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Tag: Dentsu Aegis Network

  • Sumit Negi joins Dentsu Impact as ECD

    Sumit Negi joins Dentsu Impact as ECD

    MUMBAI: Dentsu Impact, the creative agency of Dentsu Aegis Network, has further strengthened their creative function with the appointment of Sumit Negi as an executive creative director.  In his new role, he will operate out of the Gurgaon office and will report into Anupama Ramaswamy, the national creative director.

    Sumit’s key responsibility would be to take care of the creative output for Maruti Suzuki. Negi brings with him more than 18 years of experience which includes brands like Mortein (India and International), Microsoft, Telenor, Del Monte India, MAAZA, Samsung Mobile Phones, Grey Goose Vodka, Whirlpool, NIIT, MOTOROLA, Hutch, Hyundai and LG.

    Commenting on the new role, Negi said, “Dentsu Impact is where things are on a roll. It’s great to be a part of an organisation which exudes positive energy. Cars have always fascinated me, and having to mainly work on a brand which has been a leader for decades, and is transforming itself, is an exciting challenge. Nurturing creativity to reach business milestones, is what I will be aiming at Dentsu Impact. Being a team player, I look forward to helping in raising the bar and adding to the spirited environment in this place which Soumitra and Amit have kept alive. With Anupama at the helm of things, it is going to be a drive on top gear.”

    Ramaswamy said “Sumit is a rare blend of calmness and energy. He understands the automobile category and knows the pace of the account. He is talented, passionate, and at the same time mature. I believe he will help us in this journey of growing Dentsu Impact to new heights.

    Commenting on the same Dentsu Impact chief creative office Soumitra Karnik added, “Sumit’s maturity, calm demeanour and the manner in which he leads his team is what sets him apart. His passion and knowledge on cars gives Dentsu Impact an added edge. We are very happy to have him and wish him a fabulous future.”

    Previously, he has worked in various agencies such as HAVAS, Leo Burnett, Contract, Ogilvy, DDB Mudra and Grey.

  • Dentsu Webchutney appoints Aalap Desai as senior creative director

    Dentsu Webchutney appoints Aalap Desai as senior creative director

    MUMBAI: Dentsu Webchutney, the digital agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, has appointed Aalap Desai as senior creative director.

    He will work closely with Pravin Sutar, executive creative director and they will take charge of the Mumbai creative team. They will report to Nishi Kant, EVP and branch head for Mumbai.

    Previously, Desai was a creative partner at Hotstar and has also been a part of the team at Leo Burnett, JWT, DDB Mudra, Ogilvy and Ambience Publicis. He has handled brands like McDonald’s, Complan, HE Deo, Nerolac, Huggies, Rin and more. 

    Welcoming Desai to the agency, Kant said, “Over the last few years, we have been doing some good work for our biggest brands. Aalap comes in at the right time. His mandate is to keep raising the creative bar and partner with Pravin and me in leading the agency into the new age of creativity. With Aalap’s diverse experience across verticals and mediums coupled with his can-do fire, I foresee happy clients and meaningful partnerships.”

    Commenting on his joining Desai said, “A digital narrative for ideas is making campaigns more memorable and relevant. That’s exactly why it’s a great time to join Dentsu Webchutney. The clients are exciting, the work is great and the energy is phenomenal. I’m eager to add to the creative strength in Mumbai and work with Nishi, Pravin and the team here in creating work we’ll all be proud of.”

  • Save The Children partners WATConsult, Snapdeal to highlight child trafficking

    Save The Children partners WATConsult, Snapdeal to highlight child trafficking

    MUMBAI: Save The Children has entered into a partnership with WATConsult, the digital and social media agency from Dentsu Aegis Network India, and Snapdeal to create awareness about the problem of child trafficking in India. On this international day against trafficking the company launched a campaign titled #KidsNotForSale campaign to curb child trafficking.
    The company recently launched the teaser of the campaign which portrays ‘Amazing Kids Sale’ on Snapdeal which leads to a hard-hitting campaign that highlights stories of children who are sold for prostitution, kidnapped at birth, made to work in unhealthy conditions, drugged for organ trafficking or forced to become combatants.
    The campaign pointed out that an estimated seven children go missing every hour. Half of them, are never able to return home. Between 2016 and 2017 alone, nearly one lakh children went missing. The conviction rate of these criminals was a dismal 22.7 per cent in 2016.
    WATConsult founder and CEO Rajiv Dingra said,“This is a fight and a step against odds, an initiative to combat the dark web of trafficking. It was important to spread awareness about such a crucial situation through an innovative route that made one and all feel their role in ending this menace. We are glad to join hands with Save The Children and Snapdeal to help save our kids.”
    A Snapdeal spokesperson said, “The trafficking of children is a serious and unconscionable issue. This year we have decided to leverage our kids’ sale store to not just urge the government to enforce strict actions to protect our children but also help Save The Children identify and rescue children, and possibly catch predators through donations from our users.”

    Save the Children head of campaigns Pragya Vats added, “Children are the most ‘easy’ target, trafficked and pushed to most harmful forms of labour and abuse, often forced into prostitution, physical labour or domestic work. Young and vulnerable, children are losing their childhood forever to one of the most inhuman practices that remains one of the dark realities of human trafficking. We must break the apathy, build a public momentum to ‘#KidsNot4Sale an innovative initiative, in collaboration with WATConsult that aims to inspire public action”.
    The government of India has taken a pioneering step forward by tabling India’s first Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill, 2018 in the Parliament yesterday. The #KidsNotForSale campaign aims to urge the government to consider recommendations for not just comprehensive prevention but also rehabilitation, and monitoring and coordination mechanisms that will strengthen the power of the bill.

  • Ashish Bhasin elected as president of AAAI

    Ashish Bhasin elected as president of AAAI

    MUMBAI: Media veteran Ashish Bhasin has become the new president of Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) for the year 2018-2019. Bhasin takes over from Nakul Chopra who will now be the ex-officio member of the new AAAI executive committee.

    Publicis Media India CEO Anupriya Acharya was elected vice president of the association.

    Bhasin has been a part of AAAI as the vice president and has now taken up a much larger role. He is also the chairman and CEO South Asia for Dentsu Aegis Network and a member of the Dentsu Aegis Network Asia Pacific Executive Board.

    Outgoing president Mr Nakul Chopra stated, “I have been privileged to lead AAAI for two years – my sincere thanks to all my fellow members for their support. Hearty congratulations to Ashish on his election as President. He is not only a key influencer in our industry but also a AAAI veteran. I am sure that AAAI will only grow from strength to strength under his tutelage.”

    The announcement was made today at the St. Regis hotel, with Ram Sehgal being conferred with the AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award 2018. 

    The AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest honour to be given to an individual in India for his/her outstanding contribution to the Advertising Industry.

    The award was presented to Sehgal in recognition of his outstanding leadership and contribution to the advertising industry in literally establishing Delhi as a premier centre for advertising in India.

    It was this foundation that later led JWT Delhi to become the largest office in India and among the biggest in the world. Sehgal also helped in moulding Contract Advertising into one of the finest agencies and for leading AAAI and establishing one of the finest training programs in the industry ever. 

    AAAI is the official, national organisation of advertising agencies, formed in 1945, to promote their industry interests. The Association promotes professionalism, through its founding principles, which uphold sound business practices between Advertisers and Advertising Agencies and the various media. AAAI consists of small, medium and large-sized agencies as its members, who together account for almost 80 per cent of the advertising business placed in the country.

    Indian Television Dot Com exclusively spoke to the man of the evening, Ashish Bhasin to understand his goals for AAAI and the Indian media current state. 

    Goals you have set for yourself as president of the Advertising Agencies Association of India?

    Its a huge honour for me to be elected as the president of AAAI as we are in our 74th year. People who are so illustrious and stalwarts have occupied the position. My immediate past president Nakul Chopra has done a great job, So, the first goal is to live up to their standards.There is a complete change in the Media and Advertising industry and we have to change and adapt with times to make sure we continue to represent all constituents of our industry. And those constituents are constantly changing. Digital is now becoming pretty important today and we should encourage more digital agencies to be a part of AAAI. We also need to agile to the changing dynamics of the media industry and take up the industry’s issues as and when needed. 

    We also need to bring in younger people in the industry and also have more women on board. The vice president of the association this year is a female leader after a very long time. Anupriya Acharya is a very competent lady and its great to have her on board. 

    How do you view the current Indian advertising industry and what do you think are the challenges for the advertising industry?

    There is a complete momentum of change in the marketing and services business across and not just A&M. While there is an interplay between consumers going increasingly digital but we are lucky to be one of those few counties where all medias are increasing. Print and TV are still growing steadily in India. We also have to get out of the procurement and squeezing mindset so that enough resources are available with the agencies to invest in talent which they can use for their client. It is a period of change globally.  AAAI and the Indian industry should take this up as an opportunity and that’s where our focus will be. 

    What will the focus areas for AAAI this year?

    We want to be the apex body that best represents the advertising agencies along with other industry associations, the government or any other organisation. 

    AAAI is said to be the Big Boys Club. While we know there are fewer women in top leadership roles in the advertising industry, over the years we have never seen women as leaders or even participating much in AAAI. Why is that?

    It is a perception and we have to correct it. Some even call AAAI as “The Old Guy’s Club”. In an organisation, we need to have diversity and more women in the business as managers who take active roles. I am extremely pleased that after several years, we have  a female vice president and I hope and will work towards having many more women in the association. I hope our new EC will be a judicious mix of young and experienced because you need to have experienced people to have that continuity and wisdom which is gathered over the years. But we also need fresh and young blood in the organisation. We also want to include other agencies, be it big or small, so we are not labelled as a “Club”. 

  • Dentsu Webchutney appoints Pravin Sutar as executive creative director

    Dentsu Webchutney appoints Pravin Sutar as executive creative director

    MUMBAI: Dentsu Webchutney, the digital agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, has appointed Pravin Sutar as executive creative director. 

    He will be based out of the agency’s Mumbai office. His last stint was with Leo Burnett, where he handled some of the biggest brands in the country including HDFC Bank, HDFC Life, Amazon and Park Avenue.

    With over 17 years of cross-category, cross-platform experience along with a diverse set of exposure spanning marketing, digital and creative, Sutar is all set to lead the charge for the agency.

    Dentsu Webchutney EVP and branch head Nishi Kant says, “It is great to have someone of Pravin’s experience onboard in the digital environment. His enthusiasm for his craft, I’m hoping will spread infectiously through the agency.”

    Commenting on his joining Sutar mentions, “We all say advertising is moving towards an integration between mainline and digital. I’ve always thought that the best way to create madness is to be a part of the method and that brings me to my switch from close to two decades in mainline to a future in digital.”

    He further adds, “There’s no denying that mainline has its own charm and I feel grateful for having carried that understanding with me. For a while now, I’ve seen a similar charm in digital as well. The scope of being relevant through content, engaging through craft and clever with innovations, is exciting to say the least. I find Dentsu Webchutney to be the most cutting edge and innovative digital agency. I look forward to being able to contribute and learn as we move forward.”

  • DAN acquires stake in Scottish creative agency

    DAN acquires stake in Scottish creative agency

    MUMBAI: Multinational media and digital marketing communications company, Dentsu Aegis Network has acquired 100 per cent stake in a Scotland based creative agency, Whitespace.

    Established in 1997, with a focus on digital and brand design, Whitespace has developed into one of Scotland’s leading and most awarded creative agencies. Currently housed with a talented team of 70 and located in Edinburgh, the agency offers specialised services in brand strategy, digital production, content and integrated campaigns spanning mobile, augmented reality and virtual reality to a diverse portfolio of clients.

    Following the acquisition, Whitespace will remain a standalone agency and will add capability infill in creative services, digital and production to DAN North, in addition to making an important contribution to the Dentsu Group’s business throughout the UK.

    The impact of this transaction on Dentsu’s consolidated financial results for the fiscal year ending 31 December 2018 is expected to be minimal.

    Dentsu Aegis Network, the Dentsu Group’s global business headquarters based in London, is expanding the group’s business worldwide through ten global network brands–Carat, Dentsu (Dentsu Brand Agencies), dentsu X, iProspect, Isobar, mcgarrybowen, Merkle, MKTG, Posterscope and Vizeum–as well as through several specialist/multi-market brands.

  • Cars24, Milestone Brandcom launch OOH campaign in Bangalore

    Cars24, Milestone Brandcom launch OOH campaign in Bangalore

    MUMBAI: Milestone Brandcom, the out-of-home agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, has released an OOH campaign for Cars24, a platform which sales second-hand cars. Launched in Bangalore, the campaign aims at inviting customers to sell their cars at the city’s Cars24 branch in their very first visit.

    The campaign is based on the insight that, in the current times, the selling of second-hand cars in India is an extremely complex process. In this market, car owners have to visit or meet a number of buyers before making that sale; and Cars24, a focused and specialised player in this domain, intends to make this technique easy with its unique process that allows the sellers to get the right price for their cars in their very first visit.

    Cars 24 VP marketing Gajendra Jangid said, “We aim to provide a quick and convenient way for car owners to sell car in India. The campaign was strategically placed to test the OOH medium and to understand its impact to convey the brand communication to a wider audience. This quarter of the year is always good for used car market and we wanted to create a huge noise before the festive season.”

    Milestone Brandcom CEO and managing director Nabendu Bhattacharyya added, “We got an opportunity here to introduce Cars24 to its core group of consumers through OOH and we have left no stone unturned to create a high impact campaign for the brand. The idea here remains to create buzz and drive home ample curiosity for customers to visit the store and get a first-hand experience on the value of their cars.”

    “It’s a delight to witness such an outstanding response to this campaign. The planning of each site was done using detailed understanding of the city’s traffic pattern and showroom locations. Each site that has been chosen is a high-impact zone, ensuring maximum visibility. The innovation has already generated extensive exposure and significant buzz,” he added.

    The campaign is spread over 70,000 square feet, encompasses large format billboards, bus shelters, buses, unipoles and gantry.

  • DAN India launches proprietary tool ‘DAN Explore’

    DAN India launches proprietary tool ‘DAN Explore’

    MUMBAI: Dentsu Aegis Network’s science team has launched its first proprietary tool ‘DAN Explore’ which captures the trend of changing audience behaviour and understands the nuance of various consumer cohorts across media touchpoints, backed by behavioural triggers and psychographic understanding. 

    Dan Explore will be the first tool in the market which examines the difference in media consumption habits across TV, digital, out of home, mobile and other touchpoints in the consumer’s  journey.  And it will also help marketers combat the challenge to determine when, where and how best to reach their audiences.

    Dentsu Aegis Network South Asia chief data officer Gautam Mehra says, “With data and smartphone prices being more ubiquitous, India has seen a distortion in the traditional path to purchase of the digitised consumer. While traditionally there have been challenges in brands understanding nuances in audience traits of the various subsets of their consumers, the growing needs of clients and brand strategists alike have inspired us to probe further in assuming ways to extracting these rich insights.”

    “The influence of sophisticated techniques like artificial intelligence, on the backbone of heightened processing capabilities has now made deeper understanding of audiences across various touchpoints very real. Through our access of deep rooted APIs with our partners in traditional and new media and our proprietary data sources, we have endeavored to decode audience behaviours across various platforms to capture a unified audience view to solve brand challenges,” he added.

    Commenting on the same, Dentsu Brand Agencies South Asia group executive and strategy officer Narayan Devanathan said, “There have been two ‘fights’ in the communications business one that’s been around for a couple of decades now and the other of more recent making. The first is between media and creative. The separation of these two components has resulted in a gap in how a media planner sees the audience and how a brand planner sees the consumer. The second is between big data and creative. What we seem to have forgotten in all these ‘fights’ is that everything we do is in the interest of best matching consumers and brands. What that requires is a connecting of the dots so that we understand people as people not only as consumers of media or brands. DAN Explore opens up countless ways to connect the dots precisely because it collects all kinds of dots about people and their lives. From passion points to brand and media consumption, from offline to online behavior, from individual to group affinities. In doing so, it does what data is supposed to do in the first place – help explore and find unexpected, inspiring insight.”

    The tool is also integrated with Dentsu’s proprietary data sources like SVG Columbus’ app inventory and M1 Panel.    

    The aim of DAN Explore is to paint a much more detailed and nuanced portrait of consumers than has been available to date. The tool is not only meant to bolster media and communication strategies for the network’s clients but also to inspire creative themes.