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Category: MAM

  • Dentsu Creative India names Sudhir Das as executive creative director

    Dentsu Creative India names Sudhir Das as executive creative director

    MUMBAI: Dentsu Creative India has announced the appointment of Sudhir Das as executive creative director (ECD). He will report into Dentsu Webchutney & dentsuMB chief creative officer (CCO) Arjuna Gaur.

    In his new role, Das will oversee and strengthen the creative capabilities of the agency’s Bengaluru office, further leveraging the power of ‘Modern Creativity’ across brands, according to the agency.

    Armed with two decades of experience, Das has won over 50 national and international awards. Prior to this, he was with Leo Burnett as an associate executive creative director (AECD). In his previous roles, he has worked with brands like Coca-Cola, Nestle, Apple and Airtel, to name a few. His notable campaigns include ‘Ras-Ras mein India’, ‘Me and Meri Maggi’, ‘Spicejet Democracy’ and ‘Cardekho Back-Off’ – covering the gamut from large, populist, TV-led campaigns to documentary-style film-making to super-technical experiments marrying cars and music.

    Speaking on the appointment, Arjuna Gaur said, “Sudhir Das is an experienced creative leader with some of the world’s biggest brands in his portfolio. He is as comfortable with mainline advertising as he is with new age forms and is an engineer to boot! A brilliant well-rounded creative, Sudhir will be an invaluable addition to the team.”

    Sudhir Das added, “The Cannes jury has confirmed what we knew all along – this is the best agency to be in. I am super excited to be joining this bunch of incredibly talented and hard-working people and aim to continue their awe-inspiring trajectory of success.”

    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 was a hat-trick for the agency with Dentsu Creative India also lifting a Titanium 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.

  • Social Panga to handle social media marketing mandate of Tally Solutions

    Social Panga to handle social media marketing mandate of Tally Solutions

    Mumbai: An integrated creative and digital marketing agency Social Panga on Monday announced the appointment of Tally Solutions, country’s leading business management software provider, as its social media marketing partner.

    This mandate will work towards fulfilling the brand’s objective of establishing greater connect, and engagement across all customer and segment profiles, as a smart and relevant, trustworthy and expert brand that already has millions of fans across the world. Apart from India, Social Panga will also manage Tally’s social media content and strategy across other geographies like – North America, Kenya, Indonesia, MENA, and Bangladesh.

    A pioneer in the software products industry, Tally Solutions has been assisting small and medium businesses in their journey towards automation, for over three decades. Tally’s marque product TallyPrime is a simple, flexible, and reliable business management software assisting entrepreneurs with all their business needs across accounting, inventory, payroll, and compliance. Tally caters to over seven  million users across industries in over 100 countries.

    Tally Solutions chief marketing officer Jayati Singh said, “We are glad to partner with Social Panga for our social media marketing activities and are positive that with its strong foothold in the digital segment, they will help us bring an outside in perspective and help communicate with our audience more effectively.”

    “We are delighted to partner with a visionary brand like Tally & are looking forward to making significant contributions towards strengthening Tally’s online presence by highlighting the smart and interesting side of the brand that is relevant for all age groups, and business segments alike, partnering with them in their growth,” said Social Panga co-founder Himanshu Arora.

  • GUEST COLUMN: How the metaverse, web3, and blockchain are changing the dynamics of marketing

    GUEST COLUMN: How the metaverse, web3, and blockchain are changing the dynamics of marketing

    Mumbai: Web3, blockchain, and metaverse are three concepts that are generating a lot of buzz and enthusiasm in the domain of business technology right now. There are new technologies emerging all the time, and web 3, blockchain, and metaverse are among those that have the potential to change many industries. Digital marketing is always evolving and developing as new technologies emerge. We now have a much better approach to connecting consumers and companies as we go to Web 3. The metaverse, on the other hand, is now a catch-all term for virtual worlds in which users may connect with one another and interact using applications and services in a significantly more realistic manner. With the advent of digital marketing, various new and innovative internet marketing trends have emerged to target customers. Things are set to change again, especially with the advent of blockchain technology.

    Let’s have a close look at what Web3, blockchain, and metaverse play in digital marketing and how these three are changing the dynamic of the industry-

    1)   Web3

    What really is the purpose of the name web3? because it is expected to be the third significant development of the internet, following the worldwide web (web1) and the consumer web (web2, or social media). The idea behind the creation of web 3 was to create a more democratic internet. No single party will be able to restrict the information flow or “pull the plug” and terminate a network just because they possess the hardware on which it runs.

    Web 3 undoubtedly raises the bar in order to provide something innovative and remarkable, but also engaging and uplifting in the digital marketing industry. Web 3 seems to be something that allows businesses to engage with customers and give them reliable solutions. It clearly works, and if used correctly, it may yield fantastic benefits. Web3 intends to be wiser and more knowledgeable than earlier internet eras. We can anticipate digital marketing changing as a result of newer, more immersive technology. Digital marketing is by far the most effective method of reaching out to audiences and consumers.

    2)   Blockchain

    Blockchain technology improves transparency, prevents fraud, and ensures that data collection is done correctly and without issues. It undoubtedly contributes to this element and experience, yet pushes the boundaries in a really unique way. Blockchain marketing is a modern digital marketing method that makes use of blockchain technology. A blockchain is a database that enables transactions to be safe, transparent, and tamper-proof. It is an ideal marketing tool since companies can trace data transfer and guarantee its accuracy.

    Blockchain technology overcomes this problem by bypassing networks such as Facebook and Instagram, providing companies with immediate access to their clients. As an outcome, companies may be more creative in their marketing strategies and more proactive when anything goes wrong.

    3)   Metaverse

    Marketing in the metaverse is still very much in development. While everyone wants to enter the metaverse, leading companies say that the industry is still trying to figure out what marketing in the virtual world entails, whether through social media, public relations, or digital marketing. An entrepreneur evaluates and understands if marketing in a metaverse leads to a greater return on investment (ROI) or more engagement with their end customers than marketing in the digital or physical worlds where they are directly targeting their consumers.

    Old-fashioned advertising methods are being phased out in favour of fresh concepts that reach individuals of all ages. Influencers, who post photos or videos on social media platforms like Instagram and other platforms to show off their products in an engaging way, are the most popular type of digital marketing—it’s not uncommon for personal sponsorships from everyday people with a large number of followers (or “influencer”) accounts to attract thousands, if not millions, more views than traditional ads alone!

    Web3, metaverse, and blockchain are technologies that will influence our future. As we speak, the way we live, earn, and socialise is changing dramatically. The greatest method is to have an open metaverse in which everyone may come and depart whenever they choose. This is where everyone may explore projects and communities that they are interested in. Blockchain technology is changing not just the way digital marketers buy advertisements, but it is also opening up new prospects for small companies. Blockchain’s security, transparency, and simplicity will revolutionise the way businesses do business online, including making their social responsibilities more visible to customers.

    The author is Hyper Connect Asia co-founder and business & growth lead Ankur Pujari.

  • Tata Pravesh’s new ad film ‘Raahi’ explores gender inclusivity in workplace

    Tata Pravesh’s new ad film ‘Raahi’ explores gender inclusivity in workplace

    Mumbai: On Friday, Tata Pravesh, a brand of steel doors and windows, launched a new campaign titled “Raahi.” The film aimed to bring exclusive focus on diversity and inclusion by highlighting the importance of an inclusive workplace.

    Conceptualised by Wunderman Thompson Kolkata is purposefully set against a neutral corporate backdrop.

    It tells the story of an LGBTQIA+ individual, shunned by society but who is accepted by colleagues. The film signs off with the strong social message, “Acceptance can open doors,” encouraging us to open our minds—”#KholoMannKeDwaar”—allowing the winds of change to air out our prejudices.

    Shot by Happy Rabbit Films, the film encourages us to inculcate a sense of belonging in the workplace and make our LGBTQIA+ colleagues feel accepted, making them proud of us. It makes us stop for a moment and take cognizance of our biases, so we can work towards eliminating them.

    This initiative has been lauded not just because it is innovative, but because it is also a progressive way for such employees to enter mainstream society, be embraced by all around them, and made to feel like a part of the larger corporate family.

    Commenting on the creative concept, Wunderman Thompson, Kolkata vice president & senior ECD Arjun Mukherjee said, “We need to be sensitive towards our LGBTQIA+ co-workers and make them feel welcome at the workplace. This film encourages us to make them feel at home as our colleagues. It teaches us to build relationships based on love and respect, regardless of gender, so that no one ever walks alone.”

    Wunderman Thompson, Kolkata senior vice president & managing partner Vijay Jacob Parakkal added, “Tata Steel is widely recognised for its trailblazing HR initiatives and Tata Pravesh for its thought-provoking films. This extremely relevant and topical film will encourage us to embrace LGBTQIA+ people, making them feel accepted and included in the workplaces of tomorrow.”

  • Edtech startup Creative Galileo raises $7.5 million in Series A funding

    Edtech startup Creative Galileo raises $7.5 million in Series A funding

    Mumbai: Early learning ed-tech platform Creative Galileo has raised $7.5 million in a Series A funding round from Kalaari Capital, Affirma Capital, East Ventures, Valiant Employee Investment Fund, and angel investors. This brings Creative Galileo’s total funding to $10 million, including a pre-series A round of $2.5 million announced in October last year.

    Creative Galileo offers a curriculum for children through narratives, gamified content, interactive learning journeys, and detailed parent updates.

    The company will use the newly infused funds to scale up, accelerate hiring across the teams in multiple geographies, introduce regional languages and further strengthen the research and development of the platform.

    Creative Galileo was founded in July 2020 by Prerna A Jhunjhunwala and co-founded by Nikhil Naik, ex-Vuclip. As the country’s first-of-its-kind character-based early learning platform for kids aged 3–10, Creative Galileo claims to be the only early learning app to be ranked in the top 20 education apps in the Play Store, India. The company has forged over 20 partnerships with the country’s top content studios in just over a year. With plans to expand in Southeast Asia, Creative Galileo recently started its foray with international alliances such as EBS Korea, an educational content specialist broadcasting company. 

    Creative Galileo founder Prerna A Jhunjhunwala said, “We are excited to bring our new partners on board. In the last year, we have successfully built and provided millions of children access to high-quality content in our Digital and Educational Equality mission. We want to enable bespoke learning for children across the globe through their favorite characters to strengthen their foundation during their early years, which will also help develop and strengthen critical thinking, confidence, cognitive skills, and emotional intelligence.”

    “Our soon-to-be “multilingual” platform will become the largest universe of kids’ character-driven learning platforms with a curriculum designed by experts to meet the foundational learning requirements,” she added.

    Kalaari Capital MD Vani Kola said, “We are excited to strengthen our partnership with Prerna and Nikhil as they continue their journey of transforming learning experiences for children across the globe. In the last six months, they have achieved strong growth with low marketing spend. Creative Galileo has also consistently ranked among the top 20 educational apps in India’s play store—the only early learning app to achieve this distinction. This is a testament to the founders’ relentless focus and strong execution.”

    “We are glad to welcome Creative Galileo into East Ventures’ network and support them in strengthening the education ecosystem in the region. We believe the approach of Creative Galileo will provide fun and exciting learning experiences, and we are looking forward to experiencing more innovation from the team,” said East Ventures managing partner Koh Wai Kit.

    HolonIQ recently listed Creative Galileo on their annual list of the 100 most promising EdTech start-ups from India & South Asia. 

  • Just Herbs ropes in Patralekhaa as a brand ambassador for their natural makeup line

    Just Herbs ropes in Patralekhaa as a brand ambassador for their natural makeup line

    Mumbai: Luxury Ayurvedic beauty brand Just Herbs has roped in Bollywood actress Patralekhaa, as the face of their natural makeup range. Just Herbs released a brand film starring the actress in a double role where she can be seen getting ready for a dinner date.

    Patralekhaa commented, “I am so impressed with Just Herbs’ natural & ayurvedic makeup. The products deliver a superior performance while packing all the ayurvedic goodness! I am sold.”

    “I am elated to join the team at Just Herbs to spread the message that natural can be glamorous too,” she added.

    The brand film has gone viral on social media because of its unique concept where Patralekhaa is seen getting ready using Just Herbs’ makeup products such as their iconic lip and cheek tints, ayurvedic lipsticks and BB cream, when she is suddenly interrupted by her alter-ego played by the actress herself.

    The banter between the two addresses common concerns around makeup such as long-stay and pigmentation which Patralekhaa confidently addresses while doing her makeup routine convincing her alter ego that glamour and the goodness of ayurveda can go hand in hand.

    Just Herbs CEO & co-founder Arush Chopra said, “Patralekhaa’s fresh and raw appeal aligns with our honest and transparent approach to making beauty more inclusive & unfiltered for digitally- native Gen-Z & millennial consumers.”

    Just Herbs has a variety of natural makeup products including herb-enriched matte liquid lipsticks, compact powder, ayurvedic kajal and nourishing lip & cheek tints which enjoy a cult-like following among natural beauty aficionados on online marketplaces such as Nykaa, Amazon, Flipkart and Myntra. The products are also available on www.justherbs.in as well as at all Just Herbs retail touch points.

  • TV ad volumes in May’22 grew two-fold growth vs May’20: TAM AdEx

    TV ad volumes in May’22 grew two-fold growth vs May’20: TAM AdEx

    Mumbai: The total advertising volumes on television grew two-fold in May 2022 compared to the same period in 2020(May 2020), according to the latest report by TAM AdEx.

    The report showed that ad volumes grew by 73 per cent in May’21 compared to May’20 and 100 per cent in May’22 compared to May’20.

    More than 3800 categories, 2415 advertisers and 370 categories advertised in May 2022.

    Reckitt, Hindustan Unilever, Brooke Bond Lipton were the top three advertisers in May 2022. Godrej Consumer Products, Ponds India, Cadburys India, ITC, Coca Cola India, Pepsi Co and Amazon Online India were also among the top ten advertisers. The top ten advertisers contributed to 35 per cent share of ad volumes in May.

    The top advertising categories on TV were toilet soaps and toilet/floor cleaners with Lizol All In 1 being the top brand followed by Dettol Intense Cool Soap.

    Three new categories including aerated soft drinks, tea and retail outlets – jewellers emerged in the top ten category advertisers. Retail outlets – jewellers saw the highest surge in ad volumes with 12x growth followed by paints which saw 7.4x growth in May 2022 as compared to May 2021. 

  • PRandit wins PR mandate for Tezos India

    PRandit wins PR mandate for Tezos India

    Mumbai: Gurugram-based PR firm PRandit Solution has secured the PR and media relations mandate of blockchain adoption company Tezos India. 

    Tezos enables people and entities to optimally use its blockchain in India. Tezos India was able to secure the mandate by participating in a competitive multi-agency pitch, following an open call by Tezos India for outsourcing their PR and media activities.

    PRandit will be responsible for crafting and disseminating all the key messages and information relevant to establishing and projecting the credibility of Tezos India as an enabler towards creating a well-rounded Tezos ecosystem in India. In addition, as a part of this mandate, PRandit will explore opportunities for Tezos India and its spokespersons to be featured across relevant national and international media outlets, spanning across print, electronic, online and new-age media outlets, among others.

    PRandit Solution co-Founder & COO Shalu Jha said, “India currently hosts one of the largest tech and startup industries in the world, and blockchain and crypto have, of late, become the fastest-growing space as well as one of the hottest topics in the media and communications universe. And in line with these developments, Tezos India has been, of late, playing a crucial role in helping enthusiasts and young Indians get closer to the marvels of Web3 at large, and the Tezos blockchain in particular. As a ‘tech-first’ PR company, we at PRandit are very happy and proud to partner with Tezos India to enable them to increase their visibility, credibility, and prominence in the media ecosystem at large, and amongst their target audience in particular. Our focus for Tezos India’s PR would be towards ensuring that their larger organisational goals are being served while actively evangelising and spreading awareness about Tezos, crypto, blockchain, and web3, among other allied subjects.”

    Tezos India head – operations Poorvi Sachar added, “We at Tezos India are pleased to associate with PRandit for our 360-degree media and PR related engagements. We are confident that through their strategic know-how in the media and communications arena, PRandit will be playing an instrumental role in highlighting Tezos India’s areas of expertise and operations, achievements, etc. We look forward to a fruitful, long-term collaboration.”

    Notably, Tezos India is an organisation supporting the Tezos ecosystem in the Indian sub-continent and is a grantee of the Tezos Foundation. As innovation in the blockchain space advances in India, Tezos India constantly strives to address key barriers facing blockchain adoption to date in India through: developer adoption, education & training, and ecosystem development. 

    On the other hand, PRandit Solution is a leading Indian B2B agency in the field of strategic communications-related services and has helped over 500 startups and businesses with their brand positioning, media relations, public relations, reputation management, etc., since its inception in 2018.

  • Alia Bhatt says switch to Duroflex for ‘Asli Neend’ in ad campaign

    Alia Bhatt says switch to Duroflex for ‘Asli Neend’ in ad campaign

    Delhi: Duroflex has launched a new campaign with their national brand ambassador and leading actor Alia Bhatt to scale its signature portfolio Duropedic which is recommended by the doctors at National Health Academy. 

    The campaign featuring two TVCs aims to educate customers that when it comes to good sleep, one should only believe the benefits of sleep essentials that are backed by research and approved by experts. 

    The TVC will be aired on all major national television channels and also promoted across digital channels.

    Duroflex chief marketing officer Smita Murarka, commented, “Our mission of helping India sleep better, starts with making well researched products and in sharing knowledge about how sleep impacts health and wellbeing. This has resulted in more and more consumers turning to branded mattresses. However, mattress buying can be a complex exercise as the key aspects that define a purchase are not well understood by consumers and the heap of generic or false claims in the market only confuses them further. We do believe that with honest conversations we will be able to educate consumers about making well researched choices which suit their individual needs. With this campaign, our aim is to connect with our consumers that all they need for Asli Neend is Duroflex.”

    The first TVC educates the consumers that mattress buying is not a one-size-fits-all activity whereas the second one warns them against getting lured by seemingly attractive deals and making the wrong choice.  

    The first TVC encapsulates the moment where Alia finds her friend Adarsh Gaurav, from the White Tiger fame sleeping uncomfortably on his mattress. The conversation between the two further reveals that Adarsh bought the mattress thinking that because it’s memory foam, it is good for his back. To this Alia lightheartedly chides him saying “har memory foam orthopedic nahi hota, aur har neend neend nahin hoti”, explaining that specific problems require specialized solutions like Duroflex’s signature doctor recommended orthopedic range of mattresses with advanced 5 zone support layer.

    The second TVC is a shorter narrative of 15 seconds where Alia advises the users to not get lured by seemingly attractive offers like free trial period, lest they might end up getting dark circles like her friends. And then goes on to say that a real beauty sleep is only with the trusted Duropedic range, and there is Nothing like Duroflex that matches up. 

    Duroflex brand ambassador Alia Bhatt said, “Sleep is very close to my heart. It is my superpower, which I’d like to share with my audience. However, few realise the importance of the right mattress for a good night’s sleep. Moreover, confusing technical claims and deals offered by brands lead people into buying mattresses that don’t fit their needs. The new Duroflex TVC will help educate the consumer about this.”

  • Weekend Unwind with: Mehul Gupta, co-founder & CEO SoCheers

    Weekend Unwind with: Mehul Gupta, co-founder & CEO SoCheers

    In this week’s ‘Weekend Unwind’ series where we get to know the person behind the title a little better through a fun lens, we have on the hot seat SoCheers co-founder & CEO Mehul Gupta.

    According to Gupta, his entrepreneurial journey started way back in school, when he used his music sensibilities and sold it in the form of mixtapes & mix-MP3s for his school. At 19, he chose to create socheers.com, a homegrown social networking platform for fellow classmates. While that website didn’t last for very long, the brand ‘SoCheers’ did- taking birth as a digital-first marketing & advertising agency in 2013. 

    In his current role, Gupta manages the operations of the agency while strategically consulting with brands to build their digital and offline stories. Having won several accolades, such as Impact 30 under 30 2019, 100 Smartest Digital Marketing Leaders, and 100 Most Influential Global Youth Marketing, at a young age, he believes he’s just starting his journey.

    So without further ado, here goes…

    Your mantra for Life

    Take it as it comes, but don’t forget to enjoy each moment of the process.

    A Book you are currently reading / plan to read

    I recently finished reading ‘Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty,’ and next up on my list is ‘The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy.’ I like how these books talk about life and they’re just a fun change of pace from the stuff I regularly read about advertising & marketing and other work-related topics.

    Your Fitness mantra, especially during the pandemic

    Fitness is as important as eating food-that’s my mantra. It does require discipline, but once in place, it’ll help you tremendously stay on track. The lockdown got me into doing yoga and meditation regularly, and I’d suggest the same to anyone who wants to take their health seriously, both body and mind.

    Your comfort food

    Khichdi!

    When the chips are down a quote/ philosophy that keeps you going

    The universe has your back and everything is eventually going to turn around in your favour.

    Your guilty pleasure

    Playing ‘Call of Duty’.

    When was the last time you tried something new?

    I like keeping things fun and am quite experimentative. I recently tried practising guided meditation.

    A Life lesson you learnt the hard way

    That force-fitting your solutions to situations or people doesn’t really work out. You need to make peace with this fact and figure out calmer ways of resolving things; it’s far more effective.

    What gets you excited about life?

    I’m always excited about the opportunities and possibilities that every new day brings with it. Along the same lines, meeting new people and learning new things, be it at the office or outside, never fails to excite me.

    What’s on top of your bucket list?

    In the work sphere, creating a campaign that is executed on a global scale tops my bucket list for this year. We’ve had some huge successes recently, and I want to amplify that momentum.

    On the personal front, I have the ambitious goal of travelling to at least six countries by the end of this year.

    If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?

    Everything will happen the way it is supposed to. No point in being anxious or worried about something that hasn’t or may not happen.

    An activity that keeps you motivated / charged during tough times

    Playing badminton or cricket, or any sport really.

    What lifts your spirits when life gets you down?

    Being with my family, my daughter, my friends and my teams – my people, basically!

    Your go-to stress buster

    Doing either of these two, somewhat opposite, activities: chilling with friends over a couple of beers or getting pumped up playing cricket or badminton.

    One thing you would most like to change about the world

    I would, maybe, have people put some extra effort into understanding each other and treating everyone with just a little more kindness. When the world comes to terms with the “phenomena” that it’s okay to not be at the centre of it, it’ll become a better place for everyone.