ITV

Category: Media and Advertising

  • Avian Media further strengthens leadership team in Mumbai

    Avian Media further strengthens leadership team in Mumbai

    MUMBAI: With an aim to further strengthen its consumer practice in Mumbai, Avian Media has appointed Shalmana Tendulkar as Group Business Director, Consumer practice.

     

    Shalmana brings wealth of knowledge and domain experience of over 17 years. Having worked as an independent consultant and with agencies, Shalmana has in-depth knowledge of the media and broadcast industry having consulted general entertainment channels (GEC), news channels, radio channels, as well as niche channels in the action, movie, music and kids genre. Shalmana has also led publicity of feature films and managed celebrity brands.

     

    Over the years, Shalmana has also worked on consumer brands, having handled campaigns for large FMCG companies like HUL, Kellogg’s and Colgate. Adding to her dynamic portfolio, Shalmana has a number of special events like the tours of Def Leppard, Ricky Martin and Elton John to her credit.

     

    Nitin Mantri, CEO, Avian Media, said: “We are very pleased to have Shalmana join our growing Mumbai office. With her vast experience and expertise, we hope to boost the capability of our already successful consumer practice. Over the years, while working with some of the leading consumer brands, we have built the right talent and expertise to deliver successful PR campaigns for our clients. Under Shalmana’s tutelage, we will continue to accelerate this growth and deliver impactful campaigns for our clients.”

     

    Commenting on the appointment, Shalmana Tendulkar, said, “I am really excited to be a part of Avian Media and its talented team that has a proven track record of delivering successful PR campaigns and servicing standards. Avian Media is currently well positioned to write a new chapter in the growth story and I look forward to contribute to the augmentation of the firm by expanding the Consumer practice offerings.”

     

    In her role as the Group Business Director of the consumer practice at Mumbai office of Avian Media, Shalmana will bring in a renewed focus and direction to the existing client campaigns, harnessing the in-house talent and growing client base in the vertical.

  • Isobar’s Graham Kelly to judge Adfest 2014

    Isobar’s Graham Kelly to judge Adfest 2014

    BANGKOK: Creative leader and entrepreneur Graham Kelly is joining next year’s festival as Jury President of Interactive Lotus and Mobile Lotus.

     

    Kelly is Regional Executive Creative Director at Isobar Asia Pacific, based in Singapore, where he oversees the creative output of 21 offices across 13 markets. Kelly also sits on Isobar’s regional team, working on key multinational accounts and new business development.

     

    “I’m delighted to be joining ADFEST this year. Asia is renowned for ground breaking digital work. Moreover it’s the world’s most dynamic mobile market.  So I’m looking forward to seeing some outstanding creative this year,” says Kelly.

     

    Kelly has been Executive Creative Director (ECD) and Regional ECD at some of the world’s leading advertising agencies including Saatchi & Saatchi, Ogilvy, Leo Burnett, BBH and TBWA. He moved to Asia in 1991.

     

    In August 2010, he co-founded GKIM Pte Ltd, a digital ideas start-up that works with agencies, brands and inventors. The company’s 3D colouring app, ‘Color the World’ has earned plaudits and extensive media coverage.

     

    While launching GKIM, Kelly also worked as National ECD for OgilvyOne India until November 2012, joining Isobar as Regional Executive Creative Director, Asia Pacific, six months later.

     

    Kelly’s work has won awards at the world’s most prestigious advertising shows, and he has judged almost every major local show across Asia.  He is also a regular speaker at key advertising events. His most recent speeches have centred on how to use digital – in particular, social media – more creatively.

     

    “Graham’s experience transcends the traditional and digital world, which will hold him in good stead as Jury President of the Interactive and Mobile Lotus categories at ADFEST,” says ADFEST President Jimmy Lam.

  • Awards shouldn’t be taken very seriously: R Balki

    Awards shouldn’t be taken very seriously: R Balki

    MUMBAI: A leader is said to be the one who takes criticism in his stride and recognition is the last thing on his mind. We wonder if this is the driving thought of filmmaker and the chairman and chief creative officer of the ad agency Lowe Lintas & Partners R Balki?

     

    At the recently concluded Effie Awards conducted by the Advertising Club, Lowe Lintas walked away with the Agency of the Year honour as it bagged six gold, five silver and five bronze metals at the award ceremony. But the man, who is the driving force behind the stupendous work, proclaims that awards have never been in his priority list.

     

    In fact, most of the award shows of the advertising world have in any way not earned the required respect from the ad fraternity. While some have been shunned by most of the advertisers, some have not even been noticed. And some agencies have started their own award shows in order to bring in quality, for instance Lowe Lintas’ True Show or Ogilvy and Mathers’ Envies.

     

    Unlike the showbiz that’s full of award functions and celebrities gracing them as well, the award shows of the ad world are a low key affair attended by few and the number of participants being even fewer. And if in such a scenario, an award function manages to bring almost the entire fraternity together, it certainly means something. The 13th edition of Effie received a great response with almost every agency gracing the event.

     

    Lowe Lintas led the Effies leaving Ogilvy & Mather behind by 35 points, but the winning companies’ boss still stood by his belief that these functions are about partying and winning and losing doesn’t really matter. Indiantelevision.com probed Balki a little more to get an insight after his agency’s grand victory. Excerpts:

     

    On a personal level, you have been very vocal about what awards (don’t) mean to you! So what do you and your team have to say about winning the Effie?

     

    It is not about winning or losing but an evening of celebration. Effies have always been a constant part of the industry and we have always participated in it. It is a democratic agency where many feel that we should enter the agency and not others. So we enter in the shows where the team as a whole wants to participate.

     

    So if you win, you party with a lot of noise and if you don’t win then you should party without making a big noise. I think winning and losing is a part of the game and I don’t think awards should be taken so seriously. It’s not a death and life scenario at all; it is not that if one wins an award we are better or otherwise. I believe that it is the work that speaks and it could be good or bad without winning an award.

     

    Awards are not important but if the team feels that they want to participate in a certain award then they are free to do so. The team right now felt that it should participate in the Effies and so we went ahead and did. Tomorrow, if the team feels that it doesn’t want to participate in any award then we will not. It all depends on the team.

     

    Anything you would like to change about Indian advertising awards?

     

    One hundred per cent we would like to initiate an award where advertising should be just the way it is. It can neither be all about effectivity nor creativity. I think creativity is to make things better and sometimes it is not about making it better. Sometimes great ideas also don’t work. It cannot be just about effectiveness or blind creativity. There is a way to judge advertising ads. It is funny that an industry which creates so many ads and brands hasn’t been able to create an awesome award function for itself.

     

    Whom do you see as your main competitor especially during award shows?

     

    We don’t believe in award shows so we don’t believe in competitors. There are a lot of good agencies; O&M is a great agency which is during great work. There are few others as well but two agencies which are doing some great work are O&M and Lintas.

     

    Which would be the one award which you would like to hold in your hands? Since you have dabbled in films it can be a film award too?

     

    Since I don’t believe in them, I guess I will have to think hard before I say that. Right now, I don’t know if there’s an award that exists that really catches my fancy.

  • The Mumbai Marathon lures media professionals

    The Mumbai Marathon lures media professionals

    MUMBAI: The 2014 edition of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon drew media professionals like a fish to water. A  whole bunch of executive right from broadcast to media agencies to marketers to advertising professionals donned their sports shoes, and pinned their numbers to their T-shirts, and pounded the streets as they joined 40,000 other runners to test either the Dream Run, the half marathon or the entire distance.

     

    Among those who woke themselves early on 19 January included: Meenakshi Menon (she and 10 others ran for an NGO Vanashakti), Suki Dusanj, Times Television Network CEO Sunil Lulla, former Indiagames CEO Vishal Gondal, Mindshare’s Jai Lala, Vizeum India head S. Yesudas, Sahara group’s Kailashnath Koppikar, Sapna Bhavnani, MindShare’s Rajit Desai, Sony Entertainment’s Deep Drona, Star India’s  Kevin Vaz, Lashmi Narasimham, Bharat Kapadia, Mindshare’s Amin Lakhani, Paritosh Joshi, HDFC Life’s marketing head Sanjay Tripathy, CNBC TV18 marketing head Suranjana Ghosh Aikara.

     

    Some of them ran for charity; some to challenge themselves. Their facebook accounts and twitter posts were replete  with their individual experiences and how they bettered their previous best times. Or how they braved aches and pains to complete the course they had set for themselves.

     

    Rajit Desai completed his first half marathon in 2 hours 47 minutes, a feat which he felt was not spectacular, but “satisfying for a debut.” Jain Lala wore the number 34377 on his jersey and had all his colleagues and friends going ga-ga over him. Sony’s Deep Drona ran his half marathon in 2 hours 4 minutes and 9 seconds. Said he: “Bettered last year by 2 mins. Great result compared to the work put in this year.”

     

    Viacom18 Pictures Ajit Andhare ran with his friends from the times of his GE days and also to promote the studios upcoming Abhay Deol film. Yesudas hit the  asphalt for the half marathon, adding to the tally of long distance races he has participated in. Entertainment Network India Ltd (ENIL – Radio Mirchi) CEO Prashant Panday completed his half marathon in 1 hour 53 minutes, which is by all standards a good time for a non-professional runner.

     

    Media industry veteran and now marketing consultant Bharat Kapadia says he ran his seventh consecutive half marathon and completed it in 2 hours 17 minutes.

    Viacom18 Media group CEO Sudhanshu Vats, on his part, ran the full marathon in a classy time of just under four hours. 

    Times TV’s Sunil Lulla did well too. Said he: ” Mumbai Half Marathon, 2014. My first and I am grateful to complete it in. 1 hr: 54 mins: 29 sec , ranking 650 overall and 78 in Veteran. I pledged a healthy sum of money to CMCA, and am glad I could deliver on my promise. Thank You.”

     

  • Effie Awards: It’s a honey-bunny win for Lowe Lintas

    Effie Awards: It’s a honey-bunny win for Lowe Lintas

    MUMBAI: It was a night of many firsts for the Effie Awards, 2013. The Awards, organised by the Ad Club, that honours the advertising agencies and the clients just didn’t get the highest number of entries this time – which rose up to 415 from last year’s 315, it was also webcast live on the Advertising Club website while the award ceremony was in progress on Friday night.

     

    Moreover, the year also witnessed the highest number of attendees at the event with more than 12,000 passes sold. Plus, two new categories – Effie for Good and Effie for Experiential Marketing – were added this year.

     

    Lowe Lintas & Partners and Ogilvy & Mather that were leading the list of the shortlisted case studies with 51 and 31 shortlisted entries respectively, were in for a close competition at the award ceremony. While the former took home the Agency of the Year Award for the second time (earlier one being in 2006), the men in black – Ogilvy & Mather – bagged the Grand Effie to stand at the second position.

     

    Lowe Lintas bagged 16 awards in total including six Gold to lead the chart with 160 points for clients including Idea (Honey Bunny, Telephone Exchange), Lifebuoy (Help a child reach five), Tanishq (Tanishq and Sridevi – Coming Back Home), Hindustan Unilever (Kissan 100 per cent natural seeded).

     

    O&M also managed 130 points and three Gold Effies for clients including Vodafone (Made for you, Earmuffs) and Bournvita (Aadat).

     

    Lowe Lintas’ chairman and chief creative officer R Balki along with his team couldn’t stop smiling after the grand victory. The agency that is not really known for participating in award shows looked delighted with its performance. “My team is happy and they are here to party,” says Balki as he remarks that he personally doesn’t believe in awards and it is his teams’ happiness and hard work that matters to him the most.

     

    And though the men in black lagged behind with few points, their enthusiasm at the ceremony was infectious. The close competition with the rivals and the hunger to do better is what keeps the industry motivated year after year, thinks O&M’s executive chairman and creative director Piyush Pandey. “For a long time now, there hasn’t been a close fight and I wish Lowe Lintas the very best. It is their night tonight,” he says.

     

    However, the third spot in the list of winners was taken by McCann Erikson that bagged one gold and 60 points. The Gold came in for Coca Cola (how Coca Cola won the battle for Indian teens).

     

    And it was Hindustan Unilever (HUL) that was credited with the Client of the Year award. HUL executive editor, home and personal care was happy to have won the award, he says, “These awards are about industry recognition and effectiveness.”

     

    The nip in the air didn’t bother the ad world much as they all came in to become a witness to the grand ceremony that was opened by MC Brian Tellis. Pratap Bose took the stage for the first time after official taking the charge of the Ad Club as the president and proclaimed that the country has some of the best advertisements/campaigns in the Asia Pacific. “The quality of our work is only improving with every coming year and we have only bettered our standards set last year,” Bose remarked in his opening speech.

     

    However, this year, few categories didn’t see a Silver or Gold Effie being handed over. All India Bakchod’s Rohan Joshi didn’t take much time to take a pot shot at the situation by sharing a joke on Hussain Bolt coming third even when nobody claimed the second or first position!

     

    But still the event ended on a “high” note with lots of fireworks to celebrate the victory as the attendees whispered that the Lintas’ win was well-deserved.

  • Vidyadhar Khatavkar joins Gaian Solutions as COO-Maya Platform

    Vidyadhar Khatavkar joins Gaian Solutions as COO-Maya Platform

    BENGALURU: Former Raj TV group COO Vidyadhar Khatavkar has joined Gaian Solutions India as Chief Operating Officer – Maya Platform. He will be reporting to Gaian president and CEO Chandra Kotaru and will be based out of Mumbai.

     

    Khatavkar will be driving growth of Maya Platform. The Maya platform for Satellite TV Channels offers a localisation technology that has potential to increase Television Broadcaster revenues multi folds, says the company.

     

    Khatavkar says, “Indian TV Broadcast industry is at crucial stage where it is facing quite a few challenges. However, it is poised to leap towards next growth cycle and the process of digitisation is one such steps and technology will be playing the role of ‘driver’ in this growth. Maya Platform is such a breakthrough technology and product, which has potential to change the Indian television market scenario.”

     

    Gaian is a Seven year old Media Technology and Services company headquartered in Silicon Valley, San Jose, USA with satellite R&D development centers in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam in India and Shenzhen in China. 

     

    Khatavkar has spent over 23 years in the industry. Khatavkar has been associated with the Zee Network for 13 years. He was part of the core team that launched the Zee Alpha channels. He was also the national sales head for all the regional channels at Zee from 2000-2002. Till 2005, he was business head, Zee Gujarati; and his last assignment with Zee was as senior vice-president – sales, Zee Sports. In May 2006, he departed from the Zee umbrella to join B4U, where he spent two years.

     

    After Zee, Khatavkar was Senior Vice President of Cellcast Interactive overlooking media strategy, acquisition, consumer research, airtime sales and sponsorships. He later joined the Raj TV Network as Group COO, where he worked for about two years.

  • Cohn & Wolfe welcomes Doug Buemi as Asia Pacific, Regional Director

    Cohn & Wolfe welcomes Doug Buemi as Asia Pacific, Regional Director

    MUMBAI: Cohn & Wolfe, a leading global communications agency, today announced the appointment of Doug Buemi as Vice Chairman, Regional Director, Asia Pacific.  Buemi is a Cohn & Wolfe alumnus who established the agency’s presence in China in 2006 with the opening of its Shanghai office.  He also held several other leadership positions at Cohn & Wolfe including Vice Chairman, Los Angeles market leader and Western Region CEO.

     

    In this newly created global leadership position, Buemi will have management oversight of the Asia-Pacific region, working closely with regional market leaders to help grow the agency’s business, build capabilities and develop talent.  Doug will also advise on global strategy and partner with Donna Imperato, Cohn & Wolfe CEO, to expand the agency’s presence in the region.

     

    Buemi joins Cohn & Wolfe from Ogilvy Public Relations, where he was Regional Executive Advisor, Asia Pacific.  At Ogilvy he continued his long-time leadership role in Ford’s Asia Pacific region and provided counsel and training for a range of top companies such as GlaxoSmithKline, Janssen-Cilag, Tesco Lotus and DuPont.  His responsibilities also included new business development and worldwide employee training, coaching and mentoring initiatives.  Buemi served as interim Chairman for the agency’s India and Thailand offices, and handled special initiatives in Indonesia, Vietnam and Myanmar.  Prior to Ogilvy, Buemi worked at Burson Marsteller, where he was executive vice president, a member of the worldwide board and Western Region Operations Manager.  He also owned and operated his own marketing communications firm for many years.

     

    “I couldn’t be happier to welcome Doug back.  He is a proven leader who understands the Cohn & Wolfe culture, and who brings deep brand marketing expertise and decades of experience counseling clients on complex business challenges,” said Imperato.  “Doug also recognizes what it takes to be successful in the Asia Pacific region, having established numerous winning ventures there for Cohn & Wolfe and other companies.”

     

    “It’s really great to be back helping Cohn & Wolfe continue its remarkable growth in Asia Pacific and expand its offerings elsewhere,” said Buemi.  “I’m delighted to be working with Donna, the Cohn & Wolfe account teams and clients to capture even more success in the world’s fastest growing markets.”

  • AT&T and ‘American Idol’ part ways

    AT&T and ‘American Idol’ part ways

    MUMBAI: Judges have come and gone, but what had remained consistent about Fox’s American Idol apart from host Ryan Seacrest, are the sponsors.

     

    However, in a new development AT&T which has been the sponsor for the reality show for its last 12 editions has finally decided to part ways. The American telecom giant has earlier been quoted as saying that the show is a powerful platform that allows it to connect with its customers directly.

     

    However, it seems the show’s declining ratings has adversely affected the relationship between the two. As per the Nielsen data, reported in American dailies, the average audience size for Idol has dropped by 9.9 million viewers over the past three seasons, from 23.1 million in 2011 to 13.2 million last year.

     

    The other sponsors – Coke and Ford – are still associated with the show, the 13th edition of which went on air on 15 January.