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Category: News Headline

  • 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.

  • Programmatic gets a new container lease on life with IAB’s tech reboot

    Programmatic gets a new container lease on life with IAB’s tech reboot

    MUMBAI: The pipes of programmatic plumbing are finally getting an upgrade and it’s all going into the container. In a bid to declutter the tangled maze of today’s digital ad infrastructure, the IAB Tech Lab has launched its Containerization Project, aiming to give the ad tech industry a fresh, streamlined foundation for real-time bidding (RTB). The move comes as the sector grapples with a decade’s worth of bolted-on innovations, latency headaches, and a spaghetti bowl of fragmented systems especially under pressure during high-volume events.

    Rather than patching up the cracks, IAB Tech Lab wants to rebuild the pipes altogether.

    “The digital ad ecosystem has grown enormously, but the technical foundation hasn’t kept up,” said IAB Tech Lab CEO Anthony Katsur. “The way ad tech is built today is complex and inefficient. This project isn’t about tweaks, it’s about designing a future-proof foundation from the ground up.”

    At the heart of the project is the standardisation of container technology for OpenRTB. Think of it as an elegant Bento box for real-time bidding, modular, measurable, and ready to scale. The new framework introduces common standards for everything from network protocols and metrics to image performance and data privacy, offering supply-side platforms (SSPs), demand-side platforms (DSPs), and other players a shared architecture to innovate on without reinventing the wheel each time.

    Crucially, it allows for plug-and-play functionality: ad tech partners can be added or swapped mid-auction without slowing things down or breaking core systems.

    “This gives engineers a shared technical foundation to build from,” said Chalice AI head of product Meera Choudhury. “By establishing clarity on what’s required, we can build in a way that respects those boundaries.”

    The IAB Tech Lab is actively rallying participation from across the ecosystem publishers, platforms, buyers, and technology vendors alike to co-develop the next-gen container framework.

    So, while OpenRTB isn’t being scrapped, it’s getting a much-needed house remodel. And with standardised containers at the core, the programmatic future might just be cleaner, faster, and finally scalable with less duct tape.

  • Kids cluster head Uttam Pal Singh departs from Warner Bros Discovery

    Kids cluster head Uttam Pal Singh departs from Warner Bros Discovery

    MUMBAI: Live frugally has been the mantra in the world of content creation for quite some time now. Almost every genre has been impacted with large advertisers shaving their ad budgets. The kids genre too has been buffeted by the stormy winds of a shrinking ad universe.

    Kids broadcasters have in turn cut the per episode production allowance given to producers, apart from reducing the number of fresh content hours. Additionally, OTT platforms which have been going through a tough period have slashed their per unit purchase price for animation content.  

    Net outcome: studios are either resorting to massive layoffs or shutting down.

    “The heady days of two or three years ago and the pre-pandemic era when we were producing 200 minutes of animated content have gone, now we are producing just 30 minutes of content,” says a studio owner. “Look at the number of artists who have been without a job with the shutting down of Technicolor, The Mill and MPC and Jellyfish pictures.”

    Broadcasters are tightening their belts on the manpower front as well now in order to stay afloat. The buzz in the market is that Warner Bros Discovery India south Asia kids cluster head Uttam Pal  Singh is no longer working with the company. Apparently his role became redundant with Discovery programming head Sai Abhishek being asked to additionally shepherd the kids portfolio which includes Discovery Kids, Cartoon Network and Pogo channels.  

    Uttam Pal Singh was with Warner Bros Discovery for eight years. He was first hired as head of content of Discovery Kids in 2017, then elevated to head the channel, and finally given charge of the entire kids cluster in 2022.

    Indiantelevision.com reached out to Warner Bros Discovery for a comment but no one was willing to come on record. 

  • 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.

  • Goa sets it, PVL spikes it with debut of 10th team, Goa Guardians

    Goa sets it, PVL spikes it with debut of 10th team, Goa Guardians

     MUMBAI: From sandy shores to centre court, Goa’s taking its volleyball love to the big league. The Prime Volleyball League (PVL) has just added a fresh dose of flair to its roster with the launch of its tenth franchise, the Goa Guardians. Backed by Netenrich chairman and CEO Raju Chekuri, the Guardians are set to debut in Season 4, which officially kicks off on 2 October 2025. With this move, PVL continues its streak of adding one team every season, cementing its reputation as one of India’s fastest-growing sporting leagues.

    Goa may be famous for its beaches and football fandom, but volleyball has long pulsed through its local communities and now, the state gets its long-overdue representation on the national stage.

    “We’re not just building a team, we’re building an Olympic dream,” said Chekuri, expressing his ambition to see India competing in volleyball at the highest global levels within the next decade. “Goa Guardians is a mission to harness the untapped potential across India and give our athletes the international exposure they deserve.”

    With over 160 players expected to go under the hammer, PVL’s Season 4 auction will take place on 8 June in Calicut and fans can catch every spike and steal live on the league’s YouTube channel.

    Baseline Ventures managing director and co-founder Tuhin Mishra which co-owns and markets the league, called the addition “a major boost” to the sport’s national presence. “There’s no shortage of talent in India, and a 10-team league means more chances for players to shine.”

    Also welcoming the new entrants was PVL CEO Joy Bhattacharjya, who said the Guardians are a “fantastic addition,” and praised Chekuri’s vision for grassroots development and international credibility.

    Goa Guardians now join a formidable line-up: Ahmedabad Defenders, Bengaluru Torpedoes, Calicut Heroes, Chennai Blitz, Delhi Toofans, Hyderabad Black Hawks, Kochi Blue Spikers, Kolkata Thunderbolts and Mumbai Meteors.

    With this expansion, PVL isn’t just growing in size, it’s growing in ambition. As the countdown to Season 4 begins, the league is poised to serve up thrilling rallies, bigger rivalries, and new regional heroes, all with one clear mission: to spike Indian volleyball into global consciousness.

  • Team Pumpkin changes nappies and narratives for Mamypoko Bangladesh

    Team Pumpkin changes nappies and narratives for Mamypoko Bangladesh

     MUMBAI: From diaper duty to digital strategy, Team Pumpkin is now parenting in pixels. The digital-first marketing agency has bagged the digital mandate for Mamypoko Pants Bangladesh, marking its newest win in the baby care aisle and extending a longstanding relationship with the Unicharm brand beyond Indian borders.

    Team Pumpkin will manage Mamypoko’s digital strategy and execution across social media, influencer marketing, and performance campaigns all with the aim of making parenting a little more connected (and a lot less chaotic). The brand’s Bangladesh presence will now be helmed from the agency’s Gurgaon office, bringing a cross-border blend of insights, creativity, and cute content to the table.

    Having worked on MamyPoko Pants India since 2017, Team Pumpkin already has baby-soft experience in handling the unique challenges of the category. “With the Bangladesh mandate, we’re not just replicating what worked elsewhere,” said Team Pumpkin co-founder and chief business officer Swati Nathani. “We’re building solutions that ease parenting pain points and deliver value with every scroll.”

    Mamypoko Pants, a flagship offering from Japan’s Unicharm Corporation, has long enjoyed trust among young parents across Asia for its absorbent innovation and comfort-first ethos. With a growing footprint in both India and international markets, the brand is now leaning into regional relevance through digital storytelling and parent-centric content.

    As the digital terrain in Bangladesh evolves, this mandate reflects how brands are investing in building genuine communities not just campaigns. For Mamypoko, that means moving beyond product talk to create content that reflects the sleepless nights, sippy cups, and small joys of real parenting. And for Team Pumpkin, it’s another nudge toward becoming the agency of choice for brands that want both strategy and soul.

    Looks like this partnership is already off to a clean start.

  • 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.

  • Stand-up guy goes the distance as Zakir Khan hits the road with 60-city tour

    Stand-up guy goes the distance as Zakir Khan hits the road with 60-city tour

    MUMBAI: Knock-knock… who’s there? 60 cities, 160,000 fans, and a punchline for the history books. In a mic-drop moment for Indian live entertainment, comedian Zakir Khan is hitting the road for the country’s largest-ever stand-up comedy tour and it’s no joke. Spearheaded by a powerhouse partnership between Only Much Louder (OML) and Bookmyshow’s TribeVibe Entertainment, the tour will criss-cross more than 60 cities and play to over 160,000 fans making it the biggest deal ever signed by an Indian comedian.

    Dubbed a “comedy caravan”, the mega tour is poised to redefine the scale and seriousness with which homegrown stand-up is staged. From Delhi to Dibrugarh, Bengaluru to Bareilly, Zakir’s signature brand of heart-tugging humour and rustic storytelling will now reach audiences far beyond metro hotspots. And the numbers tell a story too 60 plus cities, lakhs of fans, and a deal that’s set a new benchmark in Indian comedy.

    “This isn’t just a personal milestone, it’s a statement,” said Zakir Khan, reflecting on the road ahead. “We’ve long hoped that Indian comedy would be treated like mainstream entertainment with scale, with respect, and with reach. This tour is proof that we’ve arrived.”

    The collaboration combines OML’s reputation for talent management with Bookmyshow’s data-backed audience intelligence and Tribevibe’s strong production footprint across India’s emerging markets. Together, they’re building a live comedy blueprint to rival the touring economies of the West.

    “This is about more than tickets and tours,” said Tribevibe CEO Shoven Shah. “It’s about rewriting how India consumes culture not just in big cities but across every corner of the country.”

    And it’s not just about one artist’s journey. As Rishabh Nahar, SVP at OML put it, “This is a blueprint for what’s possible. Artists building legacies. Audiences accessing quality entertainment regardless of location. Data and creativity working together. This is the future of Indian live entertainment.”

    With Khan at the helm, this isn’t just a road trip, it’s a movement on wheels. And as India’s laughter map gets redrawn city by city, one thing’s certain: this tour’s punchlines are poised to echo long after the curtains fall.

  • 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

  • Clean sweep for style as Specta and Gauri Khan surface a tough truth

    Clean sweep for style as Specta and Gauri Khan surface a tough truth

     MUMBAI: “The designer in me prefers beauty; the mother in me prefers safety.” With one evocative line, Gauri Khan slices straight into the modern Indian homeowner’s dilemma and Specta, the engineered quartz brand, serves it up with a sparkling side of design and conscience. Specta’s latest campaign, fronted by the celebrated interior designer and entrepreneur, poses a deceptively simple question: are your kitchen countertops just pretty to look at, or are they also safe enough to eat off? In an age when style and sanitation are often seen as strange bedfellows, Specta’s quartz surfaces promise to bridge that gap with panache.

    In the campaign film, Khan’s voiceover articulates the dual identities of many homeowners aesthetes and caregivers alike and challenges the idea that one must choose between elegance and everyday hygiene. Specta, with its NSF-certified, non-porous, germ- and toxin-free surfaces, makes a compelling case for having it both ways.

    “This campaign is about stirring the pot,” said Specta Quartz Surfaces founder Ankit Jain. “We use kitchen surfaces more than we realise and more roughly than we’d like to admit. Yet, the conversation around what’s safe to touch our food, and our families, is largely silent. We wanted to change that.”

    Designed with Indian kitchens in mind from oil splatters to hot pots and the occasional atta massacre, Specta’s engineered quartz promises durability without compromising on design. The surfaces have been tailored for both performance and polish, making them fit for fast-paced homes and fastidious designers alike.

    The campaign also follows Specta’s continued collaboration with Gauri Khan, including the ‘Gauri Picks’ collection that debuted at the AD Design Show 2024. It reaffirms the brand’s ambition to disrupt the surface segment one hygienic, high-fashion countertop at a time.

    So, the next time someone compliments your chic kitchen the only question worth asking might just be: “But can you eat off it?”