Category: Media and Advertising

Grey wins creative mandate of Usha Fans

MUMBAI: Consumer durable brand Usha International has assigned Grey group India to handle the creative duties of Usha Fans. The account was won in a multi-agency pitch process and will be handled by the agency’s Delhi office, under the leadership of Grey Delhi vice president and branch head Samir Datar.

Usha Fans marketing head Bharat Kharbanda said, “We are very excited about this association and are confident to grow our business to new heights. What excited us is the fact that for consumers, Fan as a category has become low involvement and consumers don’t realise the technology advancements that have been made to not just make the fans more stylish but also far superior at the benefit they are supposed to deliver. The brief was to enhance the focus on the category and we expect the communication to take that challenge head on.”

Grey group South & South East Asia chief strategy officer Dheeraj Sinha added, “From how it used to be, say two decades ago, things have changed dramatically in our lives – the way we connect to each either, the way we listen to our music, the way we cook our food and so on. The category of fans however, hasn’t seen much innovation during the last few decades. Usha has some remarkable technology and design in their lineup that fits in our modern day living. We are looking forward to be a part of the journey where we redefine how India looks at fans.”

August 5, 2015
Dentsu strengthens presence in West Africa; acquires two agencies in Ghana

MUMBAI: In a bid to strengthen its position in West Africa, Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired two Ghana based media agencies namely Adams Media Ghana Limited and Premier Media Company GH Limited.

The acquisition, which will take the form of the purchase by Dentsu Aegis Network of a 59.62 per cent shareholding in Adams Media, with Premier Media as a wholly owned subsidiary of Adams Media, will strengthen the Dentsu Group’s presence in West Africa.

Adams Media was founded in 2009 and Premier Media in 1999, and both companies provide services to a large number of multinational clients. After acquisition of the shareholding by Dentsu Aegis Network, Adams Media will be rebranded Carat, and Premier Media rebranded Vizeum, collectively forming Dentsu Aegis Network Ghana.

Carat and Vizeum are two of the Dentsu Group’s eight global network brands. Both Adams Media and Premier Media have extensive mass media and digital media planning and buying capabilities, and these will be fully utilized in the provision of cutting-edge media solutions by the new entity.

In terms of economic scale, Ghana is second only to Nigeria in West Africa, and the International Monetary Fund has estimated that Ghana will achieve GDP growth of from 3.5 to 9.2 per cent between 2015 and 2020. Together with Media Fuse, the Nigerian company with which Dentsu Aegis Network entered into a joint venture agreement in August 2014, Dentsu Aegis Network Ghana will function as the Group’s hub in West Africa and Central Africa.

August 4, 2015
Razorfish names Bharatesh Salian as Mumbai & Bangalore head

MUMBAI: Razorfish vice president Bharatesh Salian has been given the additional responsibility to oversee the agency’s Mumbai and Bangalore operations.

The move comes in the wake of Razorfish India senior vice president Manoj Mansukhani’s recent resignation. Salian will take over from Mansukhani with immediate effect.

Razorfish India CEO Charulata Ravi Kumar said, “It has been less than two months since Bharatesh joined Razorfish. However, his exemplary experience, meticulous planning and fine leadership abilities makes him the perfect candidate for taking over our Mumbai and Bangalore branches. I believe he will excel at the new role, which he in spirit was already performing since day one.”

“I am excited about this new role and leading the Mumbai and Bangalore offices. It is truly motivating to be given such immense responsibility and I am confident that I will be able to deliver Razorfish’s ambitious plans for India,” Salian added.

Prior to joining Razorfish, Salian was with VivaConnect as chief strategy officer.

August 3, 2015
Airtel Money appoints Manish Khera as CEO

MUMBAI: YTS Solutions co-founder and MD Manish Khera has been roped in as Airtel Money CEO. Khera will be a part of the Airtel Management Board and report to Bharti Airtel (India & South Asia) MD & CEO Gopal Vittal.

Vittal said, “I am delighted to announce that Manish Khera will join AMSL as chief executive officer. A trend-setter in the domain areas of financial inclusion, payments & banking, Manish combines the spirit of entrepreneurship with a passion for technology and commitment to serve millions. I am confident that his rich domain expertise will add immense value to our plans and help lead our mobile commerce and payments business to reach millions of underserved Indians.”

Khera added, “I was fortunate to go through the retail banking explosion in the early part of my career, and then to drive a host of financial inclusion initiatives in the country under the guidance of banking stalwarts. I am now excited at the opportunity of working with India’s largest telecom company and leading its vision of delivering a transformed m-Commerce experience for million across the country.”

August 3, 2015
GroupM’s Motivator bags Pepperfry’s media AOR

MUMBAI: GroupM’s Motivator has bagged the media duties of online furniture and home products marketplace, Pepperfry.

The account of the Mumbai-based Pepperfry is estimated to be approximately Rs 80-100 crore.

As a part of the media mandate, Motivator will be responsible for managing the traditional and digital media planning activities for Pepperfry. The agency will be working closely with the team at Pepperfry to plan and implement pioneering campaigns tapping various communication channels including emerging media avenues.

The mandate to Motivator follows Pepperfry’s strategy to step jump the brand positioning in the minds of the consumers. The company recently raised $100 million from Goldman Sachs, Zodius Technology Fund, and existing investors Bertelsmann India Investments and Norwest Venture Partners.

Pepperfry CMO Kashyap Vadapalli said, “We are confident about Motivator’s ability to deliver innovative strategies to assist us in building a strong consumer brand. Their fresh approach towards media planning and the strong synergy with our plans makes it a cohesive partnership. We look forward to work with them.”

Motivator general manager Trishul Bhumkar added, “It’s an exciting challenge to change the way Indian consumers buy furniture and we are excited to be a part of this challenge. In continuance of working with client who expect business results rather than only media strategies, PepperFry is a great addition to the family. Motivator’s best foot is forward in this challenge.”

August 3, 2015
Mindshare APAC launches adaptive solution suite for brands

MUMBAI: Mindshare APAC has launched FAST (Future Adaptive Specialist Team), a unique solution suite, which aims to provide data led adaptive marketing services to brands looking to make sense of the deluge of data that is engulfing marketing communications.

One of the key headwinds that brands are facing due to this data deluge is the dynamism and uncertainty in the customer journey and the primary purpose of FAST is to help clients take control of the same.

Mindshare’s FAST is the first of its kind in Asia Pacific from any marketing communications company.

FAST comprises six services that clients can choose from or use as an integrated solution. As part of Data Management, powered by The Data Alliance from WPP, FAST provides data advisory services to help clients prepare their data management strategy, and to help them on how they can use technology to make sense of the data.

Performance Marketing is an insights-driven outcome-based service that helps clients harness the power of search, e-commerce and mobile marketing in an integrated manner. With Programmatic Strategy, Mindshare has developed a proprietary architecture that leverages GroupM’s global scale with advanced behavioral targeting that delivers dynamic advertising to the most valued target at the most opportune time.

Real-Time Marketing, hallmarked by The Loop, is an adaptive decision making engine that influences the dynamic consumer journey, using real time insights to drive real time actions.

Finally, FAST provides capabilities in Digital Analytics with tools to better understand the digital trail, attributed right down to the last mile action. And for clients who have rich Enterprise data, Mindshare will integrate its own proprietary data with 3rd party data to provide Big Data services in partnership with Crayon Data by developing brand specific affinity graphs.

Designed specifically for clients with centralized needs, Mindshare has gathered digital specialists from across the network to create five FAST hubs, located in Singapore, London, New York, Shanghai and Mexico City. FAST is particularly open sourced in building strategic partnerships in each of the Hubs to leverage local knowledge and expertise and they are fully integrated within the existing agency teams in the region.

Mindshare Asia Pacific COO Gowthaman Ragothaman said, “In the last 15 days, FAST has built up significant traction, demonstrating its value to our clients and their businesses. It is more than just a concept, it is a step in the right direction – one that is built on a sound understanding of our client’s business needs and their expectations of what the future of media should be. By adding new and evolved capabilities and leveraging off of our global scale, FAST showcases Mindshare’s ability to constantly and quickly adapt to the need of the day, and is poised to be our key differentiator as it begins to deliver results for our clients.”

August 3, 2015
Dentsu acquires healthcare communications agency Synergy MC

MUMBAI: Dentsu Inc. has reached an agreement to acquire Synergy MC, a healthcare communications agency specializing in marketing communications for prescription drugs.

The agreement was reached with the principal shareholders of APO Plus Station Co., Ltd., the parent company of Synergy Medical Communications, Inc.

Against the backdrop of Japan’s recent declining birthrate and aging population, the marketing of prescription drugs by pharmaceutical companies and other healthcare-related entities has reached a major turning point due to healthcare reforms and changing drug development trends.

Under these circumstances, there has been a pressing need for the Dentsu Group to establish a system that will comprehensively meet increasing client needs for solutions such as the development of and support for new healthcare services, marketing techniques that maximize client value, and the provision of insights from healthcare professionals, patients and society.

The Dentsu Group is currently providing healthcare marketing communication services in Japan through its subsidiary Dentsu Sudler & Hennessey Inc.

The acquisition of Synergy MC will boost the Group’s capacity to respond to a wider range of healthcare communication needs. Looking ahead, the Group will continue to implement further service innovations through the fusion of its expertise in the healthcare domain with its distinctive experience and knowhow in the B-to-C market.

August 3, 2015
Designaren completes user interface design for Localowls.com

MUMBAI: After successful rounds up of several start-up brands, creative design agency Designaren has completed a user interface design mandate for a newly launched comprehensive website – Localowls.com.

Localowls is a website that connects users to local experts, to pursue a new activity, help in academics or learn a new hobby. However diverse the requirement could be, Localowls provides a comprehensive list of experts nearby with detailed information and ability to connect with them online.

Designaren has now created a simplified user flow and interaction possibilities first through wireframes, where the interface hierarchy is defined and then finally designing the interface.

Speaking on this development, Designaren co-founder Nirali Parekh Rathi said, “We have been involved with Localowls since its beginning and that helped us come up with a simple design, which lets the users get to what they need very quickly in an intuitive manner.”

Parekh further adds that their biggest challenge was to organize the information content in an easy searchable manner.

“Localowls’ search algorithms and matching platform was extremely useful for us to design around and fulfill their simple brief – let user be able to connect with an expert of their choice in three clicks. We continue to be engaged with LocalOwls to improve the experience and interface based on user feedback,” she says.

Localowls.com co-founder Sucharita Choudhary added, “We believe that Designaren have been our partners in our journey, and they continue to do so. They have a strong understanding of user behavior, which was the foundation on which they built both our mobile and desktop interface. We like their sense of aesthetics and find their designs to be intuitive and elegant.”

August 1, 2015
RAPP India bags digital mandate of Royal Canin

MUMBAI: RAPP India has bagged the India digital mandate of Royal Canin.

Royal Canin makes the most precise and effective nutrition for cats and dogs based on size, age, lifestyle, breed; to address specific needs with the aid of their vast knowledge about pets that only extensive research, scientific study and tireless dialogue with pet professionals, veterinarians and owners can provide.

With a worldwide outreach, the brand now plans to fortify its digital presence in India.

Royal Canin India marketing manager Rohan Kurian said, “At Royal Canin we are driven by a passion for cats and dogs. We wanted to share the science, research and education that go behind our products and services with pet owners as well to educate them on what is good for their pets. We were looking for a partner that would not only understand what we do and how we do it, but also why we do it. We are excited and are looking forward to our initiatives with RAPP India. With their new-age data driven approach it will be easier to start a meaningful and relevant dialogue with our consumers.”

RAPP India president Venkat Mallikarjunan added, “We are really proud to be associated with a leading global brand like Royal Canin. Our team is full of pet lovers and the prospect of enhancing the lives of dogs and cats with some of the most well researched and scientifically produced products in the world is very exciting. The category presents us the opportunity to explore innovative and creatively novel methods of building relationships with pet lovers using digital and other media.”

August 1, 2015
Ambi MG Parameswaran re-elected as AAAI president

MUMBAI: Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) has re-elected FCB Ulka Advertising executive director Ambi MG Parameswaran as president for the year 2015 – 2016.

Additionally, Publicis Communications CEO-South Asia Nakul Chopra was also re-elected as vice president of the association.

Parameswaran and Chopra were re-elected at AAAI’s annual general body meeting held on 31 July, 2015.

The other members of the executive committee are as follows: Ashish Bhasin, CVL Srinivas, Ganesh Baliga, Jaideep Gandhi, Kunal Lalani, Nagesh Alai, Pranav Premnarayen, R Sridhar, Rana Barua, Sam Balsara, Srinivasan K Swamy, Tarun Rai and Vivek Srivastava.

AAAI immediate past president Arvind Sharma will be the ex-officio member of the new AAAI executive committee.

July 31, 2015