In line with its brand philosophy—celebrating fearlessness and uniqueness-Ajio is constantly looking to bring a fresh, current, and accessible perspective to personal style. GCN, with its industry expertise and talent network, will look after end-to-end executions of campaigns and content that will help Ajio stay ahead of the competition.

    GCN will work to design and craft innovative, engaging, and effective content for Ajio in tune with the current trends and tastes. Ajio, a fashion and lifestyle brand, is Reliance Retail’s digital commerce initiative and is the ultimate fashion destination for styles that are handpicked, on-trend, and at prices that are the best you’ll find anywhere.

    As a part of the mandate, GCN will build a robust brand strategy, creative first social campaigns with IPs, creator activations, and enable the brand to build a community of like-minded people across various social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram. The digital marketing communication will be designed to elevate the brand’s presence in the minds of the consumers using effective branded content strategies.

    Commenting on the win, GCN senior vice president of branded content Devarshi Shah, said, “As a team, we are excited to be associated with a popular and loved brand like Ajio. It would be interesting to build a fresh line of digital communication strategies that are futuristic yet relevant in today’s time. Our focus will be to create meaningful, innovative, and fresh content strategies. The aim is to keep the brand ahead of the competition with campaigns that click.”

  • Cisco ropes in The 23 Watts as employee communications partner

    Cisco ropes in The 23 Watts as employee communications partner

    Mumbai: Cisco has onboarded The 23 Watts as its employee communications and engagement partner for the Asia-Pacific, Japan and China (APJC) region. The mandate will be driven out of the agency’s Bengaluru and Delhi offices.

    As flexible and hybrid working become the norm, the need for a digitally connected employee engagement approach is imperative to driving brand equity and culture forward. The agency will be responsible for shaping employee communication strategies and driving engagement tailored for 10 countries and around 20,000 people across the region.

    Speaking about the association, Cisco director of communication-Asia-Pacific, Japan and China Puneet Pal Singh said, “At Cisco, our people are at the core of all that we do, anchored in and linked to our company’s purpose and vision. We are delighted to partner with The 23 Watts to continue engaging our teams to challenge themselves as we move forward in our journey of building an inclusive future for all.”

    Sharing his thoughts on the partnership, The 23 Watts chief operating officer Kirti Singh said, “In today’s day and age, people’s experiences in the workplace are what sets companies and their cultures apart—and culture couldn’t be more important to the growth of a company. Over the last two years, we have focused our efforts on powering employee communication and engagement, alongside building employee synergy in the process. With people being Cisco’s biggest asset, we are proud to partner with Cisco and take their efforts forward as we commence a journey with them in the APJC region.”

  • Communications agency Grasshoppers relishes 20 years

    Communications agency Grasshoppers relishes 20 years

    Mumbai: The advertising and integrated communications agency, Grasshoppers India (GIPL), has completed 20 years of its services in the advertising and PR space. The agency was founded in 2002 by Arjun Banerjee.

    Providing advertising and integrated communications services to brands across verticals, the agency started back in 2002 when marketing and communication were an extremely competitive space full of big sharks handling bigger brands.

    In two decades of excellence, GIPL has built an exceptional presence in healthcare, finance, education, technology, automotive, real estate, hospitality, UN bodies and others.

    With the inception of GreenThumb (the PR wing), the agency gained a unique edge with both domestic and foreign clients. The onset of the digital age and increasing demand for virtual presence led to the christening of GrownUps (the digital wing). Over the years, the agency also launched Gramin (outreach wing), which collaborates with NGOs on awareness campaigns, including in-depth research, concept development, design, and execution.

    Speaking about the milestone, Grasshoppers India founder-director Arjun Banerjee said, “No one can beat a classic. And we have become one in 20 years.”

    “Grasshoppers never employ a ‘one-size-fits-all’ strategy. We are always striving to be adaptable and tailor our approach to the client’s goals and budget,” he added.

    While Grasshoppers India has achieved a firm position, its journey has not been without its share of trials. In reality, the agency has gone through several tides over the last two decades. The pandemic, in all its ferocity, disrupted business dynamics. Being vigilant, they steered the ship with new strategies, keeping their crew safe while avoiding pay cuts and even layoffs. Their clientele stood behind them too, as they needed a reliable ally in these trying times.

    “Although our ethos remains the same, we believe change is the only constant in life. We have been adept at reinventing ourselves, staying young, energetic and ahead of the times, always,” added Grasshoppers India founding member & director of brand communication & planning Megha Jain.

    “Today, we thank all our clients who had faith in us and those dedicated team members for their unwavering support because achieving a milestone like this would not be possible without them. And that is truly our reward!,” Banerjee quoted.

  • We are expanding our verticals in terms of strength and products with future in-demand tech: Mobavenue’s Tejas Rathod

    We are expanding our verticals in terms of strength and products with future in-demand tech: Mobavenue’s Tejas Rathod

    Mumbai: Mobavenue Media is a 360° growth and tech platform dedicated to empowering brands, agencies, and media publishers with mobile-first solutions to drive growth, engagement, and monetisation. Their product suite is custom-tailored to design a more valuable experience for the user by creating real connections and driving performance. They help brands with acquisitions, retargeting, growth management, and monetisation in India, Southeast Asia, Latin America, Europe, and Australia. Their various proprietary in-house platforms optimise towards end business goals and growth paths using predictive media solutions to run brand performance-driven campaigns for their partners. Mobavenue’s team is based in eight locations: Delhi, Mumbai, Singapore, Jakarta, Dubai, Sydney, Moscow, and London.

    Indiantelevision.com caught up with Mobavenue Media co-founder & chief operating officer Tejas Rathod to find out more. He has more than eight years of experience in the tech industry. Back in 2014, he was associated with Chillofy LLP as co-founder & chief operating officer. His one-stop solution is to deliver end-to-end advertising solutions, helping brands, app developers, digital marketers, and companies to execute performance-driven campaigns in India and across Southeast Asia. Rathod has been part of events such as AW, iGB Affiliate, ICE London and a few others.

    He has always been an outgoing person with a zeal for travel and exploring new ideas through natural exposure. He can always be found working in and around communities. To keep himself highly productive, he regularly attends business events, networking with potential clients and talent. Rathod strongly believes that millennials have all it takes to create a better world full of opportunities and elevated living.

    He loves staying up to date with the latest digital trends. When he finds time to himself, Rathod likes playing classic strategic board games and watching documentaries about business, leadership, and anything interesting with loads of insights.

    Excerpts:

    On the market gap that Mobavenue saw when it was launched in 2017

    There was a significant market gap between advertisers and publishers in acquiring high-quality users and monetizing their assets efficiently. To meet their end goals, brands required holistic KPI-oriented data-driven technology that maximised ROI while improving user acquisition, growth, engagement, and monetization. We have been successfully bridging that gap since our inception and have seen the market size upscale, building a standalone platform for brands and partners, creating a win-win position for all parties.

    On the company’s USP

    Our USPs are rooted in audience, acquisition, growth, and re-market with a stronghold in audience segmentation and performance-driven campaigns. Our in-house proprietary solutions optimise towards end-business goals and growth paths using predictive buying and supply-side modelling. User behaviour and acquisition through precise targeting is the focus of AI audience segmentation. We ensure brand and fraud safety while focusing on placing relevant content using relevant contextual ads.

    On how covid impacted the business

    The pandemic impacted many industries. We witnessed the world shift towards a digital-first approach. Online shopping was the new norm during the pandemic. As a result of this, people in general, as well as companies, pivoted to an online approach. There was a surge in terms of online activities and purchases. Since the majority of people were indoors, a surge in ad consumption and viewership took place in the online purchasing funnel. We did quite well during the pandemic as most of our customers are digital-first from different sectors such as banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), fintech, OTT, fashion and lifestyle, leisure and entertainment, gaming, e-commerce, apparel, D2C, retailers, and more.

    On the goals set for 2022 and the game plan to get there

    We are expanding our verticals in terms of company strength and new products with future in-demand technologies. We are transitioning and integrating with the advent of newer forms of technology. We aim to evolve and drive growth in different sectors. We are spearheading martech and adtech solutions.

    On how Mobavenue helps D2C businesses be more cost-efficient

    We have worked with numerous D2C brands to meet their objectives while focusing on cost-effectiveness with our in-house products in programmatic acquisition, re-targeting, and growth management. Our unique marketing solutions help D2C businesses with in-app advertising strategies.

    On Mobavenue’s products like DSP, partners, etc.

    We are a tech-driven platform focusing on acquiring relevant users with our product offering, which includes: DSP, programmatic, premium partner, and OEM solutions; display ads; publisher-first SSP; re-target and re-market AI, DMP, mobile SDK, and exchange to reach high-quality global audiences.

    On some of the work that Mobavenue does with clients

    We work with 150+ brands. Mobavenue has successfully provided unique programming strategies to numerous banks and NBFCs like ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, KreditBee, Freecharge, Navi Finserv, Nira Finance, Fi Money, Unicard, OneCard, and Policy Bazaar by implementing dynamic creatives and other efficient in-house media tools. Their cutting-edge, advanced mobile advertising solutions have optimised the ROI of banks and NBFCs and helped them achieve promotional brand exposure, faster conversions, improved user acquisition, and customer retention.

    Mobavenue has generated good traction in leading D2C companies with the help of its in-house products in programmatic acquisition, retargeting, and growth management. Tier II, III, and IV cities are primarily responsible for D2C growth because they have wealthy but brand-deprived consumers who are willing to try new items. With the help of regional and vernacular publishers, in addition to premium listings, Mobavenue was able to scale to these markets and reach new consumers.

    On how Mobavenue helps OTT platforms boost subscription levels

    Using programmatic user acquisition and unique targeting methods, we have helped OTT brands drive paid subscriptions, views, and retention. The OTT market has a set of unique challenges, which require unique solutions too. Our expertise and partnered technologies leverage OTT platforms with a full-funnel approach such as acquisition, retargeting, monetisation, and promotion.

    On the factors needed for an SVoD platform to succeed in a price sensitive market

    Subscription video on demand (SVoD) platforms are highly competitive markets, resulting in customers being more price-sensitive than ever. The availability of faster mobile internet has increased the number of overall users. To succeed in this competitive market, platforms need to consider a pricing model that offers a value proposition and customer satisfaction. Providing customers with multiple options regarding tiered pricing, trails, and discounts will help attract new audiences.

    On the work done by Mobavenue for the gaming industry

    We have executed CPA models for different gaming apps, which have helped them achieve their business goals. Our well-planned and structured marketing tactics have leveraged gaming brands to reach new audiences and increase app downloads compared to their competitors.

    On the role that AI is playing in media planning and buying

    Media buying can be a rigorous task. AI plays a developed role in aggregating data between traditional and digital channels. Sales operations can be further monitored and raise alerts with potential risks. AI can also learn and adapt to changing situations, making it much easier to optimise before closing deals.

  • Shobitam announces strategic communication partnership with Tute Consult

    Shobitam announces strategic communication partnership with Tute Consult

    Mumbai: Shobitam, the global ethnic fashion brand, on Monday appointed an integrated marketing and communications firm, Tute Consult, to bolster its presence in the Indian and global markets.

    Tute Consult will be responsible for developing a holistic communication strategy to amplify the brand’s mission and establish Shobitam’s brand image and awareness amongst its fast-growing base globally.

    Speaking on the partnership, Shobitam co-founder & chief product officer Aparna Thyagarajan said, “We are thrilled to be associated with Tute Consult as our strategic communications partner. I am certain that Tute Consult, through their extensive industry knowledge and experience, is poised to enable the right communication tools for Shobitam and be our partners in every step. We are looking forward to a mutually fruitful association and cannot wait to embark on this exciting journey.”

    Tute Consult founder Komal Lath added, “We love what Shobitam has to offer and are thrilled to work with them to build a world-class global ethnic fashion brand that we are all proud of. The fashion category is ever evolving, and it’s great to see novel concepts and ideas germinate into beautiful selections with designs that give us impetus to tell their stories. We’re excited and look forward to some great strategic collaborations and conversations to amplify Shobitam’s beautiful mission and vision to democratise ethnic fashion globally.”

  • Gas-O-Fast brings ‘India ki Acidity ka Indian Ayurvedic Solution’

    Gas-O-Fast brings ‘India ki Acidity ka Indian Ayurvedic Solution’

    Mumbai: Mankind Pharma’s Ayurvedic Gas-O-Fast has rolled out an extension of its ‘India ki Acidity ka Indian Ayurvedic Solution’ campaign. The brand came up with a digital campaign featuring Namit Das to effectively communicate the message that Ayurvedic Gas-O-Fast can address the common acidity problem in India. For creating a presence in the regional market, the brand also launched a multilingual TVC campaign, with Kanneganti Brahmanandam and Biswanath Basu, for better brand awareness in the South and East, respectively.

    Aiming to reach a wider audience base, this year the brand initiated a well-planned 360-degree campaign aiming to amplify the brand’s reach and seek deeper penetration into the market. As part of the campaign, the brand executed multiple activities. In the first instance, Ayurvedic Gas-O-Fast activated an OOH campaign to strike a chord with the audience.

    The brand has launched the activity across Pune, Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and other parts of India. It took a multi-dimensional route with hoardings in Pune, boat branding in Dal Lake, Srinagar, station branding in Gujarat and Rajasthan, and wet sampling in Uttar Pradesh to reach out to customers. The activity also included branding activity and TV series integration on Colors TV, covering different media channels. It aimed to reach out to non-digital audiences who still rely on traditional media to stay informed.

    Additionally, rather than restricting themselves to a few mediums, the brand has also devised various offline event sponsorships. With the objective of further enhancing the impact created by multilingual TVC campaigns, the brand presents Times Sharod Shrestho 2022 in association with Times of India. It was done by being a part of the Durga Pujo gaiety during the most awaited and biggest festival in West Bengal. The campaign was able to create visibility across numerous Baroari (community-based) pujas in Kolkata.

    Furthermore, in an attempt to make inroads into the rural market in West Bengal, another activity was undertaken. The brand, in association with Radio Mirchi, presented an event called Mirchi Para Football. The match was an amateur football event and Ayurvedic Gas-O-Fast sought to target the audience across the districts of Midnapore, Berhampore, Barasat, and Siliguri for better brand penetration and visibility. These events were well supported with the help of digital promotions on social media handles and websites, newspaper editorial coverage, print advertorials, and announcements on radio channels.

    Speaking about the campaign, Mankind Pharma associate vice president of sales and marketing Joy Chatterjee said, “The Indian audience is very vast, which reflects diverse trends. In order to reach them, the one-size-fits-all concept becomes obsolete and requires a more multi-faceted approach to increase visibility among the audience. We sought to cater to all types of audiences with this campaign.”

  • GUEST ARTICLE: The future of brand marketing using influencers

    GUEST ARTICLE: The future of brand marketing using influencers

    Mumbai: ‘Influencer marketing is the future,’ ‘Influencer marketing helps brands reach millions,’ and ‘Influencer marketing has limitless potential.’ We see such statements across articles, news, blogs, etc. As we dissect the relevance and future of influencer marketing, let’s clarify what it is.

    Simply put, influencer marketing uses content creators on social media to craft engaging promotional content to drive traffic and conversions, boosting the brand’s growth and revenue. But is it true? Can we assume that brands can turn towards influencer marketing as the marketing industry’s future? And if so, how is this shift getting suitable returns? How is the integration happening across different mediums? How is it a reliable method of generating high ROI? Finally, and most importantly, what is influencer marketing for brands? In this article, we will unravel this boundless strategy.

    One strategy – multiple purposes served

    Influencer marketing, with its multifaceted benefits, serves more than one purpose. Some of the objectives of brand marketing with influencers can range from:

    1. Building brand awareness: Influencers can amp up the brand positioning and visibility for their respective followers, especially if they’re niche-based with a highly engaged audience.

    2. Increase reach: Influencers can help brands reach broader and more relevant audiences across cities or countries. This also helps the audience connect strongly with the brand that their favourite influencers associate with.

    3. Drive sales/traffic: Influencers can help brands get more qualified leads and traffic with their content.

    4. Improve brand image: Influencers are usually considered experts or key leaders in their niche or industry, and their followers highly value their opinions. When an influencer posts something good about or for the brand, this boosts the brand’s credibility and image.

    Sass and Sales are on the same side now-

    The evolution of digital marketing has taken over people’s digital privacy, so it’s safe to say that most of the expensive advertisements you’re pushing forward to your potential customers are not even reaching them. As a result, people are now paying to stop receiving advertisements. So it’s no surprise that the marketing industry witnessed the rise of influencer marketing as the hero of marketing, helping brands reach their potential customers on social media platforms with quirky, engaging, and relatable promotional content. Leading creators have mastered the subtle and sassy ways of promoting products or services. Be it Bhuvan Bam’s Myntra collaboration, RJ Karishma’s Hotstar collaboration or KYRA’s boAt collaboration, the content doesn’t just reach millions of people, it also helps people connect more with the brand. They feel the urge to buy the products recommended by their favourite influencer, driving high ROI in sales, website traffic, instals, brand visibility, awareness, and so much more.

    Pay Less, Earn More? Yes, that’s on the table

    Tired of paying for ads and marketing promises that never yield good returns? Influencer marketing has successfully established itself as a cost-effective strategy. How? Here’s an example: Micro-influencers charge as low as Rs 2,000 for content that reaches 50k potential customers. At the same time, macro influencers charge Rs 40,000 or more for content that reaches five million potential customers. Moreover, influencer marketing can be customised to suit your brand’s budget, ensuring your brand spends less and gains more.

    Not just that, some influencers even prefer to do barter campaigns, meaning your brand can give some products to the influencer in exchange for a promotional post for the product.

    Rule the digital world? Yes, along with customers’ hearts and pockets!

    The digital crowd is hooked on their social media platforms throughout the day. Be it Instagram, Youtube, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook. However, the digital crowd is smart, so the selling process has to be more innovative. Customers are no longer attracted to advertisements promoting anything and everything. Brand marketing with influencers can be considered the liveliest form of marketing by simultaneously capturing millions across the globe. Let’s check out some of the leading influencer campaigns across different social media platforms to better understand them.

    1. YouTube influencer marketing: Youtube influencers specialise in different niches. Collaborating with YouTubers for brand marketing can add value for your target audience while driving higher conversions. Some YouTube brand campaigns with influencers include live-shopping, review videos, and narrative and reaction videos, among others. Case in point, Open Book launched a regional campaign with influencers to familiarise the brand’s new products with its target audience. The content revolved around experts talking about the products and their solutions.

    2. Instagram influencer marketing: With Instagram, brand marketing with influencers usually focuses on campaigns that aim to earn brand mentions, product reviews, content sharing, and contests. With the rising popularity of Instagram in the last decade, the creator pool has successfully implemented content curation and creation strategies that boost brand awareness, sales, brand visibility and more. Case in point: Paragon collaborated with mega influencers to target the youth audience and depict the brand as the go-to footwear for all occasions. The content revolved around reviews and product experiences, with a hint of humour.

    3. Snapchat influencer marketing: Snapchat marketing with influencers is often considered the ace of social media due to the high rates of conversion, genuine interaction, and two-way content engagement allure it holds. Case in point: In 2020, Dunkin’ Donuts launched the most extensive campaign on Snapchat. To put a smile on its customers’ faces, it launched a campaign on National Donut Day. The brand’s Snapchat channel was taken over by influencers who posted snaps from Dunkin’ Donut outlets. To enhance their customers’ experience, they also devised a “Geofilter” that visitors could access after signing up with the store, driving high outlet visits.

    Over the years, we have witnessed brand marketing with influencers on Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, etc. It is safe to say that the trend has seen a glorious rise, and the future of brand marketing with influencers is ripe with possibilities and opportunities. Most brands have started adopting and adapting as per the latest trends and updates, staying in-vogue with campaign strategies with the “WOW” factor for the digital crowd, like boAt with its first-ever campaign with virtual influencer KYRA or L’Oreal revamping its influencer marketing strategies in a relatable way. One thing is sure: influencer marketing plays a vital role in the growth trajectory of brands. It won’t be long before most leading brands shift their strategies to adopt influencer marketing as a core strategy.

    The author of this article is The Good Creator Co. co-founder Rahul Singh.