ITV

Category: Media and Advertising

  • Havas launches meta quality barometer to tackle ad fraud

    Havas launches meta quality barometer to tackle ad fraud

    MUMBAI: As per eMarketer ad fraud is a top concern for both media buyers (33 per cent) and suppliers (44 per cent), and both groups also show great concern for ad viewability.

     

    Adledge estimates that only 42 per cent of all impressions served were considered ‘visible’ according to the definition of the Interactive Advertising Bureau and eight per cent were displayed in a potentially damaging context for the advertiser.

     

    White Ops recently reported that non-human traffic (aka bots) alone will cost digital advertisers worldwide over $6.3 billion this year. 

     

    To improve media inventory and campaign quality, Havas Media Group has launched a unique Meta Quality Barometer, based on a comprehensive, inclusive approach to data.  The Meta Quality Barometer from Artemis Alliance delivers continuously updated data across global, pluri-media campaigns, to share with all stakeholders (technology partners, media publishers and clients) to optimise investments.

     

    Havas Media Group global managing director Dominique Delport said, “Confidence in data quality is a critical issue for our industry. The scale of fraudulent inventory generated by sophisticated ‘bots’ is extremely concerning and neither media vendors nor agencies are safe. We need to bring trust and clarity back for our clients. For these reasons Havas has invested in our best-in-class Artemis Alliance data platform for over a decade. Now it manages 100 per cent of our online campaigns, harvesting over 300 billion secure and disaggregated data points each year and was recently awarded ISO27001 certification by Bureau Veritas. Its focus – to create an actionable measurement for viewability, brand protection, media inventory and campaign quality.” 

     

    He added, “As a result, we are delighted to launch the first Meta Quality Barometer for our industry. Helping us to connect the dots of the most advanced tech providers, delivering a unique and systematic “meta” barometer on data integrity, security and brand safety. This will facilitate and boost our communications with media owners to increase the quality of inventory for our clients. I am extremely proud of the teams in Artemis Alliance who have formalised a systematic approach to challenging industry practices so that we can help to provide better business solutions for our clients and media partners.” 

     

    Leveraging its extensive experience in handling event level data, Artemis Alliance collects detailed and raw data from all of its technology partners (Adledge, Catchpoint, ClarityAd, Hub’Scan, WhiteOps, Integral Ad Science and Peer39/Sizmek). That data, at its most granular level, is used to analyse and score the quality of the media inventory by industry, by market and by media owner.

                

    Havas Media Group EVP Media Futures & Innovation Rob Griffin summarised, “This is a win-win deal. We can now pull in data from across all screens, technology companies and media partners to provide the first external, objective review of outcomes across the five critical areas of Compliance, Experience, Impact, Context and Traffic.  While we can’t guarantee 100 per cent viewability or zero fraud, we can make a commitment to our clients and our publishers to improve the quality of inventory available and make the information clear and easy to activate. The ultimate win, therefore, will be for clients, who will benefit from smarter solutions and cleaner data to drive investments and business decisions.”

     

    With the help of extensively researched data, the Meta Quality Barometer covers five main areas:

     

    1. Compliance: Matching impressions against purchased media

     

    Artemis Alliance rates media owners’ compliance with campaign directives: promise (purchased versus delivered media) and technical qualifications (specifications and requirements).  Artemis Alliance constantly audits both tagging systems (with partner Hub’Scan) and creative work provided for each campaign (with partner ClarityAd).

     

    2. Experience: User experience 

     

    Artemis Alliance takes into account user experience and user interaction with campaign messages, in particular how long it takes for pages and ads to load for users (with partner Catchpoint), as well as where the ads are located on the page.

     

    3. Impact: Viewability and performance auditing

     

    Artemis Alliance can correlate performance (in particular in terms of audience) and viewability of media campaigns, to gauge their impact, through automatic and personalized tracking for each advertiser and for each action. 

     

    4. Context: Media content and brand safety

     

    Brand safety services are codes inserted in campaign tags, which allow Artemis Alliance to protect a brand’s image, quantify the number of blocked impressions (undesirable context), and identify the context where these impressions were delivered (with partners Adledge, Peer39). 

     

    5. Traffic: Securing campaign distribution

     

    To combat the rise of illegitimate Internet traffic worldwide, Artemis Alliance provides teams with both manual and technological solutions. Media teams identify and blacklist all suspect URLs based on abnormal click-rates, coded URLs and pages without ads. Artemis Alliance also works with several anti-fraud technology solutions to better protect our campaign results (with partners Adledge, Peer39, Integral Ad Science, White Ops, etc).

  • RIP Mike Khanna: Ad man bids adieu forever

    RIP Mike Khanna: Ad man bids adieu forever

    MUMBAI: Indian ad fraternity’s father figure Mahinder K. Khanna familiar as Mike Khanna, who captained the titanic transition of Hindustan Thomson Associates (HTA) into J Walter Thomson (JWT) breathed his last on 7 June, 2015 at the age 76. Khanna had been unwell for some time.

     

    The entire business fraternity will speak highly about the numbers that he managed to secured as a leader of HTA first in Delhi and then in Mumbai but his achievements are way beyond those numbers. 

     

    Defining Khanna’s persona, HTA former national creative director Ivan Arthur writes, “And those who do not know him will have visions of a man like some others with similar achievements, men who draw attention to their success with big flourishes of the corporate wand and the abracadabra of individual style. With Mike there were no flourishes; no conjurer’s patter, no abracadabra showmanship. He almost seemed like a novice with a pack of cards, slowly dealing them out, stopping to spit-wet his fingers when suddenly you would notice: he has dealt you an ace. And then another and another. You looked in awe. And there he was, unimpressed with his own magic, intent on just dealing you those aces.”

     

    Arthur further adds in his blog, “A creative director will tell you how, on the occasion of the global CEO’s visit, her presentation was delayed by an hour, and how Mike went up to her, put his hand on her shoulder and said, Relax. This is not the end of the world. I could have kissed him then, she said. But I went about getting the job done. An office manager narrates how on his wife’s birthday, he had invited Mike home for dinner, at which he demonstrated the five-finger-and-palm bhangra clap.”

     

    In 2005 Khanna decided to hang up his professional boots and was replaced by Colvyn Harris as JWT India’s CEO. In January 2015, following Harris’ appointment as executive director for global growth and client development Tarun Rai was handed over the post of CEO of J. Walter Thompson South Asia.

     

    Under Khanna’s leadership, HTA represented some of India’s biggest brands like Hero, Pepsi, several Unilever brands, and Air India.

     

    “The freedom to try and fail. A strong sense of self-worth, fairness, integrity, leadership, challenge, A sense of fun. Aces that they hold close to their chest. Aces that have led them to where they are today. Many are now happily retired and a good number are CEOs, chairmen of companies and leaders in their fields. They are all of them echoing one line, I am what I am today because of Mike,” concludes Arthur.

     

    We at Indiantelevision.com deeply mourn the passing away of this maverick ad man. RIP Mike Khanna (1939 – 2015).

     

  • Titan’s Celestial Time campaign features actor Raj Kumar Rao

    Titan’s Celestial Time campaign features actor Raj Kumar Rao

    MUMBAI: Titan Company’s new moon phase watches – Celestial Time – will see versatile actor Raj Kumar Rao featuring in the ad campaign.

     

    Titan Company watches and accessories CEO H G Raghunath along with Rao unveiled the collection.

     

    The ad shows Rao as a young, successful entrepreneur meeting his ex-boss. Through their conversation, we learn of the young entrepreneur’s success streak and that he is looking for a CEO for his company. The young entrepreneur says he has someone in mind but is unsure of how to make an offer for the post. His ex-boss says it’s no big deal; all he has to do is go up to the person and say, “You’re the guy for the job.”

     

    The young man looks down at his treasured Titan Celestial Time watch and gathers the confidence to look at his ex-boss and tell him – “You’re the guy for the job,” taking the senior gentleman by surprise. The film ends with a splendid shot of the Celestial Time watch and a resounding message: Your time has come.

     

    Remarking on the thought behind the commercial, Titan Company general manager – Titan Rajan Amba says, “The new ad immediately strikes the core idea behind Titan’s new range of moon phase watches. It is carved for young men in their twenties, who dare to be creative and start their own business, who raise multi million dollar funds through their start ups. This watch embodies that spirits and the Rajkumar’s character in the ad film is the representative of these young CEOs and entrepreneurs.”

     

    According to Amba, the total spends on the ad campaign was around Rs 10 – 13 crore.

     

    Conceptualised by Ogilvy and Mather, the 70 second ad was directed by Vivek Kakkar, a close friend of Rao under the production house Curios.

     

    “India is home to a rapidly growing number of entrepreneurs.  We wanted to weave this in a story that would reflect the values of the brand in a very honest, charming and an intimate way,” says Ogilvy and Mather Bangalore executive creative director Steve Hough, reiterating Amba’s words.

     

    With a price ranging between Rs 12,000 – 14,000, Celestial Time is expected to be crucial to Titan plan of premiumisation of the brand. Powered by Titan’s state of the art technology in coming up with their own patent of moon phase dial, the watch didn’t fail to live up to the ad campaign’s hype.

  • JWT acquires minority stake in Turkey’s Wanda Digital

    JWT acquires minority stake in Turkey’s Wanda Digital

    MUMBAI: J. Walter Thompson Company has acquired a minority stake in Turkish digital agency Wanda Digital.

     

    Founded in 2006 and employing 80 people in Istanbul, Wanda’s clients include Turkcell, L’Oreal, Nestle and Unilever.

     

    Wanda offers a range of services including campaigns, social media, platform development and games and apps.

     

    The agency’s unaudited net sales for the year ended 31 December, 2014 were approximately $ 3.4 million, with gross assets at the same date of approximately $ 2.3 million.

     

    Following the transaction, Wanda and J. Walter Thompson’s local office, Manajans J Walter Thompson Turkey, will operate independently, but jointly invest in new technology and innovative projects.

     

    Since 2010, Manajans J. Walter Thompson Turkey has tripled its revenues and won over 40 awards including the “Global Smarties” in 2014.

     

    Turkey is one of the Next 11 growth economies where WPP companies (including associates) generate revenues of over $1 billion and employ over 10,000 people. In Turkey itself, WPP companies (including associates) generate revenues of around $120 million and employ approximately 1,300 people.

  • WPP’s Xaxis launches Light Reaction

    WPP’s Xaxis launches Light Reaction

    MUMBAI: WPP’s programmatic media and technology platform Xaxis has formally launched Light Reaction, a new mobile-first performance advertising business with an innovative outcomes-based, pay-for-performance media model.

     

    Light Reaction’s performance model is designed to combine scientific insight into how audiences perceive, relate and react to advertising with the data resources and scale of Xaxis to deliver highly accountable results for global brands. At launch, Light Reaction will be available in 20 markets across North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

     

    Light Reaction’s response-oriented methodology and model is designed to maximize the volume of outcomes a brand is able to achieve. In an engagement with German retailer Walbusch, Light Reaction was tasked with the specific outcome of driving new customer sales. Utilizing real-time creative optimization, Light Reaction’s campaign increased new customer sales by 17 per cent, while decreasing new customer acquisition costs by eight per cent. Walbusch utilized Light Reaction’s pay-for-performance model and only paid for directly attributed new customer sales.

     

    Light Reaction’s performance marketing platform leverages the mobile-first technology of recent Xaxis acquisition ActionX, a leader in mobile app and cross-screen advertising; the programmatic capabilities of the QuismaX performance products previously provided by GroupM’s QUISMA; and Turbine, Xaxis’ proprietary data management platform, which provides real-time audience segmentation and modelling capabilities. Advertisers will have the opportunity to pair Light Reaction outcome-focused media products alongside Xaxis audience products.

     

    Xaxis executive vice president, general manager, performance marketing Paul Dolan will head Light Reaction as general manager.

     

    “Light Reaction makes it easy for global advertisers to garner the outcomes they want with zero upfront risk and unparalleled capability to scale results across multiple channels. We’ve developed a model for performance marketing that allows brands to meet precise objectives of customer response while drawing a direct line between ads and results,” said Dolan.

     

    In addition to leveraging robust audience data, high-performing media inventory and real-time programmatic technologies, Light Reaction is developing tools that tap the emerging field of perceptual science to help advertisers stand out amidst the crowded digital real-estate of consumers’ mobile devices. This understanding of the perceptual pathway by which audiences process and respond to dynamic creative will enhance Light Reaction’s ability to maximize desired outcomes under the broadest possible set of conditions. While Light Reaction’s mobile-first approach reflects the ever-increasing prominence of mobile, its products are channel agnostic. Advertisers can run coordinated campaigns across multiple channels to capture outcomes wherever they may be.

     

    “Mobile is the only digital media channel that’s essentially always-on, making it a huge target for global advertisers. With Light Reaction we’re arming clients to cut the through the clutter of the space with a platform that takes performance marketing to a new level of customization and accountability, particularly in driving outcomes via mobile devices,” said Xaxis global CEO Brian Lesser.

  • O&M bags 17 awards at 47th Annual Effie Awards

    O&M bags 17 awards at 47th Annual Effie Awards

    MUMBAI: Ogilvy & Mather was recognized with top accolades as both O&M North America and the New York office were recognized as the most effective individual office and agency network of the year in their respective categories.

    This is the third consecutive year the New York office received top honors on behalf of all creative agencies and the fourth year for the network as a whole. WPP was also recognized as the most effective holding company.

    In total, the O&M network won 17 awards across categories including two Gold, nine Silver and six Bronze Effies for noteworthy work on behalf of clients such as IBM, British Airways, IHG, Nestlé, Kimberly-Clark and Caterpillar.

    “This honor reinforces the fact that there is a powerful correlation between innovative creative thinking and overall effectiveness. By understanding what people value most at different moments in their lives, we continue to deliver the best for our clients – by creating campaigns that drive true business results,” said Ogilvy & Mather worldwide head of planning Colin Mitchell.

    IBM was awarded with a total of seven Effies for work with the agency and was named the most effective brand. It was also recognized as the second most effective marketer in North America. Kimberly-Clark was recognized as the third most effective marketer in North America.

    “At Ogilvy, we exist to ‘Make Brands Matter.’ It is through the discipline of that mission that we can deliver not just exceptionally creative work for our clients, but work that drives business results and growth. I could not be prouder of what we’ve accomplished at the Effies for the past three years in New York,” said Ogilvy & Mather New York CEO Lou Aversano.

    The awards, which recognize the most effective marketing communications cases and agencies in the United States and Canada, are based on the analysis of the North America Effie Awards finalist and winner data from the past year.

    “To continue to receive such high recognition by such a prestigious award is an honor. It speaks to the volume of talented individuals that live within our network and the innovative and creative efforts we’ve proven to deliver to our clients over and over again. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to help them build their brands and are excited to share this honor with each of them,” added Ogilvy & Mather North America chairman and CEO John Seifert.

  • R. Seshasayee named non-executive chairman of Infosys Board

    R. Seshasayee named non-executive chairman of Infosys Board

    NEW DELHI: R Seshasayee has been appointed as the non-executive chairman of the Infosys Board with immediate effect.

     

    The Board approved his name in a meeting held earlier in the day in Bangalore.

     

    On the other hand, K V Kamath is stepping down from his position as chairman of the Board and as an independent director of the company, consequent to his nomination as president of the BRICS New Development Bank.

     

    Seshasayee has been an independent director on the company’s Board since January 2011 and is the chairperson of the Audit Committee. Seshasayee’s other board positions include non-executive vice chairman of Ashok Leyland and chairman of IndusInd Bank.

     

    Kamath said, “I am proud to have served as a member of the Infosys Board and as its chairman. The Board has made the most appropriate choice in nominating Seshasayee as my successor, given his vast and varied experience in leading large public companies, and his strong contribution to Infosys, during the last four years of his association. Infosys will benefit greatly from his sagacity.”

     

    Seshasayee added, “Infosys is an iconic company and I am thankful to Mr. Kamath and the Board for entrusting me with this privilege. In order to devote requisite time and attention to this responsibility, it is my intention to substantially disengage from my other current responsibilities in due course. I look forward to working even more closely with the Infosys Board and management team as we navigate this period of transformation for the company.”

     

    “On behalf of all Infoscions, I would like to thank Mr. Kamath for his extraordinary contribution to Infosys over the years and wish him the very best. He has been a great mentor to me personally and I look forward to his continued guidance as a well-wisher of this company. I warmly welcome Mr. Seshasayee’s appointment as chairman. We have a lot to do and I am excited to work with him to accelerate our plans for the future,” said Infosys CEO and MD Vishal Sikka.

  • YRF partners FreeCultr’s digital platform to offer branded merchandise

    YRF partners FreeCultr’s digital platform to offer branded merchandise

    MUMBAI: With an aim to offer its branded clothes to a wider audience, Yash Raj Films has partnered with lifestyle digital platform FreeCultr Express.

     

    FreeCultr Express is a crowd-sourced design platform that allows anyone to create and sell t-shirts through their very own personalized tee-store featuring original and authentic digital content. With this partnership, now YRF branded tees will be available on FreeCultr Express.

     

    The online tee store goes live on 5 June, 2015 and fans can buy merchandise from YRF movies across genres.

     

    Yash Raj Films vice president marketing and merchandising Manan Mehta said, “Our audience loves the movies we make and our attempt as YRF Merchandise is always to give them a complete experience of brand YRF. For the audience, T-shirts are an extension of their personalities and these designs mean different things to different people – to some it’s a work of satire, and to others it’s a tribute, and for some it is their way to hold on to a piece of movie that they can take home. And in FreeCultr, we have found that right partner and platform to reach out to our audience and serve them better.”

     

    FreeCultr CEO and co-founder Sandeep Singh added, “We at FreeCultr are thrilled to bring to our customers an opportunity to re-live the favourite moments. Bollywood in India has always been larger than life and now FreeCultr through its platform – FreeCultr Express, is offering the fans to wear this attitude. We are honoured to have a prestigious brand like Yash Raj Films coming on board with us!”

     

    The YRF Store will feature some of the most popular screenshots, characters and dialogues on tees across eras and genres. From Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge and Dil Toh Pagal Hai to recent films like Dhoom 3, these tees have everything that resonates with GenX.

     

    The T-shirts will be available at http://www.freecultr.com/store/yrfstore and have designs for both men and women. They come under two variants – the casual wear and the active wear. 

  • ZenithOptimedia names Gareth Mulryan CEO for Southeast Asia

    ZenithOptimedia names Gareth Mulryan CEO for Southeast Asia

    MUMBAI: ZenithOptimedia has promoted Gareth Mulryan as the CEO of Southeast Asia.

     

    Mulryan was until recently ZenithOptimedia head of digital for Asia Pacific.

     

    In this newly-created role, Mulryan will work closely with ZenithOptimedia APAC chairman Gerry Boyle, and the local market leaders to further develop ZenithOptimedia’s communications offering across the Southeast Asia region.

     

    Mulryan will use his digital experience to transform and grow these markets over the coming years.  He will be responsible of integrating digital specialists within market and will work closely with local and regional publishers and technology partners to create innovative solutions for clients. 

     

    He will also work with ZenithOptimedia corporate development director Felix Cartoux to build the agency’s business in Southeast Asia through external growth opportunities on a local market basis.

     

    Mulryan has been part of the ZenithOptimedia family for more than 10 years and has spent the last seven years in Asia. As well as leading ZenithOptimedia’s digital offering, he has been instrumental in the set-up of ZenithOptimedia’s performance arm, Performics across Asia Pacific.

     

    Over the last four years the Performics brand has grown significantly and now has 12 offices in the region with more than 300 members of staff. Mulryanwill continue to support in the growth of Performics in the role of managing partner, Asia Pacific.

     

    Boyle said, “Gareth has done a simply brilliant job in building Performics across Asia. All our markets in SEA are in transformational mode, and Gareth’s digital nous and unswerving client focus will help our market leaders to deliver new solutions and success for our clients.”

     

    Mulryan added, “We have done a great job in transforming our product and talent in China, India and Singapore. Now is the time for us to build on these best practices, and I look forward to working with the local Southeast Asia leaders to shift to a smarter and more contemporary communications agency in the region, to provide the best possible value to our clients.”