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  • Vikram Sakhuja to take up executive director position at Madison Media based in New Delhi

    Vikram Sakhuja to take up executive director position at Madison Media based in New Delhi

    MUMBAI: With Ajit Varghese heading back to Madison Media, this time as partner and group CEO of Madison Media & OOH, questions were being asked about the role of long-serving group CEO Vikram Sakhuja. The suspense was laid to rest a short while ago when Madison promoter Sam Balsara confirmed that Sakhuja will continue as executive director, focusing on building organisational capability from New Delhi.

    Meanwhile Balsara is quite confident about Varghese’s appointment as the agency’s leader. “Ajit has all the credentials to steer an agency like Madison into the future,” he  said, citing Varghese’s stints at Madison, GroupM, a digital publisher, and most recently JioStar. Like Sakhuja, Varghese will hold a stake in the business.

    Calling it a “homecoming”, Varghese said he was returning with a renewed mission. “The world of media is transforming at lightning speed, and Madison is uniquely poised to lead with its client-first thinking, independent spirit, and deep talent,” he said.

    Madison Media, India’s largest homegrown communications agency, is ranked the world’s fourth-largest independent media agency by Recma. It manages media planning and buying for marquee clients including Marico, Asian Paints, Titan, TVS, Godrej Properties, Pidilite, Ceat, and the BJP. Through its 11 units, Madison World served some 500 advertisers last year.

  • CNN-News18 remains undisputed leader of English News Genre

    CNN-News18 remains undisputed leader of English News Genre

    MUMBAI:  According to the latest data from the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), CNN-News18 continues to dominate the English news genre, maintaining a strong lead of 179 per cent ahead of Times Now and 79 per cent ahead of NDTV.

    As per the latest data,  CNN-News18 has outperformed its competitors NDTV 24×7 and Times Now with a market share of  41 per cent. The market share of NDTV 24×7 stood at 22.9 per cent, while Times Now stayed at just 14.7 per cent.  (Source: BARC India | MKT: India | TG: 2+ | Period: AVG Wk 29’25 |Market share%)

    With a consistent lead over its competitors, CNN-News18 has remained the undisputed leader of the English news genre, thanks to its sharp editorial focus, credible journalism, and unmatched viewer trust.

    CNN-News18 has always been the voice of the people, bringing major public issues to the forefront. Adding to its commitment is the latest initiative, #SaveOurCities, because We The People deserve better. CNN-News18’s #SaveOurCities campaign asks the tough questions: Flooded roads, traffic chaos, potholes, piles of garbage, drainage failures, crumbling infrastructure—same problems, every monsoon.

    Speaking about CNN News18’s No.1 position and its latest initiative, Zakka Jacob, Managing Editor of CNN News18, says,  “CNN-News18 has been No.1 for the last three years now. There is no competition anywhere close to us, even in the latest BARC data. The gap between the No.1 and No.2 players is wide, and I believe this is a strong affirmation of our journalism. We put citizens’ concerns first and bring their issues and concerns to the forefront. For example, our latest initiative, #SaveOurCities, focuses on the monsoon season in Delhi, Gurugram, Mumbai, Bengaluru, where urban infrastructure is completely failing with overflowing drains and flooded roads. This is the story of urban India, and urban India is tuning in to CNN-News18 to watch stories like these.”
    “We are very happy with our journalism, the kind of story we do, and we are delighted that our viewers are accepting this. The numbers reflected in the BARC ratings, where we continue to hold the No.1 spot, are proof of that,” he added.

    Led by award-winning journalists like Zakka Jacob, Anand Narasimhan, Rahul Shivshankar and Shivani Gupta, the channel has maintained its number one position in the English news genre since the resumption of BARC ratings in March 2022. In order to maintain CNN-News18’s position far ahead of its competitors, the News18 network has made substantial investments in technology and editorial resources.

     

  • Flipkart launches ‘InvoiSIS’

    Flipkart launches ‘InvoiSIS’

    MUMBAI: Rakshabandhan has always been a high-activity moment in Indian e-commerce, but over the years, the space has become crowded and undifferentiated. Most brands compete on price, speed, and generic gifting assortments. Flipkart wanted to shift the focus from discounts to what really matters – the bond between siblings.

    The idea was rooted in a simple truth that sisters do a lot for their brothers; things that often go unnoticed or unacknowledged. So this year, Flipkart launched InvoiSIS, the world’s first Rakhi invoice generator. A light-hearted, yet functional tool that lets sisters raise itemised invoices for all the favours they’ve done, from sharing their fancy skincare to saving their brothers from family drama.

    Each favour came with a certified value, calculated in collaboration with finance educator and sister CA Rachana Ranade. Sisters could then attach a Flipkart wishlist that matched their invoice total, turning emotional dues into a real-time, shoppable bill.

    At the centre of the campaign was a microsite, www.invoisis4rakhi.com, designed like an old-school Indian invoice pad in pastel colours. The flow was kept simple and inclusive. To launch it, a fun digital film featuring CA Rachana walked audiences through the idea in her signature lecture style, complete with charts, data, and a direct call to action.

    The campaign conceptualised by the DDB Mudra Group was extended through culturally relevant content, including fictional invoices for iconic sibling duos like Monica & Ross and Aisha & Kabir, meme formats, and influencer engagement, all built for sharing, not scrolling. With minimal media spend and maximum relatability, InvoiSIS encouraged more thoughtful, higher-value gifting across tech, fashion, grooming, and wearables.

    Flipkart VP – growth and marketing, Pratik Shetty said, “Rakhi is an emotionally rich moment, and we saw an opportunity to move beyond transactional gifting. With InvoiSIS, we wanted to create something sisters could truly relate to, something fun and rooted in their everyday reality. It’s not just about the product value, it’s about making that bond feel seen and celebrated.”

    DDB Mudra group creative directors, Gagandeep Bindra and Rahul Arcot added, “How much should you really spend on a Rakhi gift? We figured it should at least match the value of everything sisters do for us. So we teamed up with financial expert Rachana Ranade and put a price on all sisterly favors, letting sisters raise an invoice for what she is owed, and demand a fair gift in return.”

  • Kiran Mani to chair IAMAI’s digital entertainment committee

    Kiran Mani to chair IAMAI’s digital entertainment committee

    MUMBAI: The digital entertainment world just got a new ringmaster. The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) has announced that Kiran Mani, the CEO – digital, JioStar, will now chair its Digital Entertainment Committee. This is a rather significant appointment, as the committee is tasked with shaping the future of India’s rapidly evolving digital content ecosystem – no small feat, given the nation’s insatiable appetite for streaming.

    Mani, who also happens to be an elected Governing Council member of IAMAI and the former co-chair of the Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) committee, brings a hefty two decades of experience to the table. He’s been living and breathing at the crossroads of technology, content, and consumer behaviour for quite some time. In his current gig, he’s at the helm of JioHotstar, one of India’s largest digital entertainment platforms, which is, rather impressively, redefining how millions experience their stories.

    Joining him as co-chair is Deepit Purkayastha, co-founder & CEO, Inshorts. This pairing promises a potent blend of product, platform, and editorial expertise, which should certainly keep things interesting.

  • Agri sector spends 66 per cent on print ads in 2024, digital sees 18 per cent growth: Excellent Publicity report

    Agri sector spends 66 per cent on print ads in 2024, digital sees 18 per cent growth: Excellent Publicity report

    MUMBAI : The humble print ad is still king of the farm, it seems, as a new report from Excellent Publicity, India’s ad-tech wizards, reveals that the agriculture and farming sector splurged a whopping 66 per cent of its total ad spend on print in 2024. That’s a bumper crop of broadsheets and tabloids reaching the heart of rural India.

    The report, drawing insights from thousands of campaigns and TAM Media Research data, painted a vivid picture of the agri-sector’s media consumption habits. While print remains the sturdy backbone of advertising efforts, digital is certainly planting its seeds, showing an 18 per cent growth in 2024 over 2022. It appears even farmers are swiping right on new tech.

    North Zone proved to be the print-loving powerhouse, accounting for 35.7 per cent of total print ad spends, with the South close behind at 30.8 per cent. Regional stalwarts like Dainik Bhaskar and Eenadu continued to harvest the lion’s share of regional ad spaces, proving that local news still cuts the mustard.

    Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO) cemented its position as the top dog in print, commanding a massive 65.6 per cent share. Clearly, they’re not just fertilising crops, but ad pages too. And for those wondering, 99.4 per cent of these ads were in glorious technicolour – because even a tractor looks better in high definition – with nearly three-quarters gracing those coveted front-page spots.

    Television, however, saw a bit of a dry spell, with ad spends declining by 53 per cent in 2024 compared to 2022. Yet, insecticide brands sprayed their way to the top, seizing a 16.2 per cent share. News channels, ever the purveyors of prime-time drama, scooped up 80.4 per cent of TV ad spends. And who was the most familiar face gracing these agricultural advisories? None other than ajay devgan, whose celebrity endorsements tilled nearly 12 per cent of total TV ad durations.

    Excellent Publicity co-founder & director Vaishal Dalal commented, “The agriculture and farming sector continues to show a strong preference for traditional mediums, particularly print, which offers unparalleled reach in rural and semi-urban India. However, we are seeing growing digital adoption, especially for precision targeting and building direct engagement with the new-age farming community. The integration of digital with traditional advertising will likely shape the sector’s future media strategies.”

    Radio, that old faithful, saw a 38 per cent surge in ad spends in 2023 over 2022. Tirth Agro Technology, clearly with an ear to the ground, dominated radio waves, capturing 30 per cent of total radio ad spends in 2024. The West Zone was the loudest on radio, contributing 59.1 per cent, with My FM becoming the most preferred network. It seems radio still holds its own, proving that some classics never go out of style.

    Digital, the youthful disruptor, witnessed an 18 per cent growth in 2024 over 2022, with Jain Irrigation System leading the charge. Facebook.com, perhaps surprisingly, reaped 60.6 per cent of total digital ad spends, followed by X.com at 28 per cent. Display ads, those familiar banners and pop-ups, were the preferred format, making up 95.4 per cent of total digital ad volumes. Video, while sprouting interest, still has some growing to do. Over 190 advertisers cultivated exclusive digital campaigns in 2024, showing a clear shift towards digital-first strategies.

    The report concluded that advertising activity generally followed the agricultural calendar, peeking from May to November on TV, October to December in Print, January to March on Radio, and June to August on Digital. It seems advertisers know exactly when to sow their seeds to reap the best results.

  • iQOO appoints 25-year-old as chief gaming officer; offers Rs 10 lakh

    iQOO appoints 25-year-old as chief gaming officer; offers Rs 10 lakh

    MUMBAI: iQOO appointed Vedang Vikas Chavan, a 25-year-old eSports coach and gamer from Mumbai, has been named as iQOO’s new chief gaming officer, emerging victorious in a three-month-long search that drew over 80,000 participants from 400+ Indian cities and towns. Vedang has been tested on his gameplay skills, gaming knowledge, personality, and communication along with the other participants. As part of this role, he will take home a remuneration of Rs 10 lakh.

    Hailing from Navi Mumbai, Vedang’s journey is a story of relentless passion and perseverance. A chess prodigy in his early years, Vedang discovered gaming at age 10 and soon found himself captivated by esports. From sneaking into gaming cafés during college to representing India at international PUBG PC tournaments in Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Australia, his hustle never stopped. When he transitioned to coaching, he set out to give aspiring gamers a real shot at experiencing competitive esports. He handpicked grassroots talent and built teams from scratch, coaching them to podium finishes at top esports events. From being told he wasn’t good enough to become a sought-after leader, Vedang carved his space in a tough industry and helped others rise alongside him.

    Expressing his excitement, Vedang said, “I’m genuinely overwhelmed and grateful to be named iQOO’s new Chief Gaming Officer. When I first came across this opportunity on LinkedIn, I saw it as the perfect way to challenge myself, a chance to grow, upgrade my skills, and do something meaningful in the esports space. And the fact that it was coming from a brand like iQOO made it even more exciting. I knew I had to give it my all. I never imagined it would take me all the way here. The competition rounds were intense, and the finalists I met along the way were all incredibly talented. I’ll never forget the video call with Nipun sir congratulating me, that’s a moment I’ll always treasure. This journey has been surreal, and I’m thankful to iQOO, the jury, and everyone who believed in me. I’m excited to now take this passion forward with iQOO and give back to the community that shaped me.

    Welcoming Vedang, iQOO CEO Nipun Marya said, “This is yet another iconic moment for the Indian smartphone industry, and we are proud to welcome Vedang as our new Chief Gaming Officer. Vedang perfectly embodies the spirit of ‘I Quest On and On’. His journey from grassroots gaming to leading top teams reflects the passion and perseverance we value at iQOO. With his experience as a player, coach, and mentor, we believe he will bring a sharper understanding of the gaming community and a fresh perspective to our gaming initiatives. All of us at iQOO are excited to have him join the family, and we are  confident he will make a meaningful impact in this role.”

    From competing against 80,000+ passionate gamers to impressing a power-packed jury panel featuring Nipun Marya, Rannvijay Singha, Payal Gaming (Payal Dhare), and 8bit Thug (Animesh Agarwal), Vedang has emerged as the winner of CGO 2.0. As CGO, Vedang will work closely with iQOO’s leadership, offering insights to enhance the smartphone gaming experience and  connect with the esports ecosystem. The position will also give him the opportunity to collaborate with top gamers across India and earn a prize of Rs 10 lakhs.

    In addition to strengthening its presence in the esports space, iQOO has appointed Harshvardhan as its official caster. A passionate storyteller and presenter, Harshvardhan began his casting journey two years ago and quickly made a mark by winning the Nodwin Gaming Talent Hunt three times, including during BGIS 2024. Beyond the mic, he brings a well-rounded understanding of the esports ecosystem, skilled in production, match analysis, editing, and design. With his deep connection to the gaming community and evolving expertise, Harshvardhan will serve as a strong voice for iQOO’s gaming initiatives across platforms.

  • Tiger Balm roars for the ‘Keepers of the Wild’

    Tiger Balm roars for the ‘Keepers of the Wild’

    MUMBAI : This International Tigers Day, Tiger Balm, usually known for soothing aches, is setting its sights on a different kind of relief: giving India’s forest guards the recognition they sorely deserve. Ad agency BC Web Wise has launched a stirring new campaign, “Keepers of the Wild,” that’s purr-fectly pitched to honour these unsung heroes of conservation.

    Crafted entirely by BCWW, the campaign features two evocative line-art films. Narrated from the tiger’s perspective, these aren’t about romanticising the jungle, but about giving a nod to the humans who make the big cats’ survival possible. Alongside supporting social content, the films offer a rare glimpse into a truly wild relationship, one built on mutual respect, care, and staunch protection.

    BC Web Wise creative director Sonali Banerji shared, “We wanted to create something that didn’t just talk at the audience, but made them feel — feel the weight of the silence, the solitude, the strength it takes to protect something as fierce as the wild. The tiger’s voice in this campaign isn’t loud  it’s layered. Just like the work these forest guards do.”

    Gardenia board brand & marketing expert and advisor, Pankaj Bhawnani shared, “This isn’t a story about tigers alone. It’s about the people we rarely see. The ones who stay back, stay still, or step away when it matters most. Through this campaign, we wanted to bring out that emotional undercurrent of conservation. Because sometimes, respect is the greatest form of protection.”

    At its core, “Keepers of the Wild” reflects Tiger Balm’s own ethos, care that’s constant, quiet, and deeply human. The campaign doesn’t rely on spectacle, but on sincerity, and invites audiences to rethink what it truly means to be a guardian of the wild.

    Gardenia Cosmotrade LLP (exclusive distributors of Tiger Balm in India) Designated Partner,  Puneet Motiani said, “For over a century, Tiger Balm has been associated with relief and this campaign is an extension of that legacy. It’s about recognising the invisible strain that forest guards endure, and acknowledging the care they offer  not just to the animals, but to the entire ecosystem. We’re proud to stand behind a campaign that speaks with so much heart.”

    At its core, “Keepers of the Wild” mirrors Tiger Balm’s own philosophy: care that’s constant, quiet, and profoundly human. The campaign eschews flashy spectacle for genuine sincerity, inviting audiences to rethink what it truly means to be a guardian of the wild.

    Puneet Motiani, designated partner at Gardenia Cosmotrade LLP (exclusive distributors of Tiger Balm in India), noted, “For over a century, Tiger Balm has been associated with relief, and this campaign is an extension of that legacy. It’s about recognising the invisible strain that forest guards endure, and acknowledging the care they offer – not just to the animals, but to the entire ecosystem. We’re proud to stand behind a campaign that speaks with so much heart.”

    Following last year’s successful #EyeOfTheTiger campaign, this year’s narrative paws to deepen the admiration for forest guards, offering a unique perspective from the very creatures they protect. Through “Keepers Of The Wild,” it’s clear that sometimes, #ToughAsATiger isn’t just about raw power, but about presence – showing up for the wild, and leaving ample space for it to thrive.

  • Google says it prepared to open Play Store gates for real-money gaming in India

    Google says it prepared to open Play Store gates for real-money gaming in India

    MUMBAI: Google has told India’s competition watchdog it is finalising a business model to accommodate the country’s booming real-money gaming (RMG) sector, in a proposal that could see all permissible formats return to the Play Store. The Competition Commission of India (CCI), which is conducting an ongoing antitrust probe, has invited public comments on Google’s plan until 20 August.

    All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) chief executive Roland Landers  called the move “a timely and welcome step” toward a fairer and more transparent digital ecosystem. He noted that Google’s recognition of certificates issued by self-regulatory bodies such as the All India Skill Gaming Council (AISGC) would “empower responsible operators, support innovation, and ensure a safer experience for Indian consumers.”

    The AISGC, chaired by a former supreme court justice, has since 2018 applied a detailed legal and analytical framework to determine whether a game qualifies as one of skill under Indian law.

    AIGF, the country’s largest and oldest gaming industry body, said the proposal could lower entry barriers, level the playing field for smaller firms, and boost jobs and digital inclusion. The federation represents more than 120 members, including many MSME startups, who together serve over 40 crore Indian gamers and are collectively valued at more than $10 billion.

    If the CCI approves the plan, India’s gaming sector — long hobbled by inconsistent platform policies — could be set for a growth spurt.