Category: Marketing

Law & Kenneth to handle Borges‘ creative duties

MUMBAI: Law & Kenneth has won the creative business of Spain‘s Borges, the producer of Mediterranean food products.

The account, won after a multi-agency pitch, will be handled out of the Delhi office.

Confirming the news, Law & Kenneth India CEO & Managing Partner said, “This category is interesting and new. It has the potential to grow. With this win, we are hoping to make Borges a market leader.”

Borges which produces olive oil and has other products like nuts, dry fruits, vinegar and microwave popcorn under its brand, plans to gain market leadership, particularly in the olive oil category.

July 21, 2011
Gemini New Media Ventures to help startups

MUMBAI: Gemini New Media Ventures, founded and spearheaded by Deep Malhotra, has announced the launch of its operations.

The media consultancy and incubation firm aims to provide business strategy and infrastructural support to companies that are aiming to set up operations in India.

The new firm will offer a range of specialist services for its clients in areas of market plan, revenue strategy, digital marketing, core team recruitment and mergers and acquisitions by partnering with industry experts.

Malhotra said, “Gemini New Ventures is a one-stop shop for new-media startups that will offer key resources, which are critical for a successful launch. We will also provide consultancy services, using our rich experience and network in the industry. We are currently consulting with various companies and will be opening entries for the first batch of incubation soon.”

The incubation centre will operate as a backbone for its startup company clients by offering real estate support and business strategy assistance, converting the idea into a profit making business, attracting investments for further growth and sustenance.

July 21, 2011
Sony narrows gap with Zee TV

MUMBAI: Star Plus, Colors and Zee TV continue to maintain their top 3 positions among the Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs). But the channel that keeps coming close to Zee TV is Sony Entertainment Television.

Sony is just three GRPs (gross rating points) away from Zee TV. Losing rating points for the third straight week, Zee TV clocked 185 GRPs for the week ended 16 July, down from 193, while Sony mopped up 182 GRPs (last week 184).

Star Plus and Colors have strengthened their positions with 11 and 19 GRPs (gross rating points) respectively, according to TAM data for the week ended 16 July (C&S, HSM, 4+).

Colors added most GRPs during the week on the back of Balika Vadhu (5.55 TVR) and Uttaran (5 TVR), ending with 271 GRPs (last week 252). Balika Vadhu regained its position as the No. 1 show in the GEC chart.

Star Plus, on the other hand, pocketed 320 GRPs. Channel‘s Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai became second best show during the week, garnering 5.26 TVR.

Meanwhile, Imagine TV, which was hovering above 100 GRPs since two weeks on the back of the season four of its flagship reality show Swayamvar – Ratan Ka Rishta, has seen a mighty fall. Imagine TV lost 39 GRPs to end the week with 65 (last week 104).

Meanwhile, Sab remained steady with 133 GRPs (last week 131).

Star One and Sahara One were at 37 GRPs (last week 36) and 31 GRPs (last week 30) respectively.

July 20, 2011
Ascendas appoints TBWA Bangalore as communication partner

MUMBAI: Singapore-based business space solutions provider Ascendas has appointed TBWA Bangalore as its communication partner for launching Park Square Mall.

TBWA was awarded the duties after a multi-agency pitch as the team presented a media arts presentation which identifies the brand‘s belief. The agency will work on a 360 degree campaign to launch the mall.

Ascendas India CEO Thomas Teo said, “India is one of the key markets for Ascendas and has grown significantly. With increased activity in the cluttered mall.

space in Bangalore, our task will be to provide a unique experience to our audience with the launch of Park Square Mall. TBWA‘s disruptive thinking and their creative approach will give our brand the necessary thrust to stand out.”

Commenting on the win TBWA India MD Nirmalya Sen said, “Needless to say we are delighted. Co-creating Park Square as a differentiated mall brand is an exciting prospect. It will require disrupting conventions both in the real estate and retail segments.”

July 20, 2011
Saatchi & Saatchi wins Rs 200 mn Wave Infratech account

MUMBAI: Publicis Groupe‘s Saatchi & Saatchi has won the account of Delhi-based Wave Infratech, following a multi-agency pitch.

The size of the account is 200 million.

The primary objective of the pitch brief was to create and strategise the brand architecture for Wave Infratech, which included defining and developing a character identity for the brand.

The agency will define the SOP‘s for marketing and providing marketing strategy support for all Wave Infratech projects.

Commenting on this development, Saatchi & Saatchi India CEO Kamal Basu said, “In the new mix of business we are handling out of Saatchi & Saatchi, this one puts us in the middle of an important and exciting market segment in the country. Wave Infratech is arguably one of the few players in real estate who have the wherewithal to be counted among the topmost in the business”.

In order to venture into cities like Kanpur, Agra, Jaipur, Meerut, Bareily, Jammu and Amritsar, Wave Infratech will invest heavily.

Wave Inc. Director Manpreet Singh said, “The Management has a vision for the company and the ad agency had to be in sync with this vision in order to produce the desired results. After series of meetings and internal reviews, Saatchi and Saatchi were found closest in identifying and understanding our needs and vision for the future and how we would like to place ourselves”.

July 20, 2011
Komli Media acquires Chennai-based ZestADZ

MUMBAI: Digital media technology platform, Komli Media, has acquired a Chennai-based mobile advertising platform – ZestADZ.

With this acquisition, Komli Media can offer a full suite of digital solutions to agencies, advertisers, and publishers, with solutions across display, video, search, social media and now mobile.

ZestADZ, founded in 2007 by Asif Ali, aims to help advertisers and agencies deliver targeted mobile advertising campaigns to drive brand awareness, generate traffic and leads, and increase purchase intent.

The company claims to currently deliver five billion mobile ad impressions globally each month. It also has an office in the United States.

According to an official communiqué, Komli Media acquired ZestADZ for its strong team and sophisticated mobile advertising and analytics platform across feature phones and smartphone platforms such as iPhone, Android, and Windows Mobile.

This is Komli’s fourth buyout in the past 13 months. In June 2010, Komli had acquired Australian website representation firm Post Click, while in October they took over Indoor Media, a UK-based online ethnic marketing company focused on the South Asian community. Last month, the company acquired Singapore-based digital media company, Aktiv Digital.

The mobile division of Komli Media, which includes ZestADZ, is run by Amit Bhartiya, VP, together with Ali who will head Mobile products.

Komli Media CEO Prashant Mehta said, “We’re thrilled to have the ZestADZ team as part of the Komli family and see a strong cultural fit between our two companies. Under Asif’s leadership, they have built a strong technology platform that complement’s Komli’s own real-time ad serving technology to make this a mutually rewarding partnership.”

ZestADZ CEO Asif Ali added, “We are looking to leverage Komli’s leadership position in the Asia Pacific region to accelerate the adoption of mobile advertising by leading agencies, advertisers, and publishers. We will continue to bring innovative products to the market. This combined with Komli’s brand, market penetration and experience will help us to advance our leadership position in the space.”

July 19, 2011
VivaKi Exchange creates CEO post, elevates Mona Jain

MUMBAI: VivaKi Exchange has elevated Mona Jain to the newly created position of chief executive officer.

Prior to this development, Jain held the position of COO at VivaKi Exchange.

In her new role, she will continue to report to VivaKi Exchange chairman Ambika Srivastava.

Jain has over two decades of marketing communications experience. Previously, as COO, she witnessed the expansion and growth of VivaKi Exchange.as well as new client portfolios both at Starcom MediaVest Group India and ZenithOptimedia India.

Jain has worked with agencies such as Hindustan Thompson, Contract, Mudra Communications, FCB, ZenithOptimedia and Cheil Communications. She also did a short stint to gain clients’ side experience with Glaxo Smithkline Beecham. She has worked with clients such as PepsiCo, Horlicks, McDonalds, Whirlpool, Frito Lays, Hyundai, Hewlett Packard, Nokia, Nestle and Samsung.

Srivastava said, “I am extremely pleased to announce Mona’s appointment as the first CEO for VivaKi Exchange. She is highly respected by the industry, our clients and media partners as well as the teams of Starcom MediaVest Group and ZenithOptimedia for her integrity, passion and most of all for her ability to add and create value. Since her joining in 2005, Mona has ensured phenomenal growth for the Groupe and has played an extraordinary role in upping the service and delivery quotient for clients and teams alike.”

Speaking on her new role Jain added, “It is indeed a momentous occasion and I am honoured and humbled on my appointment as the first CEO for VivaKi Exchange. Once again I would like to thank the leadership team for their faith and confidence in my abilities. I see us continuing to create innovative, distinct and aggressive advantages for VivaKi Exchange, driving client vision and nurturing further collaboration and integration with media owners and our superlative team.”

July 19, 2011
Vizeum India appoints Samarjit Rajkumar as senior GM

MUMBAI: Vizeum India, the media arm of Aegis Group, has appointed Samarjit Rajkumar as senior general manager.

Vizeum Indian subcontinent managing director S Yesudas stated that the leadership position is fully in place for the current phase. While Rajkumar is in Mumbai and will also be playing a strategic role nationally, Harit is in Delhi and Sreekanth in Chennai.

Rajkumar started his media career in Indian media research industry by managing TV audience measurement system and large scale consumer and customised media research studies at IMRB.

After working three years at IMRB, Rajkumar moved on to work at Lintas Media, serving clients such as Unilever India, Parle Bajaj Auto and financial clients like HSBC, SBI, ICICI Prudential and Idea Cellular.

With more than 17 years of experience in media and communication industry, Rajkumar has worked in three fast growing markets: India, China and Vietnam.

Rajkumar’s previous assignments in China were as GM of key accounts at OMD China (2008-2010) and as one of the Procter & Gamble China account lead lasting five years, at Vivaki Group (Starcom and ZenithOptimedia).

Yesudas added, “Our contributions to clients come from our heart. Each of our clients is truly our ambassadors. Appointments at senior leadership roles further testify our commitments to clients. Since our operation has no boundaries, all our clients/brands will get the expertise of our entire senior management. I Take this opportunity to wish Samar all the very best.”

Rajkumar added, “Vizeum India’s emergence as one of the strong and credible agency in its less than two years of presence, is what attracted me. I look to further enhancing market place visibility via thought leadership ideas, strong product focus and enrich consumer experiences of Clients’ brands, working closely with Yesu and the leadership team in Vizeum’s next level of aggressive growth and consolidation story.”

July 19, 2011
Publicis Groupe acquires 51% stake in Big Fuel

MUMBAI: Publicis Groupe has acquired a controlling stake in New York-based social media agency, Big Fuel.

As per the agreement, Publicis will start off with 51 per cent and have the option of gobbling it up entirely from 2014.

The agency will be aligned under the VivaKi organization and serve as a strategic social media center for the VivaKi agencies like Digitas, Razorfish, Starcom MediaVest Group and ZenithOptimedia. It will report into the VivaKi organisation through Laura Lang, global CEO of Digitas and member of the VivaKi board of directors.

Laura Lang said, “Big Fuel is a dynamic social media agency with a scalable model that encompasses social tools, process, a content studio and a distribution network. As a result, it will extend the creative and content resourcing of Digitas and Razorfish. They specialize in taking brands from content to commerce, and their social media operating system has earned them Social AOR status with some of the world‘s most powerful marketers. Sitting inside VivaKi, with its powerful media and digital agency networks, Big Fuel gives us unprecedented Paid, Owned and Earned capabilities, further enhancing the social media strategies of its sister agencies.”

Big Fuel is headed by CEO Jon Bond, who runs the agency in partnership with founding partner and chief creative officer Avi Savar, and managing partner and COO Mike McGraw,

According to Jon Bond, the deal will help support Big Fuel’s rapid organic growth. “Big Fuel‘s founder Avi Savar had the vision to create one of the first full-service social media agencies. Now that social is revolutionizing global marketing, this partnership gives the agency and its clients scale, impact, and a network around the world,” he said.

July 19, 2011
Aegis Media sets up integrated media office

MUMBAI: Aegis Media India is bringing all its subsidiary companies under one roof. The first integrated media office will house Aegis Media, Carat Media, Posterscope, Vizeum, Isobar, Brandscope and Carat Fresh Integrated & Hyperspace.

The initiative, being first of its kind in India, will enable clients to get media planning & buying, OOH, full service digital facilities including creative, SEM, SEO, social media, retail, visual merchandising and activation services will come under the single umbrella office.

Aegis Media chairman India & CEO South Asia Ashish Bhasin said, “This is a landmark move for us and I predict it will be a trendsetter in the industry. Our unique country level P & L allows us to be able to offer everything to our clients, without worrying about silos but retaining the advantages of specialization. It is a competitive advantage we have. We have made this large investment, encouraged by the spectacular growth that we have seen in Aegis Media India over the last two years. It’s now time for us to take the next step towards leadership status in the industry by providing a world class product, which India has far missed. This marks the start of the next generation of Media & Communication services in India”.

The office incorporates the latest in technology. It is designed by the interior specialist Shashikala Chander.

The new Aegis Media office is strategically located on the top floor of Poonam Chambers ‘B‘ in Worli.

July 19, 2011