ITV

Category: Media and Advertising

  • Clicks and trips go hand in hand as travel ads chart new routes

    Clicks and trips go hand in hand as travel ads chart new routes

    MUMBAI: When it comes to travel, Indians aren’t just packing bags, they’re packing pixels. In a year when revenge tourism fuelled wanderlust and digital-first habits reshaped holiday planning, Excellent Publicity’s latest report captures a sector that’s going places literally and virtually. Based on over 30,000 campaigns and TAM Media insights, the 2024 Travel & Tourism Advertising Landscape offers a fascinating peek into how brands sold dreams of getaways to a nation ready to escape.

    Total ad spends in the sector rose by 28 per cent in 2024, with digital commanding a staggering 78 per cent of that pie. Video platforms like YouTube and Instagram accounted for over 62 per cent of these digital spends, thanks to their scroll-stopping visuals and seamless influencer integration. The age of the static banner, it seems, is on a one-way trip to oblivion.

    It’s not just metros that are dreaming big 35 per cent of digital ad impressions came from Tier II and III cities, marking a shift in aspiration and affordability. Goibibo, Redbus, and Yatra rode this wave with vernacular campaigns, cashback offers, and destination-led storytelling.

    Short-form videos emerged as the MVP of campaign visibility, with influencer-led Reels and Youtube Shorts growing 45 per cent year-on-year. Micro and mid-tier creators proved to be the hidden gems of the media mix, converting eyeballs into bookings with hacks, hauls, and heartfelt narratives.

    Despite digital’s dominance, traditional formats still held ground. Television retained a 12 per cent share, proving useful in prime-time slots and regional infotainment, especially for family-oriented travel brands. Print (3 per cent) was used for tactical bursts like seasonal guides, while OOH (6 per cent) stayed visible near airports and high-footfall spots. Radio, though a modest 1 per cent of the mix, was used smartly around long weekends and festive peaks.

    Ad activity spiked during April-June (summer holidays) and again from October to December (festive breaks and destination weddings). Destinations like Ladakh, Rishikesh, Udaipur, and Bali drew big bucks from brands focused on adventure, wellness, and cultural experiences.

    Top spenders included Makemytrip, Easemytrip, Club Mahindra, Agoda, Thomas Cook, and Air India together accounting for over 33 per cent of the total digital travel ad budget. Campaigns ranged from AR-powered itinerary planning to influencer-hosted travelogues and loyalty program launches.

    Emotional hooks also proved effective, with storytelling leaning into themes of nostalgia (“first trip post-COVID”) and purpose (“make memories, not plans”). There was a noticeable pivot to experiential travel, with brands showcasing offbeat stays, cultural immersions, and eco-conscious itineraries.

    “The media mix is evolving, but the message remains timeless: travel is emotional,” said Excellent Publicity co-founder & director, Vaishal Dalal. “The brands winning today are those combining data-led precision with creative ambition making the journey to booking feel as exciting as the journey itself.”

    As Gen Z and millennials continue to shape spending habits, travel brands will need to mix immersive formats, voice AI, sustainability and hyper-personalisation to stay relevant and stay booked. Because in 2024, even holidays needed good content.

  • Ogilvy India rolls out consulting arm, Neeraj Bassi returns to lead the charge

    Ogilvy India rolls out consulting arm, Neeraj Bassi returns to lead the charge

    MUMBAI: Ogilvy India has officially launched Ogilvy Consulting in the country, with seasoned brand whisperer Neeraj Bassi stepping in as head of the India practice. Based out of the Gurugram office, Bassi will also double up as head of strategic planning for Ogilvy India (North).

    Globally, Ogilvy Consulting is all about cracking the holy trinity of modern business challenges — growth & innovation, business design, and digital transformation. It ropes in Ogilvy’s best across brand strategy, customer engagement, commerce, PR, partnerships and influence, bundling them into one potent, integrated offer.

    For Bassi, this isn’t just a gig — it’s a return to base. Having last served as president – strategic planning at Ogilvy Gurugram till 2015, the advertising veteran brings 28 years of strategy-packed experience to the table. His most recent avatar was as chief growth officer at Cheil X, following stints at Publicis, Havas, JWT Dubai, and McCann Erickson, where his journey began in 1997.

    Ogilvy India chief strategy officer Prem Narayan  said, ” I have always admired Neeraj. He is one of the finest strategic minds in the country.   His rich experience across consulting, advertising and driving growth make him one of the rare few who excel at intersecting consumer x culture x brand x business x modern media landscape to deliver business impact and transformation.   There couldn’t have been anyone better to lead and launch the Ogilvy Consulting practice and drive excellence of the strategic planning function for Ogilvy India (North), Neeraj will make us sharper, stronger and sweeter.”

    Bassi, with his trademark cool, added: “I am really excited to lead the Ogilvy Consulting practice in India. Globally we are getting a good traction in this space and I am looking forward to offering independent, unbiased advice for full funnel management of marquee brands – right from fuelling desire to demand conversion at point of sale. Ogilvy Consulting would address the issue of distributed brand narrative that is happening because of domain experts working in their silos. Championing the cause of one brand, one narrative, Ogilvy Consulting will help clients integrate the domains at a strategic level. It’s a homecoming for me and coming home is always special.”

    With this move, Ogilvy India joins the global consulting party — and with Bassi at the helm, expect the narrative to get sharper, the strategies slicker, and the silos shaken.

  • Sam lands the real deal as Exp Realty names him India head

    Sam lands the real deal as Exp Realty names him India head

    MUMBAI: The cloud just got a new address and Sam Chopra is at the helm. In a move set to reshape India’s real estate skyline, Exp Realty, the world’s fastest-growing cloud-based brokerage has appointed industry trailblazer Sam Chopra as president and country leader for India. With the 250 billion dollars Indian real estate sector projected to quadruple by 2030, this isn’t just a leadership update; it’s a strategic land grab.

    Exp Realty, which operates in more than 25 countries and boasts nearly 87,000 agents worldwide, is betting big on India’s digital-first, post-RERA real estate evolution. And Chopra is no stranger to breaking ground quite literally. As the former founder of RE/MAX India and a long-time champion of professionalising the property space, he’s been instrumental in ushering credibility, global best practices, and regulatory alignment into an often-chaotic market.

    “India’s real estate industry is undergoing a tectonic shift. Transparency, technology, and trust are no longer optional, they’re expected,” said Chopra. “eXp’s agent-first, borderless model fits perfectly into this new era. It’s not just about closing deals; it’s about opening up possibilities.”

    This isn’t Chopra’s first rodeo. His three-decade career reads like a masterclass in market transformation from his role as founding chairman of the Association of Property Professionals to his leadership at International Real Estate Partners and India Accelerator. His voice has echoed through boardrooms and policy circles alike, from FIABCI to FICCI, as he’s pushed for an industry grounded in innovation, accountability, and growth.

    “Sam is more than a real estate veteran, he’s a visionary,” said Exp Realty international expansion leader Adam Day. “With his leadership, we’re not just expanding into India. We’re helping rewrite the future of the market.”

    Exp Realty’s India play isn’t just about adding another pin on the global map. It’s about redefining what real estate careers can look like. With its fully digital, agent-owned platform, the company offers agents ownership, training, tech, and freedom tools rarely found together in India’s fragmented landscape.

    And as Indian homebuyers become savvier, developers more transparent, and agents more entrepreneurial, Chopra’s appointment signals a serious bid to lead the next era of real estate.

    From legacy to leverage, from metro markets to Tier II towns with Sam Chopra steering the ship, Exp’s Indian innings may just become the model for global real estate reinvention.

  • Bipin R. Pandit pens his passion in new biography, ‘Impassioned’

    Bipin R. Pandit pens his passion in new biography, ‘Impassioned’

    MUMBAI: Goafest 2025 witnessed more than just gold metals — it saw the unveiling of ‘Bipin R. Pandit – Impassioned’, a vibrant biography celebrating the Advertising Club’s spirited COO & founder of the soulful live music IP, Khumaar. The book was launched by Havas India group CEO SEA & North Asia, and Ad Club president  Rana Barua  during the 58th Abby Awards in front of an industry-packed house.

    The biography captures Pandit’s 28-year rollercoaster with the Ad Club, where he’s been the behind-the-scenes heartbeat of events like the Abbys, Effies and Emvies — awards that have since become institutionally iconic. From his early days at Baroda Rayon and Castrol India to being the anchor of over 1,000 stage shows, Impassioned weaves the personal with the professional — with equal notes of nostalgia, humour and humility.

    The book features:
    * Reflections from all 13 Ad Club presidents Pandit has worked with
    * Insights from 30 managing committee members, with a back-and-forth of perspectives
    * A tribute to Khumaar, now in its 20th year
    * A peek into the Pandits’ love story — a romance that began in school and blossomed into 40 years of marriage
    * And plenty of anecdotes that spotlight Bipin’s love for cricket, music and people

    With a foreword by Padma Shri Piyush Pandey and a special note by Padma Shri Prasoon Joshi, Impassioned isn’t just a biography — it’s a masterclass in loyalty, legacy and leading with heart.

    “I just wrote a LinkedIn blog after last year’s Abbys. Rana called, said this should be a book — and the rest is literally history,” said Pandit, thanking Gour Gupta and the team at Tribes for their support, and co-author-curator Gokul Krishnamoorthy for shaping the narrative.

    “Bipin has been the pulse of The Ad Club,” said Rana Barua. “His journey is a reminder that true leadership doesn’t always wear the loudest hat — sometimes, it sings from backstage.”

    Ad Club past president Ramesh Narayan added, “Bipin has always had that reassuring smile and an enviable ability to juggle committees, concerts, and cricket scores with ease.”

    The biography is priced at Rs 750 and available on www.bipinpandit.com. Ten per cent of the proceeds will go to Light of Life Foundation, supporting marginalised communities — yet another testament to Pandit’s impassioned legacy, both on and off stage.

    Credits
    Publisher & co-author: Bipin R. Pandit
    Curator & co-author: Gokul Krishnamoorthy
    Cover design: Vikram Gaikwad
    Book design: Mediaedge
    Cover photo: Himanshu Mestry
    Supported by: Tribes

  • Chirag Alawadhi takes the leap from agency life to advisory heights

    Chirag Alawadhi takes the leap from agency life to advisory heights

    MUMBAI: From pitch decks to knowledge stacks Chirag Alawadhi is switching gears, not goodbye notes. After nearly a decade in the trenches of digital marketing, Chirag Alawadhi has stepped down as co-founder and CEO of The Leapfrog Network, closing a chapter that began in December 2021. But don’t expect another agency launch. Instead, Alawadhi is taking a wider lens approach diving into content ecosystems, strategic consulting, and marketing tech for a new generation of brands and builders.

    Alawadhi announced his decision on LinkedIn, marking the end of a journey that started as a solo founder and scaled into a full-fledged creative agency. “After 9 years of building businesses, I’m now focused on building the infrastructure and knowledge systems that will empower the next generation of marketers and entrepreneurs,” he wrote.

    His résumé reads like a digital marketer’s highlight reel: 1,300 campaigns delivered, over 7 million dollars in revenue generated, and content networks reaching more than 10 million followers. Along the way, he’s partnered with marquee names like Emami, Lenskart, Airtel, Reliance, OTT Play, and Tata Motors.

    What started with basic tools and delayed wins evolved into an agency known for bold campaigns and real community engagement. “This isn’t goodbye to the industry that shaped me, it’s a shift toward deeper impact,” Alawadhi said, reflecting on his departure as a move away from operations and towards enabling transformation at scale.

    His exit also mirrors a growing trend among agency veterans: trading day-to-day grind for advisory and ecosystem-building roles. Alawadhi joins a cohort of leaders looking beyond billing cycles and into future-facing industry infrastructure.

    Under his leadership, The Leapfrog Network carved out a niche in storytelling and strategy. While Alawadhi steps away, the agency rooted in its founding mission to create meaningful brand connections is poised for its next phase under fresh leadership.

    As for Alawadhi? He’s taking the leap again only this time, it’s beyond the agency playbook.

  • SW Network Wins Integrated Digital Mandate for – Fujifilm India instant camera brand instax

    SW Network Wins Integrated Digital Mandate for – Fujifilm India instant camera brand instax

    MUMBAI:  SW Network has landed a picture-perfect win with Fujifilm India, snapping up the integrated digital marketing mandate for its cult instant camera brand, instax Following a multi-agency pitch, the agency will now helm everything from D2C performance marketing and media planning to influencer collaborations, SEO and scroll-stopping creative.

    Leading the charge will be SW Growth Labs, the growth vertical of the agency, alongside SW Creative, which will craft platform-first content and thumb-stopping narratives aimed at Gen Z and Millennial audiences hooked on vintage vibes and tangible memories.

    instax, already a darling of creators, collectors, and cool kids, is capitalising on the global revival of instant photography. With smartphones saturating digital memories, these pocket-sized snap-and-print gadgets have made a comeback—one polaroid at a time. From designer film cartridges to smartphone printers, instax has firmly positioned itself as the go-to for the #aesthetic generation.

    SW Network  cofounder Raghav Bagai shared his enthusiasm on  the partnership: “instax is more than just a camera brand. It is an experience that blends nostalgia with creativity, allowing people to capture and share moments in a tangible way. SW Growth Labs will lead performance marketing and SEO, while SW Creative will drive creative, influencer, creative, and social strategies. Together, we are building an integrated approach to accelerate the brand’s digital growth in India. At SW Network, we believe in the power of data-driven creativity to build meaningful brand connections. We look forward to strengthening brand presence and engagement in the market.”

    Fujifilm India instax division digital marketing manager Shaiphali Galhotra  added, “Our partnership with SW Network is a key step in strengthening the brand’s digital-first approach. By integrating media, social, and performance marketing strategies, we aim to build a stronger, more engaging brand presence while enhancing our D2C experience. We are confident that SW Network’s expertise will drive meaningful results and solidify the brand’s market leadership in India’s instant photography market.”

    With this win, SW Network adds yet another feather to its cap, proving that when strategy meets sentiment, you get more than just clicks—you get keepsakes.

  • Havas gets a CX glow-up with Enverta Digital acquisition

    Havas gets a CX glow-up with Enverta Digital acquisition

    MUMBAI: Havas is flexing its customer experience (CX) muscle in North America with the acquisition of Toronto-based Enverta Digital, a boutique CRM and digital transformation outfit known for its tech-savvy mojo and smooth client integration model.

    With operations across Canada and Poland, Enverta brings a potent mix of Salesforce, Adobe, Microsoft, and Braze expertise to the table—making it the perfect fit for Havas’ converged strategy, which blends creativity and tech to craft personalised, data-led brand journeys.

    ““I’m delighted to welcome Jacob and the entire Enverta Digital team into the Havas family. This addition represents a meaningful step forward in our ongoing mission to  redefine and elevate customer experience. By placing CX at the core of our Converged strategy, this move underscores our unwavering commitment to innovation and strengthens our ability to lead in the CX space with transformative, tech-enabled solutions that are fully integrated across our service offerings,” shared Havas CEO & chairman Yannick Bolloré.

    The move sees Enverta absorbed into Havas CX Canada, adding serious firepower to the agency’s North America operations—particularly its growing US client base. Enverta’s offshore setup in Poland will also give Havas added scale and cost efficiencies, with its recurring revenue model sweetening the deal.

    Havas CX Canada president Alex Chepovetsky summed it up neatly: “With Enverta’s CRM game and our creative chops, we’re now better placed than ever to deliver end-to-end brand experiences that move the needle.”

    “Our focus on CRM and digital enablement aligns seamlessly with Havas’ commitment to delivering holistic, customer-centric solutions. This partnership will allow us to combine Havas’ global resources and creative expertise with our strengths to deliver a full service digital offering, centered on driving highly-personalised consumer experiences across all touchpoints and channels,” shared Enverta Digital founder & CEO Jacob Ciesielski.

    It’s a win-win deal wrapped in customer-first thinking—just the way modern marketing likes it.

  • Zakir Khan hits the road with India’s biggest comedy tour ever

    Zakir Khan hits the road with India’s biggest comedy tour ever

    MUMBAI: In a blockbuster moment for India’s live entertainment scene, Only Much Louder (OML) and TribeVibe Entertainment, a BookMyShow enterprise, have inked a game-changing deal to roll out Zakir Khan’s biggest-ever stand-up tour—spanning more than 60 cities and reaching 160,000 fans.

    It’s not just the largest comedy tour by an Indian comedian, but also the single biggest deal ever signed in India’s comedy circuit, setting a precedent for scale, structure and star power.

    From metros to mofussils, this laughter caravan will traverse the length and breadth of India, proving that comedy isn’t just an urban indulgence anymore—it’s a mass cultural movement. The partnership blends Zakir’s magnetic stage presence and OML’s talent stewardship with BookMyShow’s data clout and TribeVibe’s grassroots muscle to deliver what could be India’s first truly nationwide comedy experience.

    Shoven Shah

    “This collaboration signals a new form of cultural consumption in India, one that is ambitious in scale, yet grounded in purpose. It’s not just about doing a 60-city tour; it’s about proving that India is ready to host and celebrate live entertainment at this scale across its full breadth. At TribeVibe, we’ve always believed in democratising access to great experiences and Zakir, through his authenticity and connection with audiences, is the perfect artist to lead this vision. Partnering with OML to bring this to life feels like a natural next step in the journey,” said TribeVibe Entertainment founder & CEO  Shoven Shah.

    Zakir Khan, meanwhile, is clear that this is about more than just laughs. “This isn’t just a personal milestone, it’s a celebration of how far Indian stand-up has come. I’m grateful to be doing this with partners who truly believe in the power of homegrown stories and the audiences who’ve made it all possible,” said Zakir. “This tour is not just about performing in 60 cities, it’s about taking the art of Indian stand-up to every corner of the country with the scale and seriousness it truly deserves. For years, we’ve dreamed of comedy being treated like mainstream entertainment, and this partnership is a massive step in that direction. I’ve always believed in building something bigger than myself, and this moment feels like that belief taking centre stage.”

    OML SVP Rishabh Nahar framed the tour as a bold blueprint. Said he: “This tour doesn’t just mark a milestone for Zakir, but serves as a blueprint for the future of Indian live entertainment, bringing live comedy to the cultural and geographic heart of the country. With this partnership, TribeVibe Entertainment and OML hope to lay the groundwork for a touring economy that mirrors the scale, sophistication and ambition of global markets, where data guides decisions, artists build legacies and where audiences everywhere have equal access to transformative cultural experiences.”

    With its eyes set on both major metros and Bharat’s backyards, the tour brings Indian comedy into its most ambitious phase yet.

    And if this deal’s anything to go by, the punchline is simple: local is going live, and laughter is going long haul.

    (Main Picture: Zakir Khan -centre – with the OML team)

  • IAS does the maths right with Alpana Wegner as new CFO

    IAS does the maths right with Alpana Wegner as new CFO

    MUMBAI: Integral Ad Science is crunching the numbers for a new chapter bringing seasoned financial powerhouse Alpana Wegner on board as chief financial officer, effective 10 June 2025. The move adds a strategic edge to IAS’s leadership team, as Wegner steps in to lead the global finance function and report directly to CEO Lisa Utzschneider. She replaces Jill Putman, who has served as Interim CFO since January and will now continue as an independent member of the IAS Board.

    Utzschneider welcomed the new appointment with confidence: “Alpana is a versatile and results-driven leader with deep financial and operational expertise. From M&A to FP&A, she’s done it all at public companies, no less.”

    And indeed, Wegner’s calculator comes with credentials. With over 25 years of financial leadership experience, she most recently served as CFO at Secureworks, where she built a high-performing finance team and helped steer the company through a strategic transformation before its sale. Prior to that, she was the CFO at Benefitfocus and held senior finance roles at cloud tech firm Blackbaud.

    “IAS represents an exciting opportunity to join an industry leader enabling global brands and publishers to drive superior outcomes,” said Wegner, who holds a B.S. in Accounting from Arizona State University. “I’m all in on scaling operations, sharpening profitability, and unlocking IAS’s full growth potential.”

    Her appointment comes at a time when IAS is sharpening its focus on media measurement and ROI optimisation areas where Wegner’s financial acumen is expected to make a tangible impact. With a steady hand on the financial tiller and a sharp eye on long-term value creation, Wegner looks set to add more than just numbers to the IAS playbook she’s bringing the formula for smart growth.

  • Omnicom–IPG merger gets greenlight from CCI, ad world braces for a mega shake-up

    Omnicom–IPG merger gets greenlight from CCI, ad world braces for a mega shake-up

    MUMBAI: India’s competition watchdog has given a decisive thumbs-up to one of the biggest shake-ups in adland: Omnicom Group Inc.’s acquisition of sole control over The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc. (IPG).

    The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has formally approved the merger, clearing the way for New York-based Omnicom to swallow IPG whole. The deal sees EXT Subsidiary Inc.—Omnicom’s Delaware-registered arm created for the transaction— merging with Interpublic group, followed by its vanishing in a legal sleight of hand, with IPG emerging as a wholly owned subsidiary.

    The green light marks a major milestone in the creation of an advertising, media and communications (AMC) colossus that will now tower over rivals in over 100 countries—including India.

    Both Omnicom and IPG have long had a robust presence in India, vying for dominance in marketing communications and media buying. With the merger officially sanctioned, expect ripples—if not tsunamis—across client portfolios, agency turf wars, and talent poaching strategies.

    Omnicom brings to the table a vast arsenal of brand advertising, CRM, media planning, PR and specialty comms across more than 70 nations. IPG counters with an 80-brand empire powered by 57,400 employees delivering everything from creative and data to experiential marketing.

    The merger has got the go-ahead in 10 of the 20 global markets it has a presence in, according to reports. And it will have a smaller market share in India than WPP Media. 
     

    The CCI website only has a partial copy of the merger  application uploaded while its clearance document has yet to be put up. 

    As the global titans fuse, the industry braces for impact—and reinvention.