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Tag: CEO

  • Prasar Bharati appoints Gaurav Dwivedi as CEO

    Prasar Bharati appoints Gaurav Dwivedi as CEO

    Mumbai: Prasar Bharati on Monday announced the appointment of Gaurav Dwivedi as chief executive officer (CEO). The appointment will be effective on the date he takes over the office and will last for five years.

    Presently, Dwivedi is in charge of MyGov, the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY). Additionally, he handles the government’s citizen engagement platform.

    “In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of Section 4 of the Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Act, 1990, read with sub- section (4) of Section 4 and sub-section (2A) of Section 6 of that Act, the president, on the recommendation of the selection committee, is pleased to appoint Gaurav Dwivedi, IAS (CH:95) as the executive member (chief executive officer) in Prasar Bharati with effect from the date he assumes charge of the office, for a term of five years,” the MIB said in a statement.

    “The terms and conditions of his appointment shall be governed by the provisions of the Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Act, 1990, and the rules made thereunder, as amended from time to time,” the statement added.

    Dwivedi is a Chhattisgarh cadre IAS officer from the 1995 batch. He has worked in Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh in various capacities.

    He has also taught at the IAS Training Academy, LBSNAA, Mussoorie.

    He has received the prime minister’s award for administrative excellence.

  • Mass layoffs undoubtedly tarnish a brand’s image

    Mass layoffs undoubtedly tarnish a brand’s image

    Mumbai: Seems like Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter has proved to be ominous! Ever since the business tycoon took the reins of the social media company in his hands and sacked a hefty number of employees, the news hasn’t been too favourable for the workforce of most digital and information technology (IT) companies. Not that it was any better before that. The last three months have been exceptionally bleak for IT personnel in India and across the globe. In a conversation with Indiantelevision.com, industry experts gauge factors concerning brand image and brand trust in such a situation.

    To put things in perspective, as per Layoffs.fyi Tracker, around 787 companies across the world have let go of a total of 1,20,699 employees this year. Majority of them owe this to the global recession that the world is undergoing.

    Meta, which had employed 87,000 people across the globe as of September, has fired the most number of employees ever done by any organisation—it sacked more than 11,000 employees, which is about 13 per cent of the social media firm’s global task force. Its Indian counterpart was affected too. The company has also decided to freeze hiring until Q1’24. The company’s feeble Q3 performance and a rise in the overall costs of the firm by a fifth in the previous quarter made Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg take such a step.

    After Musk stepped in at the helm of Twitter, he dismissed about 3,700 employees (including the top-level management of the firm), which amounts to about 50 per cent of the company’s overall working strength. The marketing and communications team of the social media company’s India bureau was shown the exit door; a total of 180 people were fired from the Indian office. Musk reasoned that he couldn’t let the firm lose four million dollars a day.

    Very recently, media and entertainment conglomerate Walt Disney announced a layoff as well as a freeze in its hiring process. The firm’s chief executive, Bob Chapek, made this decision as part of a cost-cutting measure as the firm’s streaming business goes through losses.

    Computer software major, Microsoft, fired around 1,000 employees across multiple divisions last month, owing to setting business priorities and making structural adjustments. According to some media reports, chip maker Intel, was also considering job cuts by 20 per cent in the previous month. The organisation went through a dip in sales and profits in its second quarter performance this year.

    Salesforce, an enterprise software company that had previously thought of sacking about 2,500 people, has let go of about 1,000 personnel. In what could be termed as a hypocritical scheme of events, edtech company Byju’s has fired about 2,500 employees in the name of cost-cutting and in turn hired one of the most expensive brand endorsers in the world, celebrity footballer Lionel Messi, for its social initiative.

    Unacademy, the SoftBank-backed edtech giant, laid off about 10 per cent of its workforce, or about 350 employees, in accordance with the current funding crisis that is being faced by start-ups.

    Udaan, a B2B e-commerce platform that raised $120 million last month, decided to forego hiring about 350 employees.

    Also, media reports suggest that Snap, the company that runs Snapchat, was considering downsizing its staff by 20 per cent, in August. This was due to the 80 per cent drop in its stock price this year.

    Affecting brand image

    Considering that these are not just sizeable firms but also successful brands in their respective domains, how does this chain of mass layoffs affect the brand image of these companies?

    Brand guru and Samsika Marketing Consultants founder, chairman & managing director Jagdeep Kapoor explains that every company represented by a brand has two types of customers. External customers who are consumers. Internal customers who are employees.

    “The brand’s image gets affected by both external customers (consumers) and internal customers (employees). Brands are built in the minds and hearts of customers. Any such large layoffs affect and shake hearts and minds, and hence the brand image does get affected,” he cites.

    He adds, “Ultimately, companies are showcased through brands, which are served by employees and consumed by consumers. This kind of ‘earthquake’ leads to a ‘shake’ of internal and external confidence and faith. Instead of the brand being in the ‘make’ mode, it goes into the ‘shake’ mode.”

    Sideways Consulting co-founder Abhijit Avasthi agrees that for certain brands, the image gets dented. “For the established tech companies, the consumer brand might not be affected that much, but the employer brand will take a beating for sure. For the newer ones, like the edtech ones, the consumer brand will suffer big time as well because it will raise questions about their ability to deliver the service well,” he points out.

    Communications consultancy, Treize Communications founder & CEO Sonam Shah believes that while this does affect the brand’s image to a certain extent, employees today are more accepting of the fact that they can lose their jobs at any time.

    She believes that if this is handled sensitively, the brand will not have a difficult time managing its public image. She goes on, “Public memory is short, and there is enough and more for the audience to read and talk about. Once people get new jobs and the situation gets better, the brand can work on reviving its brand image easily.”

    Advocacy platform, Socxo chief marketing officer Ajit Narayan, feels that the layoffs all around will have a negative buzz, as is natural. And these are not one or two but in thousands. “People will talk about it. For a while. But then, as with everything else, people’s memories are short. And life goes on as usual. Depending on the company and how they manage the situation. And if they do turn around. Then all will be forgotten,” he emphasises.

    He spells out, “The ‘be negative’ impact will be temporary. More like a setback. The ones that ease out of it better will be the ones that show empathy for those being told to go. And then there will be those who will be ego-driven. And if the turnaround does not bring results, they will carry the negative image with them.”

    Building trust

    By taking such harsh steps in terms of downsizing, how easy or difficult will it be for these firms to revive their brand name and build trust after being splashed about so negatively in the media and undoubtedly through word-of-mouth too?

    Avasthi is of the opinion that it will take a fair bit of time. “Companies very often confuse increasing awareness with trust. Big budget splashes can help you build awareness, but earning trust takes time and patience and consistently delivering the goods with integrity,” he reiterates.

    “Trust is another word for a brand. It takes decades to build brands and trust. It just takes a moment to let it slide. Building a brand or an organisation is difficult. Re-building it is even tougher because a lot of intangibles like feelings, emotions, and sentiments also need to be rebuilt, not only of internal and external customers but also of their families,” Kapoor highlights.

    On the contrary, Shah thinks, “It will not be a very difficult road, but a lot of this depends on the business model of the company and if the company needs to restructure its core offerings or work on escalating the current ones.”

    Narayan, too, thinks that this is a temporary phase, and most of the brands will come out of it over the next few quarters. “Also the market reality and future plans will have a major impact. There is a recession looming large, and this and other stories now will be washed away if that becomes a reality,” he specifies.

    Layoffs particularly in the digital and IT industry

    There is an economic recession across the globe, which has affected and continues to affect a lot of industries. Surprisingly, most of these layoffs seem to be happening in the digital and IT industries. What could be the reason behind this?

    Avasthi mentions that the reasons for the layoffs vary from company to company, so one can’t attribute them to any generic reason. However, he brings out, “Broadly speaking, for some of the newer venture capital (VC) funded startups, it’s simply because they were badly run businesses that were trying to move ahead of themselves—trying to do too much in too little time—chasing unrealistic, unsustainable growth. There is a sense of misplaced arrogance that some of the founders had; it’s catching up with them.”

    “For the big, established tech giants, I feel it’s another manifestation of insatiable capitalist greed. I can understand layoffs to save a sinking ship, but if you are sitting on billions of dollars, I can’t comprehend why it’s not okay to make a little less money for a few years and let people keep their livelihoods till optimal solutions are found. But then that’s a larger philosophical debate,” he expresses.

    According to Narayan, tech is the industry which has given large scale employment and also the large paychecks. “The industry has been driven by the scale and adoption idea and not profitability. To achieve scale and the speed at which it is being envisaged, it needs people. So they hired for scaling plans,” he brings out.

    Further, he points out, “The ‘what if’ of growth not leading to profitability had been discounted. And that is what is playing up as access to capital dries up. And demand for profitability goes up. Business is driven by profits. And the leaders of the business will have to keep that in focus as they run their businesses. Not just fancy talk of scale, growth, and adoption. This is the hard truth.”

    Shah sheds light on some facts – the layoff spree has been frequently happening within the start-up and tech space. There was a phase for a few years, pre-pandemic, where IT companies and even start-ups had a series of layoffs. Pink slips were shown to employees.

    She says, “The market and economic conditions are too dynamic for job stability, especially in the IT and tech sector. People who join here are aware of this. So what’s important here is how the process is executed and if all the HR policies and compensations are in place or not.”

    “These things have happened in many industries. But the service sector, which is dependent on people, gets affected and highlighted more. But these companies and brands will rebound back after a time lag. One will have to watch to see whether these companies and brands have a permanent layoff or just a time lag off,” Kapoor signs off.

  • ASCI reveals dark patterns used by digital platforms that cause consumer harm

    ASCI reveals dark patterns used by digital platforms that cause consumer harm

    Mumbai: An extensive discussion paper released by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), the self-regulatory body of the advertising industry, has highlighted how UI/UX deployed by digital platforms could manipulate consumer choices and consumption patterns.

    According to the paper, these manipulative tactics or dark patterns come in many forms and are present across multiple platforms. Practices like drip pricing, trick questions, nagging, disguised ads, bait and switch, among others, are just some of the commonly found dark patterns on the internet.

    With online commerce growing rapidly, consumers’ vulnerability to such practices is increasing. In FY 2021-22, 29 per cent of the advertisements processed by ASCI were disguised by influencers as regular content, which is also a part of dark patterns in advertising. Categories found to be major violators were cryptocurrency, personal care, fashion and e-commerce.

    Taking note of the growing global concerns around such practices, ASCI formed a 12-member task force comprising stakeholders from different tech platforms, legal experts, civil society and domain experts. The task force examined key issues related to dark patterns to understand which of these practices potentially violate the ASCI code which inter-alia states: “Advertisements shall not be framed so as to abuse the trust of consumers or exploit their lack of experience or knowledge.”

    Not all dark patterns fall under the domain of advertising and hence may be out of ASCI’s remit, however, they could amount to unfair trade practices which compromise consumer interest. ASCI hopes that in the near future, such dark patterns will be addressed by the regulators as they see appropriate in the interest of consumer protection.

    ASCI has outlined 4 key practices that it intends to address through expanding its code: namely drip pricing, bait and switch, false urgency and disguised advertising. ASCI has invited comments from all stakeholders and the members of the public on this proposed expansion of the ASCI code. One could send their comments to contact@ascionline.in; the last date to receive these comments is 31 December.

    ASCI CEO and secretary general Manisha Kapoor said, “There is a thin line between dark patterns and legitimate targeting and persuasion tactics. Dark patterns cause consumer harm and with the ever-increasing presence of advertising on digital platforms, these are now under sharp scrutiny of ad-regulators around the world. Eventually dark patterns ruin consumer experience and increase abandonments, and make the consumer suspicious of the online space. By choosing fair practices that enhance both consumer and shareholder value, brands can develop sustainable ways of consumer engagement. ASCI continues its investment in technology to track and monitor digital advertising to help keep the online experience safe for consumers.”

    The paper cites examples provided by UX experts of alternative practices that are fair to consumers and that can be adopted by brands. These alternatives can clean up the online space of malicious patterns and build consumer confidence in the digital world.

  • Meta lays off 11,000 employees which equals 13% of its workforce

    Meta lays off 11,000 employees which equals 13% of its workforce

    Mumbai: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has sacked about 11,000 employees, which is about 13 per cent of the company’s workforce.

    As per media reports, in an official statement, Zuckerberg said, “Today I’m sharing some of the most difficult changes we’ve made in Meta’s history. I’ve decided to reduce the size of our team by about 13 per cent and let more than 11,000 of our talented employees go. We are also taking a number of additional steps to become a leaner and more efficient company by cutting discretionary spending and extending our hiring freeze through Q1.”

    This is considered to be one of the largest layoffs in the US this year. As of September, Meta employed over 87,000 people across the globe.

    As stated in media reports, Zuckerberg informed employees on Tuesday about the job cuts. The social media company is looking at slashing costs after its feeble Q3 performance and due to the rise in the overall costs of the firm by a fifth in the previous quarter.

    He added, “I want to take accountability for these decisions and for how we got here. I know this is tough for everyone, and I’m especially sorry to those impacted.”

    This mass firing comes some weeks after one of Meta’s largest shareholders, Altimeter Capital, wrote to Zuckerberg highlighting the need to cut costs at the company.

    In an open letter, Altimeter Capital founder & CEO Brad Gerstner mentioned, “Meta has drifted into the land of excess—too many people, too many ideas, too little urgency. This lack of focus and fitness is obscured when growth is easy, but deadly when growth slows and technology changes.”

    He had suggested that Meta would have to cut jobs and reduce capital expenditure to stay on track. This comes at a time when the social media firm is struggling with the current economic slowdown.

    The social media company, Twitter, under the new reign of Elon Musk, laid off a hefty number of employees across its offices. Biggies like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft have also announced a freeze in hiring.

  • GUEST ARTICLE: How do small businesses get benefited through influencer marketing?

    GUEST ARTICLE: How do small businesses get benefited through influencer marketing?

    Mumbai: Influencer marketing is not always about celebrities endorsing goods and services for big brands. In fact, the new way of marketing in the digital world is accessible to anyone, regardless of the business’ size.

    Marketing and brand promotion are major factors, even for small businesses and start-ups. One of the most effective ways to do promotion on social media is to involve influencers. Some are still sceptical about influencer marketing as they think it’s costly, or they simply don’t know where to start or where to look for the best suitable influencer. The truth is that it’s the other way around: small businesses can actually benefit a lot from influencer marketing.

    How can micro-influencers contribute?

    Micro influencers are content creators with an online community of 10,000 to 100,000 followers. Their follower count might seem inadequate compared to celebrity influencers, but the dedicated social following of micro-influencers has proved to be quite effective, mainly for small businesses. Micro-influencers have a more active and focused audience. Promoting your brand or business with the suitable micro-influencer will provide adequate visibility and help improve business.

    1. Micro-influencers are the right choice for promoting small-scale businesses, as they are more effective than celebrity influencers.

    2. Micro-influencer campaigns are cost effective and easy to start or handle.

    3. They have a strong and focused niche audience, hence, the brand gets relevant social interactions.

    Why should small businesses partner with influencers?

    There are many reasons for start-ups to stake their claim in the creator economy. From increasing profits to accelerating brand awareness, the possibilities are endless.

    Make your brand stand-out and share your story

    It doesn’t matter if you have a lot of competition or lack proper brand awareness, social media influencers can help a lot in introducing your brand or business to the market and explaining the benefits of doing business with you.

    Influencers are excellent storytellers, that’s why people love their content. They can use the same storytelling skills to promote your business in a meaningful manner. People are able to retain more data when they receive it through stories. Influencers are the best option to share your brand story and make you stand-out among your competitors.

    Return on marketing investment

    Spending money on marketing and not acquiring increased sales is a hard time for every marketer and company. Influencer marketing, on the other hand, is a proven and effective strategy to reap the benefits of a return on marketing investment.

    When you are a small business, you lack the budget to try out different marketing strategies. Hence, trying a strategy (influencer marketing) that is already proven gives you a substantial return. It’s a worth trying strategy for small businesses when there is a promised return on marketing investment, or ROI.

    Brand Authenticity

    Brand authenticity is the kind of trust every business desires. For small businesses, it takes time to build trust. The best way to track trust-building is to ensure that your customers see your brand or business as authentic. Choosing any influencer isn’t enough. Partnering with the right influencer who aligns with your business niche will only make the brand authentic.

    People will no longer trust the influencer or brand if the endorsement seems inauthentic. Proper influencer marketing can help build third-party credibility and trust with an audience looking for resources from your market.

    Visible and Cut Through the Noise

    Traditional ads have become annoying for digital natives. That’s the reason most users block ads. Ad blocking makes surfing easier and more comfortable, but it’s not so comfortable for advertisers. Even if a consumer or user is interested in your product, they might never get to see the ad just because their ad blocker kicked it out or they are overloaded with content.

    Influencer marketing comes into play in this scenario. If the user sees an influencer they like promoting your product, they will definitely watch it. Social media is run by the opinions of its network, which includes influencers. So if you choose an influencer who loves your product, their customers will know that the product is worth checking out. When influencers share your brand story, their network of followers will get familiar with your business, and the more their content engages, the greater your customer acquisition.

    Influencer marketing is affordable, effective, and, moreover, worth the investment. You are bound to find impactful brand ambassadors and spokespersons when you start doing purposeful influencer research online.

    The author of this article is My Haul Store founder & CEO Abhishek Vyas.

  • Twitter sacks slew of people across teams in India

    Twitter sacks slew of people across teams in India

    Mumbai: In another series of ‘Twitter’ events, billionaire Elon Musk has sacked a hefty number of people across the marketing and communications team of the social media group’s India office.

    Considering the slew of proceedings, Musk has been on a sacking spree with a firm intention to cut costs.

    Indiantelevision.com tried contacting a senior executive from the Twitter India team, but there was no response.

    In this chain, Twitter US senior director – global head of consumer product marketing Justin Taylor also revealed in a Tweet that today was his last day at the social media platform.  His tweet reads, “Today was my last day at Twitter. Proud of the work I did, and the people I worked with, especially my team. My DM’s are open for any new opportunities, but for now will take the weekend to appreciate what matters most, my family.”

    Musk, who took over Twitter last week, hasn’t spoken publicly about layoffs. As soon as he stepped foot in and purchased the social media firm for $44 billion, Musk has fired the people at the helm of the firm – CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal and head of legal affairs and policy Vijaya Gadde. Ever since, rumours have been rife that employees would be laid off from the company, and approximately 25 per cent to 75 per cent employees would lose their job, as per reports.

  • A human appeal + a priced blue tick verification: Elon Musk’s evolving Twitter strategy

    A human appeal + a priced blue tick verification: Elon Musk’s evolving Twitter strategy

    Mumbai: Business baron Elon Musk has caught the world in a frenzy with the daily evolution of his Twitter strategy.

    From entering the social media company’s headquarters with a sink in his hand, his human appeal to advertisers on Twitter, him firing senior executives from the company since day one of his takeover, forming a content moderation council for Twitter, suggesting to charge a $20 fee for verification to becoming the sole director at Twitter after firing the board of directors and finally proposing a price tag of $8 for a blue tick verification on the social media portal – Musk has changed the face of Twitter drastically within the last week.

    One could only wonder what else the social media company has to go through under Musk’s reign. In a confab with industry veterans, I set out to explore the nitty gritty of Musk’s appeal to advertisers, wherein he claims that he wants to use the social media platform for the betterment of humanity, and also the blue-tick verification priced at eight dollars, which has led to a storm of reviews across the advertising fraternity.

    Discussing the human plea that Musk has made to advertisers, it’s an obvious point to ponder what could be going on in the minds of the several advertisers/brands that take to Twitter for their publicity purposes. Madison World vice president Kosal Malladi understands that Musk is a businessman at the end of the day. “He has said all the right things, but the intention is clear. How will he show better ads unless he collects more data? And collecting more data will mean more control over what people say. And this will mean having the power to veer conversations either towards the right or left basis of your agenda,” he brings out.

    Tonic Worldwide CEO Chetan Asher emphasises, “Advertisers are watching the developments at Twitter with keen interest. But it is too early for them to react to his appeal. His actions in the next few days in making Twitter advertiser-friendly will matter more than any appeal.”

    Thought Blurb Communications founder and chief creative officer Vinod Kunj seconds Asher’s opinion, he thinks that the overall sentiment among advertisers is “wait and watch.” He points out, “Musk’s public statements of purpose and actual actions seem to be surprisingly at odds with each other. The troubles of social media have always been about self-editing or the lack of it, quite unlike professional media. Freedom of speech is all very well as long as it is regulated by a mature journalistic authority. That is flagrantly absent in social media, hence the series of crises attributed to these platforms over the years.”

    Restricted brand opinion/advertising or not?

    Needless to say, the natural question pops up in the mind: Would this human appeal restrict a brand’s opinion or a brand’s advertising in any way?

    Malladi refutes that this could impact a brand’s advertising in any way. “In today’s world, a brand is always very careful about the opinion it puts out. At this stage, human appeal will in no way change the way we advertise. A brand will continue to be careful until such a time where opinions do not have a direct and immediate negative repercussion on its sales,” he clarifies.

    Asher feels otherwise. “While he assured the advertisers in his note that Twitter cannot become a “free-for-all hellscape,” brands will take a cautious approach as it’s not clear what his plans for moderation are. The fact that he has hinted at tweaking the advertising model on the platform also adds to the confusion,” he points out.

    Kunj feels that it puts the onus of caution on the brand. He says, “With one sweeping stroke, advertisers will have lost the ability to control the quality of discourse in the conversation. On one hand, brands actively seek out reviews, opinions, and experiences from customers. Twitter allows us to respond to issues in real-time.”

    “But there have always been issues that Twitter has been able to clamp down on. Fashion brands can face the brunt of sexist comments, and lifestyle brands have come under heated fire from conservative thinking. And then there is always the incipient fear that customers will turn on each other with opinion clashes leading to personal attacks,” he adds.

    Sensible step or not?

    Also, as part of this discussion, is this human appeal a sensible step taken by Musk with the thought of helping advertisers not get off the platform and to avoid any kind of extremist views on it?

    Malladi thinks that the problem Twitter has been facing due to its “lack of control” is that advertisers have started seeing it as a negative platform. Two factors will play an important role in attracting advertisers. One, is the overall “negativity” going down on Twitter? And second, is there enough of your audience on Twitter?

    “Point number one is under Musk’s control. But in the process, he needs to ensure that people do not leave the platform. In fact, he needs to figure out a way to grow the base. If that happens, brands will advertise. Sensible step or not, only time will tell,” he specifies.

    Kunj chooses to give in to cautious optimism. He elucidates, “I don’t imagine this allows advertisers to be more or less free. Advertising communication will always cater to the centre of the mean. It doesn’t help to cater to the fringe. If and when the fringe becomes the norm, things might change.”

    The human appeal – good or not?

    Speaking about whether he is in favour of human appeal or not, Malladi is of the opinion that, as a business, Musk needs to change the narrative of Twitter. So he has taken the logical step. Further, he says, “We can find loopholes in his appeal, see through his appeal, but the intention is clear. And he will need to make a few more such statements and eventually show some real change for brands to start getting really comfortable.”

    Giving a thumbs up to the human plea, Asher is of the view that Musk recognises that advertising is the fuel that is vital for Twitter, and hence the outreach to allay the fears, and was a move in the right direction.

    Kunj explains, “Advertising has always tried to push boundaries. Sometimes we get it right, but not always. The further we stretch the band, the greater the chance for it to snap. It’s like advertising underwear. There is a thin line between flirty-sexy and downright obscene. It’s that notional thin line that we never cross. Musk’s appeal may be to persuade advertisers to go ahead and cross it anyway.”

    Blue tick verification at $8

    The blue tick verification has been priced at eight dollars, and this fee applies only to USA-based Twitter users. Musk stated that the membership fee would vary in different countries according to the respective nations’ purchasing power parity. What does this entail for advertisers/brands, content providers, and obviously the users of Twitter? Malladi fathoms that it makes it much easier for anyone to get a blue-tick verification now. “These users/brands get additional benefits. In a way, blue tick seems to be a subscription model, hence an additional revenue stream for Twitter. Brands will also get even more audience understanding, and hence the ability to target better,” he describes.

    On the contrary, Kunj of Thought Blurb Communications feels that this makes absolutely no sense. This is like a bank charging you for KYC every month. Or the government charging you a monthly fee on your passport to accept that you are a citizen. There is no call for it. “Either I am who I claim to be, or I am not. This doesn’t change by the month. Unless Musk intends to make Twitter subscription a tradeable commodity, which might be a whole different bag of beans,” he suggests.

    Blue tick verification at $8 – yay or nay?

    In the whole scheme of things that is taking place, what could be the advantages and repercussions of pricing the blue-tick verification at eight dollars? Malladi senses that people will get an opportunity to easily flaunt the tick, until the point it no longer has a flaunt value. “Musk said that he wants to break the loads and peasants system where only lords get the blue tick. I am not so sure if that is his real motivation. Audience segmentation will be a real benefit for Twitter,” he cites.

    Asher elaborates, “Blue tick will obviously help in reducing spam on the platform and will also allow advertisers to do qualitative advertising to users who are invested in the platform. Musk has also talked about reducing the number of ads for users and this ties in with advertisers getting the opportunity to target small but qualitative users.”

    Kunj feels the opposite and imagines that a lot of celebrities and personalities will walk off immediately. That makes Twitter a platform for commercial and showbiz personalities only. “I don’t imagine a brilliant thinker, serious journalist, or upcoming artist using this platform as it was originally meant to be. There is no reason for anybody to pay every month for the pleasure of being authenticated,” he says, making his point.

  • Ajit Mohan takes over Snap’s APAC operations

    Ajit Mohan takes over Snap’s APAC operations

    Mumbai: As reported by Indiantelevision.com on 3 November, Meta India country leader Ajit Mohan had quit and was reportedly set to join Snap. In a LinkedIn post, Mohan has confirmed joining the APAC team of Snap.

    His LinkedIn post reads, “After almost 4 years leading Meta (Facebook) in India, I am stepping down from my role. I am grateful to the company for the amazing opportunity to lead its efforts in one of its most important countries and I am absolutely proud of the work the team and I have done to create impact for people, creators and businesses around the country. “

    He goes on, “When I took on this role, my objective was to build a team and a company that would be a valuable ally to India and play a useful role in fuelling its economic and social transformation. This is exactly what we have managed to do in the last four years.”

    He confirms, “Am also excited to share that I am going to lead the Asia Pacific region for Snap and be a part of the company’s executive team. Can’t wait to get started!”

    Mohan had joined Meta (the erstwhile Facebook) as the managing director for the India market in January 2019. He was preceded by Umang Bedi who quit in October 2017.

    Prior to Meta, Mohan was CEO of Star India’s (now Disney Star’s) video streaming service Hotstar for four years.

  • Zenith India wins the digital media mandate for LG Electronics

    Zenith India wins the digital media mandate for LG Electronics

    Mumbai: Zenith, the media agency under Publicis Groupe India, has won the digital media mandate for one of the largest electronics brands, LG Electronics. Zenith won this business in an intense and competitive multi-agency pitch process which saw leading groups participate.

    Zenith’s differentiated and integrated planning approach stood out among competitors making it the natural, first choice for the brand. As per the mandate, the agency will handle end-to-end digital AOR mandate for LG, including D2C performance marketing, digital branding and marketplace commerce.

    The scope of work will focus on full-funnel delivery using multi-channel tools, tech prowess and integrated workflow management furthermore strengthening LG’s digital media presence in the Indian market.

    Speaking on the win, Zenith India CEO Jai Lala said, “We are delighted to be partnering with LG Electronics, one of the largest electronics brands worldwide and one which needs no introduction. Zenith through its strong ROI proposition and exceptional expertise in digital marketing will fortify LG’s digital media presence in India. Through our strong data and tech capabilities, we look forward to unlocking new opportunities for the brand and contributing to its expansion in India.”

    LG Electronics India corporate marketing leader Tahir Saify Hakeem said, “It was a comprehensive pitch process and Zenith’s unique ROI approach to drive business outcomes was very impressive. We as a brand are always looking for innovative, differentiated and fresh ideas that match our working style and product proposition and we are confident that the agency through its dynamic and strong media capabilities will help us maximise the consumer journey and aid in business growth.”

  • Twitter ad sales chief Sarah Personette quits

    Twitter ad sales chief Sarah Personette quits

    Mumbai: Twitter ad sales chief and chief customer officer Sarah Personette has resigned.  She tweeted about it on Tuesday mentioning that her last day in the company was last week.

    In her tweet she mentions, “Hi folks, I wanted to share that I resigned on Friday from Twitter and my work access was officially cut off last night.”

    This move of hers is followed by the firing of CEO Parag Agrawal, chief financial officer Ned Segal and head of legal & policy Vijaya Gadde, when Elon Musk came on board.

    After showing Agrawal out of the door, Musk has roped in Sriram Krishnan – another Indian-origin man, who is assisting him with the refurbishment of Twitter. Krishnan’s tech career started in Microsoft in 2005.

    With the kind of senior executive churn that the social media company is undergoing, one tends to wonder what could actually be on Musk’s mind and how matters will take shape for it.