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Category: AD Agencies

  • Kerala ad market pins hopes on Onam to bring respite

    Kerala ad market pins hopes on Onam to bring respite

    NEW DELHI: The South Indian ad market is a flourishing one, moving on an upward trajectory for the past decade. In 2019, it accounted for 30.7 per cent of the overall ad expenditures in India, as revealed by TAM AdEx’s Southside story report, contributing Rs 21,500 crore to the industry. Kerala market alone contributed Rs 4200 crore to the pie. 

    However, the past two years have been pretty difficult for the Kerala market, which was washed by floods in 2018 and 2019, and then  Covid2019, becoming one of the first states to get impacted by the contagious pandemic. 

    If Mplan CEO Parag Masteh is to be believed, the novel coronavirus alone has led to a 80-90 per cent drop in the investment cycle by advertisers. 

    Madison Media chief buying officer Vinay Hegde tells Indiantelevision.com, “The dip in Kerala ad market due to Covid2019 is roughly estimated to be around 75 per cent and largely in line with most other markets. Expectedly, it was the “essentials” categories like FMCG, foods and CSR for Covid2019-related issues that were active. Retail, a major player in Kerala, was just about present, being reduced drastically to around eight to 10 per cent of regular months.” 

    Maitri Advertising managing director Raju Menon adds, “February to May are the best months for Kerala market because of the tourist and wedding season. Around 30 per cent of the overall yearly sales happen during this time. However, it was a complete washout for us because of the lockdown. There are a few markets that work really well here, including banks, real estate, loans, textile and gold. But the pandemic left a negative impact on everything.”

    He continues, “For us at Maitri, there was a 60 per cent loss in billing during this lockdown. Not only was there a dip in queries, but some of our old bills, from January-February, were not cleared as well.” 

    Menon also shares that a few categories like automobiles, especially two-wheelers segment performed well than others given the market sentiment, but overall the whole industry witnessed a massive dip in revenues.

    In terms of television advertising, GECs saw their revenues down by more than 80 per cent YoY, both due to low inventory sales as well as discounts, reveals Hegde. He adds, “With the pandemic and the lockdown becoming the focal point, viewership shifted to news and the spike was exponential. A major shift from GECs to news was inevitable and visible and the channels did their best to hold on to their rates and monetise on the spike. This genre managed to rake in some ad revenues, yet inventory fill rate was lower than the normal average. April actually saw a dip in ad spends by almost 25 per cent Q4 of LY, but in May there was a massive spike of 120 per cent with retail and other clients making a beeline for the news genre.” 

    However, according to Menon, this growth in ad spends doesn’t necessarily mean more revenue for news channels. “If I give you an example, when the chief minister or the health minister is addressing the state via news channels, you can’t run commercials during that. So, advertisers buy the space on L-band, which costs around 97 per cent lesser than a slot for a video commercial. So, if you would have spent Rs 100 on a channel for video ads, you are spending only Rs 3 for the spot on L-band. Additionally, the inventory prices are kept low as the advertisers don’t have much money to spend. They are more concerned about paying their own people and keep their businesses afloat with the production-supply chain shut for most categories.  In terms of revenues, I believe they must have recorded a minimal growth of three to four per cent at max.” 

    Masteh shares that apart from the news genre, the ad spends from GECs were reallocated to digital media, which became a core part of the marketing strategy for even those brands which earlier refrained from it. He is hopeful that OTT will continue to grow and garner advertisers’ attention from here on. 

    As the lockdown eases, the industry is hoping to witness some progress in the advertiser as well as the consumer sentiment. 

    Hedge states, “Ease of lockdown has definitely seen an improvement in advertiser sentiment accompanied by the many relief schemes announced by the government in an effort to boost consumer sentiment and hence, demand. While the damage in Q1 of FY21 will take some time to heal, the additional forecast of economy contracting also needs to be considered by advertisers going forward. However, not advertising may not be an option as a short-term or long-term strategic call and hence, as the lockdown is being eased, we are seeing advertisers flocking back. TV, OOH and radio may still take more time to recover and as it happens, the competition will follow the competition.” 

    The industry is pinning its hope on the Onam season to bring a much-needed respite. 

    Menon says, “Onam counts for around 60 per cent of sales in the state and we are hopeful that will bring the advertisers back to the market. However, it will depend on the rains that we have. There are predictions for a good monsoon, but if the rains are heavy like the past two years, it is going to be a washout for us again.”  

    Hedge further adds, “August will also see the advent of festive season and it would be imperative for the advertiser to be visible. Also, by that time, lockdown would have eased even further. June is already seeing a much higher level of inquiries from advertisers compared to April and May. With originals making a comeback, July onwards, we should be seeing a fair degree of normal activity in terms of inventory consumption. Onam is an important festival in Kerala and is between 30 August to 2 September. That should be signaling a major recovery.” 

    But this recovery will be tampered by the gloomy forecast by the national and international bodies of contraction and recession, which however does not seem to be on top of the mind of advertisers and they would be looking at the most efficient extraction from media for their brands while the broadcasters/publishers will be looking to monetise demand uplift to also compensate for the loss of the first quarter, Hegde concludes. 

  • IdeateLabs promotes Porus Jose as CCO

    IdeateLabs promotes Porus Jose as CCO

    MUMBAI: IdeateLabs has recently appointed two senior creative directors to their team – Sajid Dadarkar and Ashwini Vyas. Among their various other responsibilities, the duo will be instrumental in charting a creative strategic roadmap for the agency and transforming the communication approach for its accounts.

    The duo would be reporting to Porus Jose, who has been promoted to the role of CCO for the agency. Jose has been with IdeateLabs for more than 4 years and has driven creative practice with a team of more than 110 people reporting into him.

    Both Dadarkar and Vyas come with close to 15 years of experience each, in leading creative teams in some of the top advertising agencies. The innovative concepts, ideas and impact of the campaigns that they’ve worked on bear testimonials. Some of these campaigns were widely recognized across the Advertising & Marketing sectors.

    Porus Jose said: “Experimentation is the cornerstone of great creative work. It’s one of the beliefs that Ash and Sajid share. The freshness of their thinking and their approach towards work will not only go a long way in bolstering the brands we work with, but will also bring cohesiveness in the team and boost the spirit. It is also an exhilarating time for the agency with a whole host of new initiatives and client wins. I am excited to be leading this team as we go marching into the digital-first future.”

    IdeateLabs director Vrutika Dawda said: “Team IdeateLabs has always been the hub of creative professionals. Porus is an integral part of the think tank at IdeateLabs and has contributed immensely to the growth of the agency. Adding Ash and Sajid to the team will up the ante of our creative offerings. The idea is to make them the brand custodians, and inculcate the sense of ownership, accountability and responsibilities in the creative function. They will be the driving force in taking our clients from ‘satisfied’ to ‘delighted’. I’m sure, the team will benefit immensely from this senior leadership, led by Porus”.

    Having worked on a diverse set of brands such as HUL, Lenovo, MRF, Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), Tata Motors, Vodafone amongst others, Ashwini strives to deliver maximum ROI for the brands with his creative energies. His mantra is to lend the x-factor to all the work his team delivers. Ashwini has the expertise in all those areas that IdeateLabs was looking for.

    Sharing his reasons for joining IdeateLabs, Vyas said, “Over these years, I have been collecting creative experiences at some of the best advertising agencies in India. My aim is to uplift the art and groom my team for award-worthy ideas by providing them accurate direction. I am excited to work with this fun-loving bunch of people in the creative team. I plan to land some award-winning campaigns in the current year and make that a practice”

    Sajid comes with a rich advertising background across agencies, spanning two countries. Having worked with vast and diverse portfolios from chocolates, baby care to automobile and airlines, he comes with a keen insight into the consumer’s mind and the way he/she behaves. He has worked with clients such as Fair & Lovely, Cadbury Dairy Milk, Parle-G, Pepsodent, Standard Chartered Bank, Singapore Airlines, Emirates Airlines, and Nissan, to name a few.

    Dadarkar said, “I’m glad to be a part of the robust team at IdeateLabs. The kind of freedom I see in this Company is something I haven’t seen in many places. I plan to put my myriad experiences in the industry, working on a large spectrum of categories. Also, it will be a great opportunity to put this knowledge to use for the young and coming generations of creative minds”.

  • The Visual House launches ‘Create @ home’

    The Visual House launches ‘Create @ home’

    MUMBAI: What we have been feeling over the last few weeks is an experience that's once in a lifetime. By staying in their homes and practicing social distance, everyone has shown sense and patience. But the lockout surely seems relentless for the youth, yet they have overcome it in their own special and imaginative ways. Motivating everyone to stay put, The Visual House a New Delhi-based production house and integrated communication agency launched ‘Create @ Home’, a cultural fest that allows submission of artistic expression in different mediums like photography, creatives/posters, film making, writing and videos, as the current lockdown has given us all the opportunity and time to explore our creative penchant.

    Creativity provides an outlet for us to express how we feel and helps us deal with the realities of testing times. Create@Home, the TVH cultural fest is a celebration of creativity that has sprouted during these testing times of global pandemic.

    Over a thousand people from all over the country sent in their entries for the fest, expressing their innermost thoughts and feelings during the lockdown. Most of these submissions are from the youth and focused a lot on Covid2019 and extended their support to healthcare workers and frontline workers in today’s times.

    The Visual House founder and CEO Deepmala says, “With everyone locked in their home and social distancing becoming the new norm, it is important to stay calm, meditate, bring out your creative side and stay optimistic. We want to help bring positivity in these difficult times. Launching Create @ Home is one such fest and we are extremely delighted about it. Through this cultural fest we wish to inspire people to look inward and discover their creative sides through Click Photo @ Home, Shoot video @ Home, Design @ Home or Pen Down @ Home.”

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  • Ogilvy Worldwide CEO-chairman John Seifert to leave the agency

    Ogilvy Worldwide CEO-chairman John Seifert to leave the agency

    MUMBAI: Ogilvy Worldwide CEO and chairman John Seifert has announced his plans of departure from the agency, after 41 years of service, via an internal memo shared with the team. He will be moving on the next year, as a part of a succession plan helmed by WPP CEO Mark Read.

    Seifert wrote: “In June I will have served Ogilvy for 41 years, the past five as worldwide CEO. I have worked closely with Mark Read since his appointment [as CEO] in 2018 on leadership development and succession planning across The Ogilvy Group, and that includes me as well.”

    “It’s been an extraordinary privilege to serve Ogilvy since joining the company as a summer intern in 1979. I love this company with all my heart and will be forever supportive of its success,” he added.

    The company is in the process of looking for a successor. Seifert took over as worldwide CEO and chairman of Ogilvy, succeeding Miles Young in 2016. In 2018, Seifert led a rebrand of the agency, changing its name from Ogilvy & Mather to just Ogilvy. 

  • Hashtag Orange expands operations in Mumbai

    Hashtag Orange expands operations in Mumbai

    MUMBAI: With the vision of offering the best and most relevant ‘insight’ driven digital solutions in India, Hashtag Orange – insights-driven digital solutions agency, today announced its business expansion in Mumbai. Headquartered out of Delhi – NCR, the firm has witnessed exponential growth in the last couple of years of its operations and has successfully accumulated a portfolio of impressive clientele.

    As part of its market strategy, Hashtag Orange has expanded in Mumbai to cater to its existing as well as potential clientele based out of the financial capital of the country. The Mumbai office would have full-service capabilities of the firm including performance marketing and will work closely with the headquarters for insight-driven digital offerings of the agency.

    Speaking on the expansion, Hashtag Orange co-founder Saurabh Kapoor said, “As we continue to expand our business offerings and digital solutions portfolio, market expansion becomes a crucial part of our growth strategy. Mumbai is the financial hub of the country and our presence in the market would be instrumental in the success story of our firm.”

    Hashtag Orange co-founder Mukesh Vij said, “Mumbai will be an exciting chapter in our journey here in India and our presence in the market will significantly boost Hashtag Orange’s Y-o-Y growth rate. Mumbai has huge potential, both in terms of business growth and available talent pool and will be a defining milestone for the firm’s future.”

    With Mumbai being operational, Hashtag Orange now has an overall talent pool of more than 45 employees across specialized verticals such as social media strategy/ content, paid media – Facebook/ Google, SEO, SEM, Influencer strategy & execution, development and maintenance of digital assets among others.

    In a short span of just over a year, Hashtag Orange has successfully managed to venture into various categories including Fashion, Beauty, Online Gaming, Food to name a few and is aggressively foraying into newer spaces in the market.

  • Mitali Srivastava Hough launches The Equal agency

    Mitali Srivastava Hough launches The Equal agency

    MUMBAI: Utopeia’s co-founder and head of strategy, Mitali Srivastava Hough, has today announced the launch of “Equal” on World Social Justice Day with a very special thought in mind. The Equal agency will specialize in Cause marketing and CSR solutions for brands.

    Srivastava Hough states that there is a greater need than ever before for brands to connect with communities who have been ignored for a long time. 

    She says, “The voices of the underprivileged, rural India, minorities, LGBTQIA, women, differently abled and other marginalised groups are getting stronger by the day and it’s critical that brands find a genuine way to connect with, communicate with, and endorse their voices. There is also a need for genuine conversations around equality, human rights, inclusion and social protection. It is now mandatory for businesses in India to spend 2 per cent of their average net profits on CSR, leading to investment in areas such as education, health, poverty, gender equality and hunger. It is essential that this investment is aligned with long-term strategic planning with clear goals and a true connection with communities and audiences, in order to grasp the opportunity and make a deep and long-term impact. Brands are recognising that engaging effectively in CSR can reap long term results. So, Equal has been launched to create meaningful and genuine solutions in CSR and Cause marketing.”

    She adds, “At Equal, we will provide end-to-end solutions in the CSR category to help brands use their CSR budget to maximise returns and build long term properties that can benefit employees, consumers, stakeholders, brand equity and business.” 

    Srivastava Hough has done various projects in this field already and believes that her true passion lies in this area. She has been an activist for various social causes for over a decade. She has also done CSR and Cause marketing projects for Reliance Foundation, Adani Foundation, Ambuja Foundation, and the recent Rainbow Lit Fest, and others. 

    Prior to co-founding Utopeia Communicationz, Mitali Srivastava Hough was an AVP in DDB Mudra, and has worked in Ogilvy India and TBWA India, where she led strategic planning for brands such as Volkswagen, Big Bazaar, Bournvita, Asian Paints, etc.

  • 82.5 Communications makes a mark in year one

    82.5 Communications makes a mark in year one

    MUMBAI: It’s a toddler and it is already boasting of achievements attributable to the big boys in advertising. Mumbai-hqed creative boutique Eight Two Point Five ( 82.5) Communications is the agency we are referring to. It came into existence just a year ago (26 January), as a reincarnation of Ogilvy agency Soho Square, with a sharp focus on providing communications services to India-specific brands. And it has managed to net nine new clients out of a total of 11 pitches it made, since then. A very good run, and a very high rate – something not many newborns in advertising can boast.

    Its new client roster looks impressive: mandates from Nestle Milo, a few dairy projects with the multinational, IDBI Bank, Haldirams North, Hero Lectro, brands from the RSPL group (the maker of Ghari detergent), Campus Shoes, Pearson Education and Jeeru a Mumbai-based carbonated drink. Of course, 82.5 inherited some existing business from Soho Square as well: ACC, Tata Motors, Bisleri, Havells, Himalaya Herbals, ITC Goldflake.

    “We are a bit selective about what we do,” says 82.5 Communications co-chairman & CEO Kapil Arora, adding that there is a clear understanding of where and why to pitch and because of that, the company even refused some clients early on. “On the basis of the conversations that we bring to the table, clients get comfortable and say we want to work with you,” he explains.

    Arora reveals that the coming few months will be about consolidating what it has picked up in 2019 and the agency will get into growth mode only from March.

    Has the rebranding exercise from Soho Square to 82.5, and labelling itself as an India-centric agency paid dividends?

    “We have built a profile of interesting India-first businesses that resonate with our positioning, “ highlights Arora.  “Ninety per cent of our client mix is comprised of India-first clients. But there are global brands like Milo, which wanted a Tamil Nadu insight reflected. So, they too see value in our India-first expertise and approach.”

    Ogilvy India chairman and CCO Worldwide Piyush Pandey too believes it has. “This was a slot that was vacant,” he says. “82.5 has filled it well.”

    And proof of that is the rewards it has got. 82.5 Communications’ edgy work last year with its quirky Samajhdar Jante hai campaign for Bisleri featuring camels got it the Grand Effie in January 2020.

    The agency has not stayed still, rejigging the way it functions, when it felt it was needed. When it started it kept brand custodianship, strategy and content expertise in-house while outsourcing services like media, social, PR retail and activation to partners. It kept that circle open wide. Now it has tightened that ring of allies restricting Itself to WPP group outfits.

    “As a small outfit it made absolute sense to work with partners to offer allied services,” says Arora. “ In implementing that model, we had a few learnings and we reduced that circle. This helps us retain better quality control and ownership for our clients and a move like the WPP campus really aids us in that regard.”

    Arora was brought in as CEO from Ogilvy North in June 2019 when the then CEO VS Srikanth – who joined  82.5 from Bates CHI & Partners – decided to part ways to set up his own venture in the tourism sector.

    Since then, he along with chairman & CCO Sumanto Chattopadhyay, have been working on hiring talent to continue offer clients classy service and the creatively edgy work it is getting known for.  In September, Arora roped in Rishabha Nayyar national strategy lead reporting to him directly. Last month, the agency recruited creative veteran Preeta Mathur as head of its Delhi creative.

    The agency has four branches Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata, with Delhi growing the fastest, hence the hiring of Mathur.  More recruitment is likely to happen in the coming few months.

    Chattopadhyay and Arora are also focusing on building language-thinking skills within the agency. Arora highlights that they have managed to get it right with Bengali, Tamil and Marathi – and of course Hindi and English. “This repertoire will continue to increase through a mix of in-house talent and a circle of friends from the local film and theatre circuit,”  he elaborates.

    Arora believes that 82.5 is a work in progress agency. “We will continue to evolve,” he says. “We have laid a strong foundation. As long as we pivot, change and stay relevant in terms of what clients require from us, in these trying economic times, we have a strong future. We are very bullish.”

    Which is what Pandey is banking on. Remember, it was he who was the prime architect of the initiative to build a second agency within the Ogilvy network in India.

  • ZEEL to fund 75% of entry cost incurred by creative agencies for Kyoorius Creative Awards

    ZEEL to fund 75% of entry cost incurred by creative agencies for Kyoorius Creative Awards

    MUMBAI: In an industry-first move, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has expanded its support to the creative community in India. The media conglomerate will fund 75 per cent of entry cost incurred by creative agencies for Kyoorius Creative Awards. ZEEL MD and CEO Punit Goenka and Kyoorius founder and director Rajesh Kejriwal announced the initiative on Thursday. One of the main aims of the partnership is ensuring entries of agencies who, for reasons of commerce, were not able to participate earlier.

    The move will make the participation of creative agencies in the Kyoorius Creative Awards much easier and significantly more cost-efficient. Recognising the budget constraints and immense pressure on margins experienced by agencies, ZEEL has announced this support to ensure that every creative work finds its due share of recognition and appreciation.

    A significant reason for ZEEL’s support to the advertising fraternity is that, as an entertainment company with strong and established businesses in the realm of broadcast, films, music, digital and LIVE entertainment, the company has been a direct beneficiary of the immense creative talent of the industry. With this initiative, ZEEL recognises and applauds the creative quotient of the industry, which complements the entertainment environment through the creation of television commercials, and the significant contribution of the community through their involvement in TV programming, films and content for digital platforms.

    Speaking on this announcement, Goenka said, “We are extremely proud of our symbiotic relationship built with the advertising fraternity, both media and creative, in this journey of entertaining the world. We firmly believe that no creative work should be deprived of being showcased, appreciated or recognized due to commercial constraints. Our association with the Kyoorius Creative Awards enables us to make this disruptive and much-needed change in the current ecosystem. I am glad that this initiative is also in line with IAA’s overall approach of democratising the advertising world.”

    Kejriwal added, “As we step into the seventh year of the Kyoorius Creative Awards, it gives us a great sense of satisfaction to witness the immense support expressed by the creative community and marketers. This initiative would not have achieved the success levels which it has without the investment of time and energy of all the players in the value chain. We are delighted that ZEE has taken a yet another thought leadership stance by supporting the creative community through its association with the Kyoorius Creative Awards. The support from ZEE will not just democratise the awards ecosystem, but will also disrupt the existing power structures.”

  • Zee Business makes history with sting operation in stock market

    Zee Business makes history with sting operation in stock market

    MUMBAI: A huge number of investors are being fleeced by fraudsters in the name of stock market trading. To protect the interests of innocent investors, Zee Business channel has fearlessly carried out the biggest sting operation of them all to catch these culprits. Zee Business brings to you an exclusive 3 part series starting 26 Nov anchored by Mr. Anil Singhvi.  

    The problem has its roots in the fact that, whether it is a small, marginal or large investor, everybody wants huge returns on investment in the stock market. Unscrupulous elements take advantage of this by making tall, but untrue, promises. It leads to common investors being trapped in this stock market racket. Zee Business channel sting operation has caught these very fraudsters and exposed their corrupt practices and revealed that a racket is being run that loots the money of stock market investors.

    The sting operation is a massive wake-up call for authorities. The programme will be telecast soon on the Zee Business channel and it is a must-watch show for every investor in the country. Title of the sting operation programme is 'Market Mafia.' In this programme, Zee Business channel will give tips to the stock market investors to ensure they do not become victims of such fraudsters machinations in the future. 

    The sting operation has exposed fraudsters who lure people with promises of high returns and trap them in their net. Once, the investor gets trapped in their racket, they lose their hard-earned money leaving. 

    The show will be aired on Zee Business at 10.30 am. 

  • Havas Group acquires digital agency Langoor

    Havas Group acquires digital agency Langoor

    MUMBAI: Havas Group today announced the acquisition of one of India’s leading independent agencies – Langoor. A full-service digital agency led and driven by creative technologists, Langoor has grown steadily since being founded in 2010, and is now present across India, the Middle East and Australia.

    Its team of 170 specialists provide meaningful digital experiences and connections to MNCs, local brands and start-ups across strategy, online marketing, website planning and development, data analytics, marketing automation, e-commerce and SEO.

    Langoor will be rebranded as Langoor Havas and be led by its co-founder – Venugopal Ganganna – who will take on the newly-created position of chief digital officer, Havas Group India, reporting to Rana Barua – Group CEO, Havas Group India.

    Langoor Havas will have three key focus areas – health, business and vernacular – and will expand these services to markets outside of India in the coming months.

    Havas Group Chairman and CEO Yannick Bolloré comments: “Digital business is booming in India and bringing Langoor on board is an important new step to further strengthening our digital skills locally. Through their unique blend of data, creativity and technology, Langoor enables brands to engage their customers meaningfully and drive growth. Earlier this year, we acquired the leader in user experience and digital design in India, Think Design, making Langoor our second acquisition in the country in 2019. The combined expertise of Think Design and Langoor boost Havas’ digital offer in the world’s fastest-growing ad market. India continues to be a priority for the Group, we aim to triple our presence there by the end of 2019 and have put in place a solid new management team to lead this expansion.”

    “The acquisition of Langoor complements our aggressive growth strategy that we started last year with the creation of Havas Village India that brought together different disciplines under a unified, client-centric leadership structure. Langoor adds an enviable strength to Havas Group with its distinctive approach of Creative Technologists who challenge marketing every day with their expertise in balancing, data, technology, strategic thinking and the power of creative,” said Havas Group India & South East Asia chairman & CEO Vishnu Mohan

    “The Langoor acquisition also demonstrates Havas Group’s commitment to expand its scale and expertise in India with a focus on exponential growth, new business momentum, and building & leading future-ready teams. The acquisition will reinforce our integrated offering and digital expertise in India and complement our existing capabilities,” added Havas Group India CEO Rana Barua.

    “We pride ourselves in having created an agency focused on digital brand thinking – which is the future. The integration with Havas Group will add scale to the depth of our services and help us to grow even further. This acquisition is an incredible opportunity for Langoor and the team and we are excited to be part of this new journey towards further success,” said Langoor co-founders Ruchir Punjabi & Venu Ganganna.