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Tag: ambassadors

  • Indian govt presents Waves 2025 to 100 ambassadors and high commissioners

    Indian govt presents Waves 2025 to 100 ambassadors and high commissioners

    MUMBAI: In a glitzy push to make India the hotbed of global media action, the government rolled out the red carpet for its ambitious World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (Waves) 2025  today at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi in the presence of 100 ambassadors and high commissioners. MIB officials made a  hard sales pitch  to prod them and make them realise that the Indian government is extremely serious about Waves 2025 and they in turn should carry this message back to their national governments and ensure robust participation from their respective countries. 

    Waves 2025—set to make a splash in Mumbai from 1 to 4  May 2025—promises to be a star-studded affair that will see the worlds of tech, media and entertainment collide in spectacular fashion.

    Union minister for external affairs S. Jaishankar didn’t mince words about the summit’s significance: “Economic and political rebalancing is moving towards cultural balancing. We are not truly global if we are not truly local. Waves 2025 captures the spirit of this endeavour.”  

    He urged the ambassadors and high commissioners to familiarise their governments regarding the opportunities of global collaborations courtesy the Waves 2025 initiative.

    Meanwhile, information & broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw turned up the heat, declaring that “the intersection of creativity, media and technology is transforming the media landscape of the world and reaching a new level of convergence.” He teased that “some of the biggest names” in the industry would be gracing the Mumbai bash.

    Not to be outdone, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis jumped into the fray, drumming up Mumbai’s credentials as the “financial and entertainment capital of India” that serves as the “perfect backdrop” for the summit.

    “Waves 2025 is a movement,” Fadnavis proclaimed, while welcoming the establishment of the Indian Institute of Creative Technology which the government has committed to set up in Mumbai with Rs 391 crore being allocated for it. He expressed hope that “media will continue to be a force for good,” in a world where technology and creativity are increasingly getting into bed together.

    Minister of state for information & broadcasting, L. Murugan effusively stepped up to say that Waves  2025 will open  the door  “to joint ventures, co-productions, and business expansion, enabling global media companies to engage with India’s creative sector.  We remain steadfast in creating a conducive environment for the M&E industry, supporting ease of doing business, content localisation, and infrastructure development.”

    Information & broadcasting secretary Sanjay Jaju revealed that the four-day extravaganza will feature multiple tracks designed to make waves across the industry:
    * A global media dialogue featuring ministers and policymakers
    * Thought leaders Track with knowledge-sharing sessions
    * Waves exhibition showcasing storytelling innovations
    * Bharat pavilion highlighting India’s media heritage
    * Waves  Bazaar to facilitate business networking
    * WaveXcelerator to back media startups with mentorship and moolah
    * Waves Culturals featuring performances that blend Indian and international talent

    Also present was  Maharashtra government chief secretary Sujata Sauni who exchanged a memorandum of understanding relating to Waves 2025 with Jaju. 

    The organisers are also playing up Waves 2025’s integration with the orange economy, positioning the summit as a catalyst for economic growth and job creation through creative industries.

    With Mumbai ready to throw open its doors to thought leaders grappling with issues from AI to streaming revolutions, intellectual property rights, misinformation, and media sustainability, Waves 2025 is gearing up to be the first summit of its kind to tackle these hot-button issues by promoting cultural diversity, innovation, and equitable access to media platforms.

    As the countdown begins, all eyes are now on whether this media matrimony can truly deliver on its lofty promise of becoming “the biggest unifying factor between country to country, people to people and culture to culture in the digital age.”

  • #Throwback2020: India’s Top Brand Ambassadors

    #Throwback2020: India’s Top Brand Ambassadors

    New Delhi: Brand ambassadors – they are the icons, the celebrities which consumers associate with a brand because they extoll its virtues on television, print, and digital adverts. The role of any and every brand ambassadorin 2020 came with added responsibilities than ever before. They were not just selling products or services but trust and assurance to the potential customer that whatever they are promoting  is safe to use in the times of coronavirus.

    It is to their credit that  many of them stepped forward on the government’s call for social messaging, telling the homebound to stay that way and resort to social distancing,  masks and extreme sanitisation  measures every time they stepped out.

    While expensive, expansive shoots were a no-no for about four months in the early stages of the pandemic, many celebs found innovative ways to continue filming from their homes with the help of remotely located directors and production teams, Once the unlock orders were passed and proper standard operating procedures put in place for TV commercial and other shoots, the brand ambassador band played out in full swing. Several brands roped in new ambassadors this year and several new ambassadors started shining on air.

    Here are India’s op 10 brand ambassadorsin terms of ad volume on TV according to Tam data (from Jan 2020 – Nov 2020).

    Akshay Kumar

    The 50 plus year old actor has emerged as the king of endorsements in the Bollywood fraternity. He is associated with brands across different categories such as Protein Plus, Dollar Industries, RB, CarDekho, Honda, Nirma, Pagarbook and several others. Kumar has a kitty of over 20 brands including traditional and new-age brands.

    Known for his discipline, fitness, and integrity the actor’s credibility reached its peak when he interviewed prime minister Narendra Modi at his residence just before the 2019 general elections. Over the years his fan base has increased and brands have found him to be a credible face when it comes to creating a strong recall.

    Virat Kohli

    The current Indian cricket team captain is one of the most successful brand ambassadors from the world of cricket. He represents a variety of virtues such as discipline, aggression, commitment, team-player, and most recently soon-to-be-father. Kohli has been breaking multiple records and cricket experts across the world have been lauding his success.

    Going by the latest reports, his brand value is above Rs 320 crore and is slated to grow as he has a good number of years left in his career before his retirement. Kohli endorses brands like Great Learning, Blue Star, WellMan, Himalaya Men, Google Duo, MPL, Shyam Steel, Amaze inverters and batteries, Puma, Hero MotoCorp, Colgate, Volini, Too Yumm, Wrogn, Tissot, Audi, Royal Challenge.

    Kareena Kapoor

    The leading lady of Bollywood is one of the most expensive ambassadors in the industry. Kapoor represents virtues such as finesse, quality, beauty, glamour and fitness. She has been in the industry for over 20 years and has emerged as a big influencer and commands a very strong social following. A brand report in August clearly stated that Kapoor leads the brand endorsement chart among the women in Bollywood. She endorses brands such as Lux, Puma, Vectus Group, RB, Airbnb, Prega News, VIP Bags, and others.

    Amitabh Bachchan

    He is known as the evergreen brand ambassador of the industry. Bachchan is the easiest choice for any brand manager to make since he cuts across multiple age-groups, communities and commands an unwavering love and respect from the audiences. He represents virtues such as patience, calmness, commitment, etiquettes, politeness, friendly, family man, elderly and many other things. He is among the veterans in the industry and commands an ability to shift the needle of sales on any product. Some of the brands that he endorses are – Ghadi Detergent, Dr Fixit, FirstCry, Gujrat Tourism, RBI, TVS and others. He has a kitty of over 15 brands.

    Kiara Advani

    She is the new girl on the endorsement block. Advani emerged in the industry with her performance in Kabir Singh and since then has bagged multiple roles in films and contracts from brands. She represents youth and beauty. Advani is associated with Myntra, Colgate, Limca, Priyagold, boat, Giordano Handbags, and others.

    Ranveer Singh

    He is one of the most revered youth icons the industry has seen in a long time. Be it his dressing sense, commitment towards maintaining his shape, love towards his lady lass, Singh is much followed by youth (both male and female) across geographies. Singh represents virtues such as – living the moment, lively nature, commitment, carefree attitude, and others. He is undoubtedly the darling of brands. Some of the brands that he represents are Harman JBL, Thums Up, Jio, Eduauraa, Royal Stag, BigMuscles Nutrition, Astral Pipes, Bingo, Ching’s, Kotak Mahindra, Siyaram’s and others.

    Alia Bhatt

    They hated her, they trolled her and then finally they started liking her. Alia Bhatt has emerged as a popular brand ambassador in the last three years. She is followed by youth and cuts across the age group of 18 – 30 years old. She is associated with brands such as PhonePe, MakeMyTrip, Lux, Nestle, Capresse, JSW Paints, Tresemme, Vicco, and others.

    MS Dhoni

    He is the legend of Indian cricket has etched a name for himself in the history books. The story of a boy rising from a small town to the highest levels of the game is nothing less than inspirational. Audiences have always loved this story and brands have backed it. Despite retirement from cricket (minus the 20:20 format) Dhoni still represents virtues like leadership, skills, calmness, patience, sportsman spirit, family man, mentor and much more. He has been associated with brands such as India Cements, PokerStar, Oppo, Khatabook, GoDaddy, Snickers and others.

    Anushka Sharma

    The soon-to-be-mother and a popular Bollywood actor has emerged as a top ambassador this year on the back of Prega News spending heavily on advertising. The brand immediately signed Sharma as she broke the news of her pregnancy and launched a massive campaign with her.

    Shraddha Kapoor

    She is one of the most under-rated actors of Bollywood and was seen in almost all the big box-office hits of 2018 and 2019. Kapoor has built her brand saliency step-by-step and has emerged as one of the most popular and credible faces of the industry. She represents hard work, persistence, patience, beauty, glamour, fitness and other such virtues. Kapoor represents brands such as The Body Shop, Vogue Eyewear, 2bme, Lakme, Veet, Hair & Care, Hershey’s,