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Category: MAM

  • Dentsu Creative India appoints Ajeet Shukla as group executive creative director

    Dentsu Creative India appoints Ajeet Shukla as group executive creative director

    Mumbai: Dentsu Creative India on Wednesday announced the appointment of Ajeet Shukla as group executive creative director. He will report to Taproot Dentsu and Isobar India chief creative officer Aalap Desai.

    In his new role, Shukla will drive Dentsu Creative’s global proposition to transform brands and businesses through the power of ‘Modern Creativity’ in the western region of the country. His focus will be to breathe life into the best possible creative solutions that are strongly anchored in culture, innovation, and technology, said the agency in a statement.

    Prior to this, Shukla was with Publicis India as executive creative director. In his professional journey so far, Shukla has worked with brands like IPL, ZEE, Disney+ Hotstar, TATA Salt, Ferrero Rocher, Heineken, Amstel, Skoda, Aegon Life, TATA AIG, HDFC MF, HDFC Bank, BPCL, Mak Lubricant, CHINGS, ZEE5, Dish TV, Emami Navratna, Ghadi, among others.

    With more than 16 years of experience, Ajeet has won many national and international awards like Abbys, Kyoorius, Mirchi Kaan, Effies, Adfest, Promax Asia, to name a few. In addition to this, some of his notable works include IPL’s “Bulavaa aaya hai,” Aegon Life’s “Aegon toh tension gone,” Champions Tennis League’s “Tennis Ball,” Tata Salt’s “Namak ki baat,” Sony Six’s “Har koi six lagayega,” and ZEE5’s “Dekhte reh jaogey.”

    Speaking on the appointment, Aalap Desai said, “Right now, Dentsu Creative is a wonderful work in progress. It is at this time when you need the right people to join in and add to it. Ajeet fits that profile on every count. His body of work is brilliant, and his attitude and love for business are contagious. I am glad to have him on board for the journey.”

    Shukla added, “The bigger the challenge, the bigger the opportunity. And I am thrilled to take this opportunity in this role. It would really be amazing to work in such a great creative environment filled with the best of the creative minds in the industry. I really look forward to doing some great work here.”

    Dentsu Creative India was recently declared the ‘Agency of The Year’ at the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity 2022-a first-ever for India. It also lifted a Titanium for the country for its ‘Unfiltered History Tour (UHT)’ campaign in addition to bagging three Grand Prix—another first, two Gold Lions and three Silver Lions—making UHT the most awarded work not only from India but globally.

  • Havas Worldwide India names Dentsu’s Anupama Ramaswamy as chief creative officer

    Havas Worldwide India names Dentsu’s Anupama Ramaswamy as chief creative officer

    Mumbai: Havas Worldwide India on Wednesday announced the appointment of Anupama Ramaswamy as its chief creative officer. She comes on board to further catapult the creative transformation of the agency, which has seen unparalleled business growth over the last three years. Anupama’s last stint was with Dentsu Impact, where she was working as the managing partner and national creative director.

    Ravinder Siwach, who has been leading the creative mandate of Havas Worldwide India as executive director and national creative director, is moving on to pursue new opportunities. He will be with the agency till October 2022.

    Ramaswamy will be reporting to Havas Group India chairman and chief creative officer Bobby Pawar, and will begin her new role at the agency effective October 2022. She will also work closely with Havas Worldwide India managing director Manas Lahiri.

    Ramaswamy will be based out of the agency’s Gurgaon office, overlooking the complete client roster of both Gurgaon and Mumbai offices that have witnessed tremendous business growth over the last three years. This includes some of the biggest global and Indian brands, including Reckitt, Dabur, Tata Group, P&G, Stellantis, Vivo, Aegon Life, Fortis, Suzuki, UTI Mutual Fund, Celio, William Grant, amongst others. In 2021 alone, Havas Worldwide India garnered over 30 per cent growth across its Mumbai and Gurgaon offices on the back of significant business wins, resulting in it being consistently ranked in the top three in the R3 New Business League Creative Agency list.

    Through her career, Ramaswamy has worked with some of the leading agencies in India and several marquee global and indigenous brands across sectors, including Maruti Suzuki, Ikea, Vivo, Paytm, Subway, Tata Tea Digital, Samsung Mobiles, Airtel, Dabur, Lacoste, Whirlpool and many more. Her recent campaigns, which include the Paytm Divide and Chotu, made her win the One Show, a couple of Spikes, New York Festivals and also featured as one of the Impact Creative Stars ’21.

    During her stint at JWT Delhi as senior creative director, Ramaswamy led the Delhi office to its first Cannes Lions and Clio Gold. She has also been a recipient of some of the most coveted awards, including Cannes Lions, Clio, Adfest, New York Festivals, Abbys, Effies, Spikes, Global Healthcare Awards, IAA Awards, and The One Show, and her work for FujiFilm has been featured in the prestigious Gunn Report as one of the top 20 most awarded print campaigns in the world. She has been on the jury of several prestigious awards, like The One Show, and the grand jury at AME Awards and New York Festivals.

    “We have steadily been building Havas Worldwide into a company that embodies Yannick Bollore’s ‘Together’ philosophy. Where skill sets from the old world and new work seamlessly and harmoniously. This and the rising standard of our work have made us the fastest growing agency. Now is the time for our work to take a giant leap. And I can’t think of a better person to lead this than Anupama. She is a hugely talented creative with a heap of awards and great work to prove it. But the one talent of hers that I value the most is her ability to nurture a culture that makes people and their ideas better. She is a team player and fits right into our philosophy. And I believe she will be a leader who will usher not just Havas but also our industry into the future,” said Bobby Pawar.

    Talking about her new role, Ramaswamy said, “The complete resurgence of Havas Group India has made it one of the most sought-after networks. The group has been working in an integrated manner long before other agencies had even thought about it. So, the opportunity to work with Bobby again, who is an institution in his own right, along with Rana’s overall vision for the network, drew me in to be part of this unprecedented growth story. But what excites me the most is the task bestowed upon me by Bobby and Rana-to induce a new and fresh creative culture.”

    Speaking about Ravinder’s exit, Bobby said, “Ravinder has played a key role in the resurgence of Havas Worldwide. However, he has been chomping at the bit to do other things, many beyond advertising, for a while. Which means his journey with us is over while another one begins. We all wish him the best in his new adventures.”

    Ravinder Siwach said, “The reputation that Havas Worldwide India has built over the last three years is truly inspirational. Being part of this growth journey was an enriching experience. I thank Rana, Bobby and the entire team at Havas Worldwide India for their tremendous support and wish them luck for the journey ahead.”

  • ISA concludes the global CEO conference 2022 on ‘VUCA 2.0: transforming organisations and brands’

    ISA concludes the global CEO conference 2022 on ‘VUCA 2.0: transforming organisations and brands’

    Mumbai: The Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA) hosted the third annual Global CEO Conference on 22 August in Mumbai.

    Around 200 industry leaders gathered to discuss strategies that will enable them to triumph in today’s complex business environment.

    The conference’s theme this year was “VUCA 2.0: Transforming Organisations and Brands.”

    The event followed an engaging format that included keynote addresses, interesting presentations, and panel discussions by distinguished thought leaders from the industry, in line with the theme. 

    The keynote speakers included Hindustan Unilever chairman and chief people and transformation officer Nitin Paranjpe, who highlighted the role of technology and questioned whether organisations are ready for web 3.0.

    Nitin said, “Industries and devices must be responsibly governed with technology which is designed to allow rapid innovation. Some of the technologies developing the next iteration of the internet have larger challenges than just disruptions. Other than helping us understand what is happening in the world around us better, it will also help us prepare for and create a better future.”

    World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) president and Mastercard president-healthcare division, chief marketing and communications officer Raja Rajamannar said, “The whole field of content has become completely filtered and layered. The fact is that traditional marketers are assuming that people are aware. However, they need to develop a far better understanding of the subconscious processes that happen in the minds of their consumers and thereby develop new insights.” 

    Procter & Gamble Company chief operating officer Shailesh Jejurikar said, “Innovation is being spurred on by digital technology, and we combine innovation with human insight, so that our consumers are better off. Rapid change creates unique opportunities to drive market growth. All of these point to a positive future that can sustain people and the environment better, not only now but also for the generations to come.” 

    The panel discussion on VUCA 2.0 and its implications for Indian businesses saw leaders such as Diageo India managing director & CEO Hina Nagarajan, Multiples Alternate Asset Management MD & CEO Renuka Ramnath, Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals managing director Shantanu Khosla, and Nestle India chairman & managing director Suresh Narayanan. The panel discussed various aspects, including strategies taken by companies during the pandemic, future-proofing brands, and creating a work environment that leads to optimising productivity.

    Speaking about the successful third edition of ISA Global CEO conference, ISA chairman and Raymond Lifestyle CEO – India & SAARC,  Sunil Kataria said, “Organisations and brands must adopt a radical and creative approach to navigate through this VUCA 2.0 world. As we have learnt during the course of this conference, the ultimate objective of transformation is to develop the capacity to swiftly change circumstances and opportunities in the market and reinvent business models to stay ahead of time.” 

    ISA chairman (events) Dr. R. Ramakrishnan said, “Each of the keynote speakers and panellists brought a wealth of insights, practical experience, and their case studies to add great value to the conference. The 200 industry leaders at the event have taken back a wealth of knowledge and wisdom to transform their organisations, brands and processes.”

    The third edition of ISA’s Global CEO conference was powered by presenting partner Google Cloud, and co-powered by partner Hindustan Unilever Limited.

    Sony Pictures Network is the exclusive gold partner, followed by Neutrogena as gold partner and P&G as co-gold partner. As associate partners, Prestige, ABP Network, Aditya Birla Group, Godrej Goodknight, and Centrum Wealth joined the list of sponsors; Adani Wilmar, Crompton, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Raymond, V Guard, Bajaj Electricals, and SugarFree Green were co-partners. Also, Storyboard 18 is the TV partner, Hindustan Times is the print partner, Adfactors PR is the PR partner, and Schbang is the social media partner.

  • Mobavenue to ride the growth in the D2C market

    Mobavenue to ride the growth in the D2C market

    Mumbai: Mobavenue, a high-performance user acquisition platform using its dynamic creative, programmatic advertising, and proprietary in-house AI-based media buying platform, is set to ride the growth in the D2C market, which is expected to rise from $12 billion in FY22 to $60 billion by FY27.

    The expansion of the start-up ecosystem as a whole, which has produced well-established firms in the payments, logistics, app development, and marketing industries, has also aided the D2C sector by giving rise to several enablers and decreasing entry barriers. Direct-to-consumer firms are upending the retail industry by eschewing established distribution channels and passing the cost savings to their clients.

    According to a recent analysis released by e-commerce enablement platform Shiprocket in cooperation with CII (The Confederation of Indian Industry) and Praxis Global Alliance, India’s D2C (direct-to-consumer) industry is expected to reach $60 billion by FY27. Many factors are working in favour of D2C industry expansion, including a youthful, active populace. Experts predict that by 2030, consumer spending will reach four trillion dollars. Speculation suggests that by 2030, spending on food, clothing, transportation, communication, and personal care will be doubled.

    It is essential for a D2C player to quickly capture market share in sectors where traditional enterprises with established distribution channels and sizable client bases compete. The quickest way to do this is through aggressive marketing.

    Mobavenue added that it has generated good traction in leading D2C companies with the help of its in-house products in programmatic acquisition, re-targeting, and growth management. With access to internal and external data management systems (DMP), Mobavenue generates user buckets that span different locations and strongly prefers D2C customers’ product offerings. Mobavenue’s in-house DMPs are the integrating systems that gather, organise, and activate first, second, and third-party audience data from various sources—allowing them to discover unique customer insights.

    Mobavenue, with its consolidated database, dynamic creative, programmatic advertising, and proprietary in-house AI-based media buying platform, offers an extra benefit for D2C businesses: it enables enterprises to develop connections with target consumers through continued interaction with their brand. The significant amount of first-party data that D2C companies gather at each stage of the customer journey is one of the driving forces behind direct-to-consumer marketing. Coupled with Mobavenue’s unique marketing solutions, D2C businesses get access to a marketing superpower with data included in a mobile in-app advertising strategy.

    Mobavenue Media co-founder Kunal Kothari said, “In one of our very effective marketing campaigns for a leading D2C fashion e-commerce client, we collaborated with the client to define the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and to find certain target populations who fit the specification. We observed that smaller towns, which up until now haven’t had access to fashion and lifestyle products suited to their requirements, make up a significant portion of the market for these D2C brands.”

    He added, “The Tier II, III, and IV cities are mostly responsible for the D2C growth since these areas have wealthy yet brand-starved consumers who are open to trying new items. With the help of regional and vernacular publishers, in addition to premium listings, we were able to scale into these markets and reach new consumers. Once our DMP recognised the persona of a general user, we extended the traffic and witnessed gradual growth in numbers.”

  • WhatsApp’s new campaign highlights interlocking layers of protection for user privacy

    WhatsApp’s new campaign highlights interlocking layers of protection for user privacy

    Mumbai: WhatsApp has launched the India edition of its global brand campaign to create awareness about its interlocking layers of protection that offer people more privacy and control over their conversations while messaging.

    The campaign focuses on educating users on WhatsApp’s built-in layers of privacy protection that have been added over the years, including three new privacy features: leaving groups silently; controlling who can see when you’re online; and screenshot blocking for ‘view once’ messages.

    The new features were announced earlier this month as part of a global campaign, adding to a host of existing privacy features and demonstrating how WhatsApp’s multiple layers of privacy controls come together to provide users more protection when having a truly private conversation when messaging.

    Conceptualised by BBDO India and directed by Prakash Varma, the campaign film brings alive a heartwarming exchange between a father and son in an intensely personal moment, showing how WhatsApp’s built-in layers of protection allow them the privacy and security to have a meaningful conversation when it matters the most. 

    Embed Link: https://youtu.be/EcEZCWyfFCc

    The film depicts WhatsApp’s promise and strength of “privacy” through features like end-to-end encryption, two-step verification, and hidden online presence, enabling the duo to express themselves freely despite being surrounded by crowds in a restaurant or football stadium.

    Talking about the campaign, Meta India director-marketing Avinash Pant said, “At WhatsApp, privacy is in our DNA and over the years, we have consistently added layers of protection through product-features that empower people with more control over their messages. This is our way of extending awareness and assurance to our users on how the new and existing built-in layers of protection help you message freely without compromising on your privacy.” 

    He added, “We want users to know that they always have a safe and private space on WhatsApp, no matter where they are! We feel it’s a great privilege that two billion people around the world trust WhatsApp to deliver their personal messages every day, and this campaign is an affirmation of WhatsApp’s continued commitment to protecting their private conversations.”

    Commenting on the campaign and its creative treatment, BBDO India chair and chief creative officer Josy Paul said, “WhatsApp’s mission is to connect the world privately, and this campaign captures the essence of people feeling empowered to have private conversations even during vulnerable moments because their messages remain protected and secure.” 

    Speaking on the film, he said, “The film demonstrates WhatsApp being that ‘safe space’ for people like the father and son who have a very private and emotional conversation amidst hordes of people. You don’t know the exact exchange between the characters, you can’t see their messages because they’re private, but the simple shots of crowds disappearing, doors locking, CCTVs turning away, demonstrate how WhatsApp’s privacy features continue to provide the much-needed intimacy and protection throughout their most private moments.”

    Over the coming weeks, WhatsApp aims to educate users on each privacy feature through short films, which will highlight their benefits and the steps to activate them, so that users can take advantage of WhatsApp’s built-in layers of protection. 

  • Fairmont Jaipur appoints Crosshairs Communication as its PR agency

    Fairmont Jaipur appoints Crosshairs Communication as its PR agency

    Mumbai: Crosshairs Communication has successfully added Fairmont Jaipur to its luxury clientele list. Crosshairs Communication said that as an agency, it has always been at the forefront of providing the best service to its clients and truly believing in its vision. With clients ranging across sectors, the agency is emerging as a strong player in the hospitality industry by onboarding Fairmont Jaipur.

    The Fairmont Jaipur hosts 245 guest rooms, including seven imperial suites.

    Crosshairs Communication said that it is aligning with the vision behind Fairmont Jaipur and will be bringing its A-game to the table. They will be managing all of their end-to-end media & influencer collaboration communications. The company will be responsible for curating the brand’s messaging across its Indian clientele.

    Crosshairs Communication founder Stuti Jalan said, “With an industry experience of 15 years, we as an agency understand the requirements of the brands we cater to. I personally feel this is the perfect time for Fairmont Jaipur and Crosshairs Communication to align with each other. At Crosshairs, we strive to deliver beyond all expectations and anticipate the challenges that come in hand. Our zeal and enthusiasm to work and build relationships with brands are incomparable. We are eager to work with Fairmont and are focused on creating a strong PR plan to strengthen their reach and boost their image. I believe that, as an agency, Crosshairs will be able to understand and deliver the brand’s vision in all of our subsequent communication and campaigns.”

  • Zeno Group wins PR mandates of The Derma Co and Aqualogica from the house of Honasa

    Zeno Group wins PR mandates of The Derma Co and Aqualogica from the house of Honasa

    Mumbai: Honasa Consumer (HCPL) on Tuesday announced the appointment of Zeno Group to lead its strategic brand communications mandate for two brands, The Derma Co and Aqualogica.

    As part of the mandate, Zeno will lead the communication strategy for the two brands by managing communications across both traditional and new-age digital channels.

    Zeno Group has been tasked with driving awareness of the need for hydration while building equity for Aqualogica.

    In addition, Zeno will also partner with Honasa in promoting The Derma Co’s skincare solutions powered by science.

    Speaking on the appointment, Honasa Consumer co-founder & chief innovation officer Ghazal Alagh said, “We are delighted to appoint Zeno as our PR partner. Their experience in handling consumer brands and their excellent understanding of millennial and GenZ consumers were impressive. We are confident they will ably partner with us in our journey to educate Indian consumers to make informed choices on science-backed skin solutions from The Derma Co and Aqualogica.”

    Adding to this, Zeno India managing director Rekha Rao said, “We love skincare brands that stand true to their promises, like The Derma Co and Aqualogica. The refreshing product portfolio gives us immense scope to explore PR creatively. Added to this, working with an admirable, dynamic Indian unicorn as its strategic communications partner is a matter of great pride to Zeno.”

  • Limca enters sports hydration category with a new variant; unveils #RukMat campaign with Neeraj Chopra

    Limca enters sports hydration category with a new variant; unveils #RukMat campaign with Neeraj Chopra

    Mumbai: Coca-Cola India has announced it is foraying its homegrown brand Limca into the hydrating sports drinks category with Limca Sportz. The innovation is in line with The Coca-Cola Company’s endeavour to provide a wide spectrum of beverage choices to consumers, with great taste as well as functional benefits.

    With this launch, Limca’s entrance into hydration-based sports beverages, the brand aims to bring alive the #RukMat campaign via an advert featuring reigning Olympic javelin champion Neeraj Chopra. 

    Conceptualised by Ogilvy, the campaign will revolve around a motivational theme, to encourage the audience to push their boundaries and have a “never say die” attitude. The brand has adopted a holistic marketing approach to boost the new campaign, consisting of digital as well as mass-media broadcasting to maximise media reach across channels.

    Speaking on the announcement of Limca Sportz, Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia director-marketing, hydration, coffee and tea category Karthik Subramanian said, “Building on Limca’s ability to provide full-body rejuvenation so that consumers can be their most energetic, best selves in every situation, we are thrilled to announce our entrance into the sports hydration category with the launch of Limca Sportz. The beverage has been formulated through in-house innovation and extensive market testing.”

    “At Limca, we unanimously agreed that there could be no better champion of Limca Sportz than Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra, who is the pinnacle of athletic excellence and embodies the true spirit of our campaign messaging “#RukMat” (never stop),” he added.

    Indian athlete, reigning Olympic champion, and world championship silver medalist in javelin throw Neeraj Chopra said, “As an athlete, I understand the vital significance of optimum intake of carbohydrates and electrolytes. Limca Sportz enables faster rehydration for the drinker and helps balance higher endurance during exercise performance—making it the go-to beverage for people who believe in putting in the hard work to achieve their goals.”

    “It is the perfect drink for when the body gives up, but the mind says “go on…” I am exhilarated to be the face of the new Limca Sportz campaign. The film perfectly represents my ideals of never giving up and continuously pushing boundaries to get closer to my goals,” he concluded.

    Coca-Cola’s Limca has completed over five decades since its foundation in India and is ranked at #4 within Coca-Cola India’s sparkling portfolio. Limca is widely acclaimed for its unparalleled ability to instil a feeling of freshness in the minds and bodies of its consumers.

    Limca Sportz is a glucose + electrolyte-based beverage containing essential minerals for rapid fluid intake. The beverage is a no-fizz, water-based drink that helps with faster rehydration in individuals who are involved in physical activity in the form of sports, exercise, and high-intensity chores. It has refreshing real lemon juice to add to the taste and palatability.

    Ogilvy (North) chief creative officer Ritu Sharda said, “The most important thing for a sportsperson’s regimen or anyone who is exercising is to be able to do more and more and more without stopping. A few steps more, one more kilometre, one more throw, one more jump, that’s the relentlessness that helps you achieve your goals. Limca Sportz is all about replenishment and hydration, as well as the philosophy of “#RukMatt,” who encourages you to keep going. And who better to launch this than Neeraj Chopra, who we’ve all seen sweating it out with the toughest regimen possible but never stopping at one awesome throw, one medal, or one record. For all those of you who never stop and for Neeraj, we say “Tu #RukkMatt”!”

    The new variant will be available on shelves across Delhi NCR, Bangalore, Chennai, Bengal, Mumbai, Pune, and cities of Andhra Pradesh/Telangana starting the month of September, and will be available in packs of 250 millilitre and 500 millilitre.

  • Afcom signs Concept PR as its communication partner

    Afcom signs Concept PR as its communication partner

    Mumbai: Concept Group’s Concept PR on Monday won the communication mandate of Chennai-based international cargo airline, Afcom Holdings (Afcom).

    The agency will be responsible for strategic counselling, planning and programming, preparation of communication documents, maintenance and management of media relations and implementation through various PR tools.

    Concept PR will also provide professional daily news monitoring services through Concept BIU, the media monitoring arm of Concept PR. Concept BIU, an ISO 9001:2015 certified company, is a trendsetter and a leader in public relations and corporate communications measurement, news monitoring, data analytics, and research. It provides various services and solutions to teams in corporations and PR agencies that manage the media reputation of business entities.

    Speaking of the association, Concept PR managing director Ashish Jalan said, “We are happy with winning the Afcom’s communication mandate. For us, Afcom is not just a cargo airline but an end-to-end cargo solutions company. We see great promise in Afcom regarding its business strategy and outlook. We will endeavour to ensure that the right narrative is designed and disseminated to the right target audiences through a perfect deployment of both traditional and digital PR.”

    Commenting on the partnership, Afcom Holdings chairman Capt. Deepak Parasuraman said, “We are delighted to be partnering with Concept PR. During the pitch process, we found them to be an agency that thinks differently and outside the box while still being flexible regarding the client’s expectations and budgets. In addition, they come with deep domain knowledge and understanding of the sector we operate in, which for sure works in our favour. We look forward to a long and fruitful alliance.”

  • Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages names Juan Pablo Rodriguez as its new CEO

    Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages names Juan Pablo Rodriguez as its new CEO

    Mumbai: Hindustan Coca-Cola Beverages (HCCB) has announced Juan Pablo Rodriguez as the new general manager and chief executive officer for HCCB.

    Rodriguez, currently the chief commercial officer for the Bottling Investments Group (BIG), will take over from current chairman and CEO Neeraj Garg, who is retiring in 2022. The transition will begin in September 2022.

    “In the last two years, Juan Pablo has led the BIG Commercial team in achieving significant growth ambitions, transforming our channel strategy, and ensuring we continue to win in the market through capability-building and portfolio innovation. He is a 22-year veteran of the Coca-Cola system with a proven track record of leading teams and driving sustainable growth across markets,” HCCB said in a statement.

    Neeraj Garg took over the responsibility of HCCB in 2020 and has played a significant role in continuing the growth story of the company, including delivering some of the best financial results ever, stated the company.

    “Throughout his career, Neeraj has brought to life his passion for people development by being an active mentor for talent across The Coca-Cola Company,” BIG president (The Coca-Cola Company) Murat Ozgel said. “He has played a key role in championing strong end-to-end business management capabilities in teams and growing talent across markets. I would like to thank him for his contributions to the HCCB team over the last couple of years. He will leave behind a strong legacy.”