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Category: MAM

  • Sheryl Sandberg logs out from Meta after 14 years

    Sheryl Sandberg logs out from Meta after 14 years

    Mumbai : Sheryl Sandberg has decided to step down from her position as a chief operating officer at Meta, ending a stint of 14 years at the tech major- the parent organisation of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, among other subsidiaries. Sandberg will leave the company this fall, after transitioning her direct reports over the next few months. She will, however, continue to serve on Meta’s board of directors.

    Announcing on her Facebook page, Sandberg wrote a detailed, candid post about her time at the networking conglomerate. She also shared anecdotes of her initial struggles and work-life there, even as she recounted the highs and lows of her personal life during the period.

    Today, I am sharing the news that after 14 years, I will be leaving Meta, she wrote. Talking about her initial days at the company, formerly called Facebook, Sandberg penned, “When I first met Mark, I was not looking for a new job – and I could have never predicted how meeting him would change my life. We were at a holiday party at Daniel L Rosensweig’s house. I was introduced to Mark as I walked in the door, and we started talking about his vision for Facebook. I had tried Facebook, as it was first called, but still thought the internet was a largely anonymous place to search for funny pictures. Mark’s belief that people would put their real selves online to connect with other people was so mesmerising that we stood by that door and talked for the rest of the night.”

    Sandberg also touched upon the ongoing debate around privacy concerns in social media in her post, saying, “The products we make have a huge impact, so we have the responsibility to build them in a way that protects the privacy and keeps people safe.”

    Talking about her future plans, she continued further, “When I took this job in 2008, I hoped I would be in this role for five years. Fourteen years later, it is time for me to write the next chapter of my life. I am not entirely sure what the future will bring – I have learned no one ever is. But I know it will include focusing more on my foundation and philanthropic work, which is more important to me than ever given how critical this moment is for women.”

    “Over the next few months, Mark and I will transition my direct reports and I will leave the company this fall. I still believe as strongly as ever in our mission, and I am honoured that I will continue to serve on Meta’s board of directors,” she added.

    Calling it “The end of an era”, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg responded to Sandberg’s post, writing: In the 14 years we’ve worked together, you’ve architected our ads business, hired great people, forged our management culture, and taught me how to run a company. I’m going to miss working alongside you every day, but grateful to have you as a lifelong friend.

    “Thank you for all you’ve done for me and my family, for our company, and millions of people around the world. You’re a superstar,” he further added.

    Prior to joining Facebook in 2008 as its COO, Sandberg was vice president of global online sales and operations at Google.

  • Nearly 80% of urban consumers use ecomm portals for online product research: GroupM report

    Nearly 80% of urban consumers use ecomm portals for online product research: GroupM report

    Mumbai: WPP’s GroupM and Wunderman Thompson in partnership with Amazon Ads launched the ‘Content Strategies for the New-age Digital Consumer’ playbook. According to the report, nearly 80 percent of urban internet users in India use ecommerce portals for online product research, and 25 percent of them visit ecommerce portals for product research even for their offline purchases. 350 million Indian consumers are expected to make a purchase online in 2025, as per an MMA-GroupM report, which is a steep jump from 150 million online buyers in 2020.

    The playbook seeks to be a complete guide for building content/ creative communication strategies for the touchpoints in ecommerce networks, with the aim to help marketers and agency professionals in making efficient decisions around revamping their online content strategies. It covers key reasons why brands should have a separate communication strategy for ecommerce touchpoints. It also touches on ideas around content and engagement strategies to efficiently drive visibility and recall with millions of ‘intent’ consumers.

    GroupM South Asia president – growth and transformation Tushar Vyas said, “Brands have aimed to reshape their marketing strategies considering the consumer behaviour transformation that has taken place in the last two years. Before digital started dominating our lives, consumers preferred going to stores to make their purchases; but today, be it any commodity, it’s fascinating to see consumers doing thorough research online and then buying things online or going to stores. Digital Consumers are increasingly spending more time on emerging digital platforms and hence there is a need for a separate communication approach, which is why we’ve come up with this playbook with Amazon Ads and Wunderman Thompson to help marketers build stronger consumer connections.”

    The pandemic saw several long-term lifestyle and consumption changes in the last two years. All these changes, adaptations, and revelations took place with the massive rise of digital convenience. Be it researching, purchasing products or buying services like insurance, digital platforms have now become crucial partners. These ‘Digital consumers’ are more informed, participative, well-employed and more affluent than the average internet users in India. They have diverse interests and an evolved lifestyle and they rely on ecommerce networks for their product research and shopping needs.

    Wunderman Thompson South Asia chief digital officer Manoj Mansukhani said, “We saw an exponential growth of consumers moving to online shopping during Covid-19. The trend only continues to grow as more customers are coming online to shop from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. With marketplaces like Amazon becoming the first port of call for product searches, brands need to develop a separate content strategy to help engage with customers on these platforms. The playbook with Amazon Ads and GroupM showcases ideas for brands to help build the right communication strategy with consumers on these platforms.”

    Amazon Ads India director-ad sales Vijay Iyer commented, “Digital Channels are now an inseparable part of our lives and have forever changed why, how, what and where we buy. Ecommerce marketplaces are playing a crucial role in not just aiding, but shaping the brand and product discovery. Marketers have the unique opportunity to build connections with customers through an immersive content experience rather than restricting themselves to “advertising real estate”. This playbook will help marketers and agency professionals get ideas for building customized content marketing strategies for ecommerce touchpoints.”

    The playbook leverages audience intelligence resources to help understand a brand’s TG better through product research/shopping based deterministic affinity signals. It also covers content marketing levers for building integrated experiences and establishes retail readiness with optimal detail pages and innovates with immersive and integrated experiences through Stores.

  • Carat India wins media mandate for Croma

    Carat India wins media mandate for Croma

    Mumbai: Carat, the media agency from Dentsu India, has bagged the media mandate for Croma – an Indian retail chain of consumer electronics and durables from the house of Infiniti Retail. The account was won following a multi-agency pitch and will be serviced from the agency’s Mumbai office.

    As per the mandate, Carat India will oversee the brand’s media planning and buying rights (traditional + digital). The agency will also partner with the larger teams at Dentsu India to drive the full-funnel marketing needs of the client, further driving outcome-based solutions for the next phase of their exponential growth, keeping customers at the core of its planning and execution.

    Commenting on the win, Carat India CEO Anita Kotwani said, “We are backed by a consumer understanding proprietary framework, designing for people (DFP), which is strong & always relevant. It is inspired by design thinking which enables us to help brands with an in-depth understanding of their consumers. Our single-source consumer-connected system is the key differentiator in the Indian market. It has the ability to drive full-funnel client outcomes. Our ability to stay ahead of the curve in the tools and tech space by showcasing a unified holistic view of the consumers has been a key tenet that helped us clinch the business.”

    Croma – Infiniti Retail chief business officer (e-commerce & marketing) Shibashish Roy added, “We are expanding our presence in India by strengthening our omnichannel proposition with digital initiatives and aggressive store expansion plans. We look forward to working with Carat India as our media planning partner to further build on the Croma brand.”

  • Adfactors PR launches four year scholarship program with FCF

    Adfactors PR launches four year scholarship program with FCF

    Mumbai: Adfactors PR on Wednesday has partnered with the Future Communicators Foundation, commonly known as FCF, to launch a four-year scholarship program. With this, Adfactors PR joins four leading global agencies in providing FCF scholarships that further communication skills around social justice, sustainability, and civil society.

    Adfactors co-founder and director Madan Bahal was welcomed by foundation founder Allard Van Veen (Canada) as a founding member of the FCF Scholarship program, joining partners including fischerAppelt (Germany), SPRG (Hong Kong) and FINN Partners (New York). Each agency has committed to providing $10,000 in scholarships over the next four years.

    In addition to the $10,000 provided by Adfactors PR for future communicator scholarships, the Future Communicators Foundation provides its annual program, with a focus on young scholars and aspiring professionals in developing countries and underserved communities. Partner universities will be announced for foundation scholarships in the coming months, with $1,00,000 in scholarship funding donated by founder Allard W. van Veen.

    “Whether we are engaged in preventing disease or promoting sustainability, the world, more than ever, requires effective future communicators,” said Allard.

    Future Communicators Scholarships will be available at education institutions selected by funding partners and will fund communications education, tools, and training for young professionals, including professional development and travel to conferences. The scholarship program calls on applicants to develop a mock campaign addressing pressing social justice issues, and provides recipients with international networking through its global cohort, executive-level mentoring, and training opportunities with internships.

    Speaking of this initiative, Bahal said, “We are pleased to support the international scholarships instituted by the Future Communicators Foundation. Adfactors PR has been at the forefront in supporting the continuous learning and development efforts of PR professionals in India. The Future Communicators Scholarships add an international dimension to our efforts and we hope to benefit many young professionals aspiring to make a career in public relations.”

    SPRH Asia founder and chairman Richard Tsang said, “SPRG has spared no effort to nurture the next generation of PR practitioners, by providing them with training and exposure that extends beyond local borders. We are therefore pleased to support the Future Communicators Foundation with this scholarship, as it will open doors for communication students to gain truly global connections and experiences.”

    FINN Partners CEO and founder managing partner Peter Finn added, “We are very pleased to add our support for the Future Communicators Scholarships. FINN Partners has a long history of supporting young people interested in entering the PR field.”

    “Our support of The Future Communicators Scholarships will add an international pillar to our scholarship program. We are keen to professionalize young people’s enthusiasm for communication and to find them an entry into the agency world,” said fischerAppelt founder and managing director Andreas Fischer-Appelt.

  • Bombay Shaving Company Women launches digital campaign #SayYesToTheCup

    Bombay Shaving Company Women launches digital campaign #SayYesToTheCup

    Mumbai: Bombay Shaving Company Women (BSC Women) has launched a bold & riveting digital campaign #SayYesToTheCup to drive awareness for menstrual cups and bring attention to sustainable menstrual choices. In the form of a rap battle, the campaign film dramatizes the benefits of using a menstrual cup versus more common forms of menstrual hygiene such as sanitary pads, thereby encouraging women to switch to comfortable & easy-to-use menstrual cups.

    Two crews, representing the BSC Women menstrual cup and pad, battle it out, pitting the typical reactions of conventional sanitary products against the factual benefits of using menstrual cups.

    Engaging and fun, the campaign film opens with a typical day at the office when a woman suddenly realizes she is on her period and her two colleagues aka pad-academic & cup-a-holic seem clearly interested to onboard her onto their respective crew. From there, the film transitions into an epic rap battle between the two crews and with the cup convincing the viewer to #SayYesToTheCup.

    The campaign #SayYesToTheCup kicked off from 28 May 2022, which is marked as Menstrual Hygiene Day. But true to the brand’s personality of being bold, quirky and expressive, this movement is not restricted to a day.

    Elaborating on the thought behind the campaign, Bombay Shaving Company Women chief business officer Siddha Jain said, “We believe in changing the game of how women’s hair removal and hygiene is perceived in India, and this is a movement towards our vision. Being a cup veteran and promoter myself, my team & I have carefully crafted the perfect cup for all humans who menstruate. Ultimately choosing the right sanitary product is really personal: we’d just like to make sure that choice is made knowing the facts. Staging a rap battle was a playful way to present some of the reservations about using the menstrual cup that we hear, alongside the benefits that cup users enjoy – in the end, as ever, it’s down to the viewer to pick their ‘crew’. But we will definitely be always on about menstrual cup awareness and convince you to #SayYesToTheCup.”

  • Digital Refresh Network bags digital content mandate for Medanta Group of hospitals

    Digital Refresh Network bags digital content mandate for Medanta Group of hospitals

    Mumbai: An integrated and digital marketing solutions company, Digital Refresh Networks, wins the digital content mandate for Medanta Group of Hospitals. The account was won following a multi-agency pitch and will be looked after by the agency’s Mumbai team. The mandate includes the overall strategy, planning and creative content requirements across digital for the brand.

    With an experience of a decade, Digital Refresh Networks has worked with some of the leading brands and businesses across FMCG, consumer goods, automobile, e-commerce, lifestyle, healthcare and pharma, and other sectors.

    Commenting on the association, Medanta AVP – digital marketing & e-commerce Harish Aswani said, “Our association with the team at Digital Refresh Networks is sure to help us organise and scale our digital content ecosystem. For a healthcare brand, content plays a key role not only in driving salience and credibility for the brand, but also drive business growth. We look forward to creating some relevant and meaningful content at scale.”

    Medanta chief marketing & growth officer Sumanta Ray stated, “The brand Medanta, is all set for expansion, across multiple sectors across healthcare and DRN coming in at this point allows us to scale marketing initiatives across all these verticals. I welcome team DRN to the Medanta ecosystem and hope to build a strong engagement by bringing out the core values to the fore.”

    Digital Refresh Networks co-founder & CEO Barin Mukherjee said, “We are elated with the opportunity to partner with Medanta group in their journey. With our expertise in understanding content across channels/ formats and regions, it would be of great value to deliver on building Medanta Group as a front runner in the healthcare sector, which they truly are.”

  • Josh Talks appoints Darpan Sah as vice president–YouTube

    Josh Talks appoints Darpan Sah as vice president–YouTube

    MUMBAI: Regional content and upskilling platform, Josh Talks has appointed Darpan Sah as vice president–YouTube. In this role, he will be leading the expansion of Josh Talks’ content channels on YouTube, which are already present in 10 regional languages and three categories.

    In a career spanning over a decade, Sah has worked with various corporate brands across the industries. Before joining Josh Talks, he served as the chief sub-editor at new-age Hindi digital news brand, The Lallantop where he played an instrumental role to scale their subscriber base from one million to 20 million. He was recently awarded at the ENBA Awards 2021 for two shows that he produced at The Lallantop – Ek Naya Paisa and Kharcha Pani.

    On the appointment, Josh Talks CEO & co-founder Supriya Paul said, “Majority of our viewers come from Tier 2+ cities and have different content preferences. Our team closely monitors these needs, identifies gaps, and creates videos that then get 85 million+ views every month. Our goal for the next few months is to double down on this distribution by expanding into more regional languages, going hyper-local, and creating compelling content that seamlessly blends inspiration and information. I’m confident that with Darpan’s in-depth understanding and with his expertise in scaling video-first content, we will scale Josh Talks’ network of channels to new heights!”

    Darpan Sah said, “It has been incredible to follow Josh Talks’ journey and witness them build one of the largest regional content platforms in India. I am excited to join their team and look forward to leading their content expansion plans as they go deeper into every district and dialect of India. As part of this strategy, we will be launching a slew of new channels in the districts of Bihar and Josh Bhojpuri in the next quarter.”

    As a writer, Sah has created numerous pieces covering gender equality, the rights of women and the LGBTQ+ community, and other pertinent issues that form the bedrock of the Indian community. In 2016, he published his first book “Luka Jhanki”, an anthology of Hindi poems, and is currently working on his second book, which is a collection of short stories.

    With a subscriber base of over 16 million, Josh Talks has recorded more than 2 billion total views across its channels. In FY 2021-22, their revenue from YouTube has grown by 118 per cent on a year-over-year basis with Hindi, English, and Marathi, being a few of their top-performing channels, the company said in a statement.

  • Veritas Reputation bags PR mandate of Cygnet Infotech

    Veritas Reputation bags PR mandate of Cygnet Infotech

    Mumbai: Veritas Reputation PR on Tuesday secured the mandate to handle all public relations activities of Cygnet Infotech. The mandate will cover strategic counsel, planning, media relations, issues & crisis management, PR advocacy and integrated campaign development across major metros in India on both online as well as traditional media platforms.

    A leading technology company Cygnet Infotech works with global clients including Fortune 500 corporations, medium-sized businesses, fast-paced start-ups as well as government institutions. It is a certified ‘Great Place To Work’, with over a thousand employees and multiple offices across India, the middle east, Europe and the US. On the other hand, Veritas Reputation brings experience in managing strategic communications and brand reputation for industry leaders across diverse sectors with corporate, fintech, banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) and start-up sectors as their forte.

    Commenting on the tie-up, Cygnet Infotech CMO Dhaivat Mehta said, “Cygnet Infotech aims to contribute towards building a connected and smart ecosystem that equips businesses with critical data-driven insights which drive their growth. This requires us to communicate with our diverse stakeholders in a continuous and effective manner. Veritas Reputation’s expertise in strategic communication, their extensive network, as well as their partnership-based approach, make us confident of achieving our aim.”

    Cygnet Infotech has teams across multiple regions, and its offerings include tax technology solutions across the globe, fintech offerings and products across e-signing, robotic process automation (RPA), test automation, as well as digital engineering services. Aligned with its vision of providing technology-enabled business solutions, Cygnet Infotech delivers end-to-end solutions for clients’ most pressing business needs.

    Veritas Reputation PR managing director Hemant Batra said, “Cygnet Infotech’s cutting-edge technology provides the most advanced solutions to businesses and helps them achieve their targeted growth. Their tax technology and fintech offerings have already shown significant traction in the Indian market. Our team’s extensive experience in managing strategic communications in the technology, BFSI and fintech sectors will assist Cygnet Infotech in ensuring that its core business value reaches every stakeholder. We are delighted to have them onboard and are committed to reinforcing Cygnet Infotech’s brand reputation and enhancing stakeholders’ sentiments.”

  • Colgate partners with India’s first female blade runner Kiran Kanojia

    Colgate partners with India’s first female blade runner Kiran Kanojia

    Mumbai: Colgate-Palmolive India, the market leader in oral care on Tuesday released an inspiring true story of Kiran Kanojia, under its ‘Smile Karo Aur Shuru ho Jao’ campaign as part of its ongoing effort to promote optimism over self-doubt.

    Colgate India has been bringing its ‘Smile Karo Aur Shuru Ho Jao’ (Smile and Get Going) philosophy to life for more than three years now, sharing inspiring real stories from across the country. The initiative aims to encourage us to embrace optimism in the face of adversities and choose to smile as the secret weapon to dissolve all negativity and go forth and create the life of our dreams.

    Continuing to deliver on the above message, Colgate has launched their latest campaign celebrating Kiran Kanojia’s inspirational story. The ad begins from the point in life when Kiran, at the age of 25, was pushed off a train by robbers trying to steal her bag, and her left leg was crushed. Doctors had to amputate her leg to save her life. But she decided to fight the odds and not give up. With her unwavering persistence and willpower, she not only begins to walk but accomplishes her first ever marathon as a blade runner. Today she is known for not just her courage but also an evangelist spreading hope and confidence amongst others. The Colgate ad aims to bring back a spark in the viewers to battle their own odds and not give up till they reach their desired point in life.

    Colgate vice president – marketing Arvind Chintamani said, “Colgate believes that optimism has the power to move mountains and Kiran is a shining example of our philosophy. We are huge fans of Kiran’s indomitable spirit that made her India’s first female blade runner to complete a marathon and we promise to continue to support and inspire everyone, everyday to be more positive and optimistic and remember to Smile & Get Going!”

    The campaign ad film is conceptualized by RedFuse, WPP’s integrated communications partner to Colgate India. The ad will be run in 12 languages which are Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu.

    Speaking about the idea behind the campaign ad film, RedFuse executive creative director Delna Sethna, said, “Under that diminutive, soft spoken exterior Kiran is a powerhouse, full of heart and courage. Her story will, I believe, inspire people. Not to take up marathoning, but to take the path less trodden. One that’s tougher. One that pushes you. One that knows no matter what, there is a light at the end of that long, dark tunnel.”

    On this journey, Colgate India has highlighted stories of some remarkable people who, with their courage and positivity, overcame huge obstacles in their respective lives and became torchbearers of hope for millions. These names included India’s first visually-impaired solo paraglider Divyanshu Ganatra; the youngest batsman in the world to score a double century in List-A cricket Yashaswi Jaiswal; the adoptive mother of over 1,400 orphaned children Late Sindhutai Sapkal and the world’s first female amputee to climb Mount Everest Arunima Sinha.

  • By 2022, hyperlocal commerce shoppers to grow by 52% to reach 214 mn: WATInsights

    By 2022, hyperlocal commerce shoppers to grow by 52% to reach 214 mn: WATInsights

    Mumbai: WATConsult, an Isobar Company and the globally awarded hybrid digital agency from dentsu India, has released the fifth report of WATInsights – digital commerce series. Titled ‘Digital Commerce in India – Hyperlocal Commerce’, the report is by WATConsult’s research division, Recogn. The report shares insights on the demand for hyperlocal delivery, the effects of the pandemic on the hyperlocal usage and captures the benefits & challenges of the model.

    The hyperlocal space has seen a rise in the number of niche brands across categories like home décor, home services, groceries, essentials and pharmaceutical sectors. Since the country has witnessed growth, traditional brands have shifted their focus towards hyperlocal and direct-to-consumer business models. This transition has been accelerated further due to increased internet usage and evolved consumer behaviour.

    It is pertinent to note here that the hyperlocal approach enables the brands to reach out to their target customers directly, removing the middlemen and retail stores as part of the traditional business model. This provides customers with a better shopping experience as it offers convenience and quick delivery, especially in the areas of logistics, food, pharmaceutical and groceries. Some examples of hyperlocal commerce include Dunzo, 1mg, UrbanCompany, BigBasket, to name a few.

    According to the report, this format of e-commerce has seen a huge surge of customers in both metros and beyond. Currently, there are around 141 million hyperlocal commerce shoppers in India, which is 48 percent of all e-commerce users. This number of hyperlocal commerce shoppers will increase by 52 percent to reach 214 million by the end of 2022.

    The report further reveals that while Zomato tops the list of the most used hyperlocal apps, SwiggyGo, Amazon Fresh & BigBasket are some of the popular choices among consumers. This is followed by 1mg, Grofers and UberConnect.

    The report additionally sheds light on the consumer demographic of the hyperlocal commerce users. While most females have used services from Zomato, BigBasket and Grofers, some males have used services like Zomato, SwiggyGo, BigBasket and 1mg, highlighted the study. On the other hand, the majority of young customers belonging to the age groups of under 18 years, 18 years to 24 years and 25 years to 34 years, have been seen using Zomato, SwiggyGo, and Amazon Fresh.

    Commenting on the latest issue of WATInsights – Digital commerce in India – Hyperlocal commerce, Isobar India group CEO Heeru Dingra said, “Hyperlocal businesses have been rapidly growing with the potential of expanding exponentially. There has been an increase in the number of brands emerging in this space and it will consolidate even further, over the next few years. Hyperlocal’s collaboration with local stores and the connection they build with their customers digitally is benefitting all the stakeholders as now they are all connected to the supply chain model.”

    The hyperlocal space has seen a rise in the number of niche brands across categories like home décor, home services, groceries, essentials, and pharmaceutical sectors. Since the country has witnessed growth, traditional brands have shifted their focus towards hyperlocal and direct-to-consumer business models. This transition has been accelerated further due to increased internet usage and evolved consumer behaviour.

    WATConsult managing partner Sahil Shah added, “Businesses, more than ever, are leveraging digital channels to reach out to consumers with a faster go-to-market, controlled brand perception, and increased direct-to-consumer (D2C) interactions. The pandemic has impacted many sectors and as a result, India’s retail market has gone through many changes; the biggest change being the adoption of technology in enabling more digital touchpoints. Amidst this shift, hyperlocal has been one of the top priorities for all D2C brands as well as marketplace-heavy businesses. This new model of hyperlocal has enabled local retailers to increase their market share. Especially the FMCG brands have been able to push their inventories and effectively scale the business.”

    It is pertinent to note here that the hyperlocal approach enables the brands to reach out to their target customers directly, removing the middlemen and retail stores as part of the traditional business model. This provides customers with a better shopping experience as it offers convenience and quick delivery, especially in the areas of logistics, food, pharmaceutical, and groceries. Some examples of hyperlocal commerce include Dunzo, 1mg, UrbanCompany, BigBasket, to name a few.