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Category: People

  • boAt signs Kartik Aaryan as brand ambassador

    boAt signs Kartik Aaryan as brand ambassador

    MUMBAI: boAt, a lifestyle brand that deals in fashionable consumer electronics like earphones, headphones, speakers, travel charger and premium rugged cables has signed on Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan as its new brand ambassador to help steer the brand to its target audience of fashionable youthful consumers.

     

    In a sector dominated by established global brands, boat has ramped up quickly in a short span of two years, through its core high-quality audio product line of smart, efficient, stylish and durable ‘hearables’. Bollywood’s rising star strengthens the brand narrative of boAt’s high tech solutions offering the best in style and fashion. With a strong focus on consumer desires and aesthetics, the brand has created products that seamlessly integrate into the evolved consumer’s personal style statement.

     

    The trendy look and feel of the boAt bluetooth speakers and headphones have led to the new category of ‘hearables’ akin to fashion accessories. It has already created a community of over 800,000 boAtheads (consumers) who want to be seen listening and wearing their boAt accessories to make a lifestyle statement. 

     

    boAt co-founder Aman Gupta says, “We are hopeful he is going to take our brand’s style quotient to a whole new level. He complements our commitment to product designs and aesthetics and is seen as credible influencer amongst the new age millennials. Thus aligning with our brand image which is all about building brand equity through credible influencers and a strong word –of–mouth approach.”

     

    Commenting on the association, actor Kartik Aaryan adds, “The brand perfectly represents a generation that is energetic, unapologetic and fun loving which resonates with my personality and age. The millennial audio brand offers designs that are bold, fresh and in line with the latest lifestyle trends, making it the preferred choice for those who looks to make a statement with their choice of accessories. I love the way the products seamlessly integrate into my lifestyle.”

     

    Kartik gained popularity through his recent films Pyaar Ka Panchnama and Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety.

     

    Launched in 2016, boAt is a lifestyle brand with fashionable consumer electronics products such as earphones, headphones, speakers, travel chargers and premium rugged cables. Whether it is the use of tough fibre to considerably extend the lifespan of its connector cables, or the waterproof bluetooth speakers or the ‘Bassheads’ series of wired headsets that were designed keeping in mind the preferences of listeners of both Indian music, as well as pop and electronic dance music. Every boAt innovation has consumer needs and desires at the core of its design.

     

    boAt had recently raised 6 crore funding from Fireside Ventures.

  • Indigo Consulting appoints Prasanna Kulkarni as head of creative

    Indigo Consulting appoints Prasanna Kulkarni as head of creative

    MUMBAI: Indigo Consulting has bolstered its key leadership team with the appointment of Prasanna Kulkarni as head of creative.

    Prasanna has 20 years of advertising, brand strategy and digital media experience, and his last stint was with Cheil India as creative head  of digital. At Indigo Consulting, he will be based out of Mumbai and will report to Indigo Consulting CEO Rajesh Ghatge.

    Speaking about the new key appointment, Rajesh Ghatge says, “We have driven aggressive acquisition of new clients in the last couple of years, winning large digital marketing mandates and complex digital transformation projects in the bargain. We have some of the largest brands across categories engaged with us. To deliver the best-in-class intelligent digital and omni-channel experiences, we have built and groomed an amazing creative community at Indigo Consulting. Prasanna’s mandate is to lead this community from the front across our communication and digital platform design, and build offerings. I look forward to him leveraging his deep expertise in both, brand communication and interaction design, to fuel our momentum further. His endeavour will be to deliver a fantastic creative and innovative product to our clients.”

    Prasanna’s advertising career spans over 20 years, where he has worked at ZenithOptimedia Group (a part of Publicis.Media), J Walter Thompson, OgilvyOne and Rediff.com. He has worked on India’s largest brands, some of which are Vodafone, Samsung, Tata Motors, Asian Paints, Pidilite, ICICI Bank, Jet Airways, Godrej, Adidas, Star India, Ceat Tyres, Piaggio India, OLX and Mondelez. He is a highly-celebrated advertising professional, with several industry awards under his belt.

    Speaking about his new role, Prasanna mentions, “I am extremely excited to be a part of such a talented, multidisciplinary team at Indigo Consulting. It’s an exceptional opportunity to engage with the unique blend of digital transformation engagements coupled with brand narratives. I am eager to kick-start this new journey and create some great, effective work.”

  • Initiative appoints Alok Sinha as chief strategy officer

    Initiative appoints Alok Sinha as chief strategy officer

    MUMBAI: IPG Mediabrands has appointed Alok Sinha as chief strategy officer in line with the agency’s transformational vision merging legacy with new-age dynamism.

    In his new role, Sinha will be driving Initiative’s strategic planning nationally and will be working collaboratively with all clients of the agency, including Amazon, Reckitt Benckiser, Bajaj Auto, Dish TV, Too Yumm, Anchor Electricals, and Carlsberg, to name a few.

    Sinha moves from Ogilvy & Mather, where he headed strategy for the northern region as president – planning. 

    “Alok comes with multifaceted experience which is rare to find – research, consumer insight, tools, media strategy and account planning in a creative agency. His coming on board is a demonstration of our commitment to raising Initiative’s strategy, tools and product to a whole new level. I am delighted to have him on board,” says IPG Mediabrands CEO Shashi Sinha. 

    Armed with a bachelor’s degree in Physics and an MBA in Marketing, Sinha began his career as a trainee with Lintas (now Lowe) in Mumbai with its research wing, Pathfinders. He then moved to the Gallup Organisation, where he managed to transform its smallest revenue client into its biggest.

    Seeking a more well-rounded exposure, Sinha then moved to the creative side and joined Ogilvy & Mather as a planner, where he worked on brands like IBM, Unilever and Vodafone. His stint in Ogilvy was followed by a long period in media agencies, including Carat and Mindshare, in multiple roles ranging from communication planning & business development to strategy and tools and process both in India and the Asia Pacific region.

    Talking about his association with Initiative, he said, “I am back to Media where my heart belongs. Initiative is in a process of transformation and I am thrilled to be part of this change.”

  • Anita Nayyar elevated as CEO of Havas Media Southeast Asia

    Anita Nayyar elevated as CEO of Havas Media Southeast Asia

    MUMBAI: Havas Group has promoted Anita Nayyar as CEO of Havas Media Southeast Asia on the back of an accelerated growth strategy in the region.

    This is in addition to her role as CEO of Havas Media India.

    In this newly created role, Nayyar’s expertise will enable brands in India to expand their footprint to SEA and facilitate cross fertilisation of clients.

    She will work closely with regional and local leadership in SEA to drive new business and local client strategy with a sharpened focus on driving growth leveraging Havas Group’s integrated abilities.

    Nayyar will report to Vishnu Mohan, Chairman & CEO of Havas Group, India  and Southeast Asia. The appointment is effective immediately.

    Nayyar joined Havas in 2007 as CEO of Havas Media India. Under her leadership, Havas Media in India has grown exponentially and expanded its offerings as an integrated communications group encompassing traditional, digital, mobile, performance marketing and out-of-home, among others. Her 30+years in the industry has seen her passionately manage a mega portfolio of brands across sectors.

    Speaking on her appointment, Mohan says, “The Southeast Asia region has enjoyed remarkable economic progress in recent years, especially the ASEAN countries capitalising on urbanisation, and technology. There is a tremendous opportunity for brands in India to tap into the region’s growth story and Anita’s experience is an asset that will help us move ahead in that direction. Anita’s determination and passion is a testament to Havas Group India’s success and growth over the years and I am confident that her elevation will enhance the value-proposition of our established SEA media operations.”

    Commenting on her promotion, Nayyar mentions, “The ASEAN markets and the overall SEA region is a pivotal market of the future for brands across a range of verticals and the possibilities for growth are endless. As Havas Group continues to build on its integrated model and new organisational structure, I’m excited to take on the new challenge and reinforce our commitment to creative excellence and smart media accountability to create new opportunities to boost Havas Media SEA’s growth and momentum.”

  • Datsun appoints Aamir Khan as face of brand

    Datsun appoints Aamir Khan as face of brand

    MUMBAI: Datsun has announced actor Aamir Khan as its brand ambassador in India.

    An accomplished film star known for his versatility and risk-taking attitude, Aamir Khan will be seen in Datsun India’s new brand campaign #ExperienceChange.

    Thomas Kuehl Nissan India president of operations says, “We are delighted to have Aamir Khan join our Datsun family in India. Aamir advocates the bold and fearless attitude of the new generation who strive for excellence and embodies the spirit of Datsun.”

    The campaign aims to target young, optimistic, energetic and ambitious new generation of consumers.

    The first campaign featuring Khan will focus on driving change with Datsun cars built using Japanese engineering and modern design aesthetics. 

    Commenting on the association, Aamir Khan mentions, “I am thrilled to be associated with an iconic brand that stands for quality and innovation… I look forward to being a part of the Datsun family and its fascinating growth journey in India.”

    #ExperienceChange is a 360-degree multi-media campaign that will go live on all the key platforms – digital, print, radio, TV, OOH, dealerships and city activations this festive season.

    The campaign will showcase the new GO and GO+ along with Datsun’s highest selling model redi-GO.

  • Matrimony.com appoints Jaikumar KP as SVP for MatrimonyPhotography

    Matrimony.com appoints Jaikumar KP as SVP for MatrimonyPhotography

    MUMBAI: Online matchmaking and marriage service matrimony.com has appointed Jaikumar KP as senior vice president to spearhead sales and operations of MatrimonyPhotography, the leading Wedding Photography and Videography Service that has completed nearly 15,000 weddings.

    Jaikumar brings over 26 years of rich experience leading large teams across FMCG, Banking and Insurance. An IIM (B) graduate, he earlier worked with Reliance Life Insurance, Birla Sunlife and Cholamandalam Investment and Finance.

    matrimony.com CHRO Prasad Nelliparthi says, “We’re pleased to welcome Jaikumar KP to join our vibrant team and lead MatrimonyPhotography to newer heights. His varied experience is an asset and we wish him the best in his journey here.”

    MatrimonyPhotography offers high resolution photography and videography shoots by professionals with latest high-end cameras and equipment. The interesting features of the service include live streaming of weddings, candid photography, photo booths and digital video invites.

    Matrimony.com is India’s first pure play Consumer Internet Company to be publicly listed. It is a signature consumer internet conglomerate, managing marquee brands such as BharatMatrimony, CommunityMatrimony and EliteMatrimony..

    The Company has several new business models such as MatrimonyPhotography, MatrimonyBazaar, MatrimonyMandaps, and CommunityMatrimony, a consortium of over 300 community matrimony websites.

  • Publicis India terminates Ishrath Nawaz

    Publicis India terminates Ishrath Nawaz

    MUMBAI: Publicis India has decided to terminate Ishrath Nawaz following allegations of sexual harassment against him.

    Ishrat’s involvement came to light after a Twitter user posted her experience working with him where he would leach and pass sexual comments about his female colleagues on several occasions. 

    Publicis India announced his termination on Twitter by stating: “The investigation in relation to Mr. Ishrath Nawaz has been concluded. Mr. Nawaz’s conduct has been found to be violative of Publicis India’s policy. Consequently, Mr. Ishrath Nawaz’s services have been terminated.”

    Ishrath Nawaz was recently appointed as the national creative director at Publicis India. 

    He joined Publicis India from McCann Worldwide where he was the senior creative director.

    Ever since the conversation around #MeToo movement began in India, the advertising industry, that no one would imagine of, seems to have a lot of stories to be told. 

    Recently, Dentsu Aegis Network also took  action against four of its top employees after their name surfaced in the #MeToo movement. Soon after, DAN terminated all four employees including Kartik Iyer, Praveen Das, Dinesh Swamy and Bodhisatwa Dasgupta.

  • Ajay Gahlaut resigns from Ogilvy India

    Ajay Gahlaut resigns from Ogilvy India

    MUMBAI: Ajay Gahlaut, the deputy CCO of Ogilvy India and CCO of Ogilvy North has resigned from the company. 

    Gahlaut leaves Ogilvy to pursue his own interests.

    He first joined Ogilvy in 2001 and was with Ogilvy until 2005.  He then rejoined Ogilvy in November 2007 and between his first term and the second, he has spent a good part of his career with Ogilvy.  In the last ten years, Gahlaut has worked to help build brands such as Pernod Ricard, BMW, KFC, Taco Bell, Dabur, Perfetti Van Melle, Mother Dairy, Pizza Hut,  Sprite, Best Foods, HT Mint, Philips, to name a few.

    Ogilvy India group CCO and vice chairman Sonal Dabral says, “Ajay did some excellent work in his decade long innings in Ogilvy Delhi. I'd like to thank him for building a great team and wish him all the best for all his future endeavours.”

    Ogilvy south Asia executive chairman and chief creative officer Piyush Pandey adds, “Ajay is looking for life beyond advertising and for that reason, I cannot stop him just like I couldn’t stop Abhijit. If Abhijit was going to another agency, I wouldn’t have let him go. Everyone has a dream and unfortunately, I can’t fulfil that dream. He has done a stellar job and I am very proud of him.  He worked very closely with me and I will miss him. He is a very dear friend.”

  • Brands, agencies to rewire approaches using data: CVL Srinivas, WPP

    Brands, agencies to rewire approaches using data: CVL Srinivas, WPP

    MUMBAI: Data. A four letter word that has even the senior most executives sweating and scratching their heads. While it is a small little word, understanding how to use it, is actually very complicated. That’s why  all we’ve been hearing about in the last year is how can brands and agencies leverage the most of data and more importantly, understanding the basics of data. 

    Data is not restricted to using it only in advertising (for data-driven advertising), it can essentially be a very function of every brand. With all the buzz around data and using it to reach the consumer effectively and efficiently, marketers and agencies must know how to make the most of data for better ROI and consumer engagement.

    Google Maps, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Google, YouTube, Netflix have all changed our world, and for good! Technology has changed the way we connect with brands and things around us. You like something, you hit a ‘heart’, something makes you furious, you reply via an angry emoji on Facebook. All this consumer behaviour is Data for marketers. And with a consumer’s likes, dislikes, hearts, tweets and browsing history available readily, a brand maps the consumer behaviour and reaches to them with targeted advertising and content. That’s why you only get a message or pop up to shop or buy your favourite pair of clothes, lipstick, car or mobile that you’ve been eyeing for long.

    However, with brands being able to map your behaviour by scrutinising you and using your data, it also violates a consumer right to privacy. To address this, the Government of India is currently considering sweeping a data privacy law –  Personal Data Protection Bill of 2018 , which states that privacy is a "fundamental right" under the Indian Constitution. 

    The bill is closely modelled after the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It broadly applies to all personal data defined as any data of a person which allows direct or indirect identifiability; and envisions a regime where individual consent is the cornerstone of data-sharing. If the bill is passed, it may change the way on when, where and how much data can brands actually use. 

    Maybe eventually brands will have to pay their users in some form to be able to use their data in the new framework of guidelines. It could be in the form of money, virtual money, coupons or discounts.

    To understand the current scenario and future of data driven marketing, in a quick chat with Indiantelevision.com, WPP country manager CVL Srinivas gave us insights about creating the balance between using data and human insights, future of advertising with data, WPP’s plan for 2019 and more. Excerpts: 

    The importance of data in advertising today is more than ever. How do you see the future of advertising along with data?

    Data is a critical part of every business today. We have a lot more data available to us than we ever had before. Today, every business is looking at transforming itself – by smartly leveraging data, businesses can fast track their growth in numerous ways. Advertising is becoming a lot more data-led. Not just in targeting the right audience or deciding the best 

    medium, data is inspiring creative thinking on brands. We saw numerous examples of data-inspired creativity at our summit today. Going forward, we will see brands and agencies adapting to this new data world by rewiring their approaches. This is not to say that all the

    traditional methods will go out of the window. We need as much of the marketing gut as we need data.

    Having too much data can often become complex. What’s the way out?

    A data strategy needs to start with a purpose. The end uses of data need to be defined. Else there is a tendency to try and boil the ocean. Like we heard from a lot of our panellists that day, that the best approach is to start small, test a few hypotheses and then scale up. 

    Somewhere along the way one learns what kind of data is most valuable for a particular business/brand.

    While brands and agencies have a lot of rich data available today, we don’t know what to do with it. Do we still need time to get there where we understand the data and can leverage it to the best?

    Most businesses are on the journey to get better at harnessing the power of data. There is no one defined method. Some of them have made more progress while others are starting off from scratch. While there is an abundance of data, what we really need is a more 

    balanced approach to putting it to good use. By ‘balanced’, I mean combining data points across different sources to paint a broader picture. That’s where we need to see more progress generally speaking. 

    Focus point for agencies and brands in 2019?

    Data-centricity will be a key priority going forward, but it must go hand in hand with creativity. 

    Do you think brands and agencies need to take a step back, pause and say, “I think we are pushing it too much!” How can we as an industry skip being ad-blocked?

    I think we will soon get to a point where most, if not all advertisers will realise the need to move from a completely push-based advertising approach to a more balanced way of engaging with their consumers. Data and technology are making it easier to identify consumer tastes and preferences more sharply. This will reduce the bombardment. On top of that, if one knows what kind of content engages the consumer, it can result in more relevant messaging being served.

  • Dentsu Aegis Network removes Kartik Iyer & 3 seniors following sexual harassment allegations

    Dentsu Aegis Network removes Kartik Iyer & 3 seniors following sexual harassment allegations

    MUMBAI: Amidst the ongoing #MeToo movement, where several allegations regarding sexual harassment and sexual assault have come to light, the media and entertainment industry isn’t left behind.

    Recently, Dentsu Aegis Network’s (DAN) Happy mcgarrybowen came in the limelight for similar accusations against its CEO and other senior executives. The agency network had last week launched an investigation into the allegations.

    Following the controversy, DAN has removed Happy mcgarrybowen CEO Kartik Iyer and MD Praveen Das from their positions. Additionally, Bodhisatwa Dasgupta, senior creative director, Happy Creative Services and Dinesh Swamy national creative director, iProspect India have also stepped down from their respective positions following harassment charges.

    In a press statement issued by Dentsu Aegis Network, the network announced: “Dentsu Aegis Network has always believed in providing a safe environment at our workplaces which is free from any kind of harassments. We have a zero tolerance policy towards any kind of harassment at our workplaces. Mr. Kartik Iyer (CEO) and Mr. Praveen Das (MD) have stepped down from their respective positions and responsibilities at Happy Creative Services. Additionally, Bodhisatwa Dasgupta, Sr. Creative Director, Happy Creative Services and Dinesh Swamy, National Creative Director, iProspect India have also stepped down from their respective positions.”