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Tag: Lodestar UM

  • Mindshare India is agency of the year at global media fest

    Mindshare India is agency of the year at global media fest

    MUMBAI: Mindshare India and Lodestar UM shone at the Festival of Media Global Awards 2021 announced Thursday night. While Mindshare India won the grand prix: Agency of the year award bagging two gold and three silver medals, Lodestar UM won two gold, one silver and a bronze medal.  Wavemaker also bagged a silver, taking India’s total tally at the global awards to eleven.

    Mindshare won its two golds for its campaigns for Active Wheel and Boost brands. The winning campaigns included, career from home – beyond the confines of her kitchen for Active Wheel and Boost stamina meter – A new currency in town! for Boost. These awards were under the best campaign for a local brand and best use of data & insight award categories respectively.

    The agency won its three silvers also for the same campaigns- two for the Active wheel campaign and one for the Boost campaign.

    Lodestar UM’s four major awards came for the The punishing signal campaign done for the Mumbai Police. This included, a gold in the impact award category, gold in best use of event or experiential category, silver in best use of traditional media – OOH category and bronze in the creative use of media category. 

    You can watch the award-winning campaign video here:

    The Festival of Media Awards programmes have been showcasing the very best in media and marketing campaigns, while upholding and maintaining global industry benchmarks throughout the sector for over 14 years. 

    With events in Singapore, New York, Milan, Miami and London the portfolio covers all corners of the world providing a platform for the best in class in media and marketing and the opportunity for companies to amplify their work, generate PR, boost internal motivation, win new business and create a competitive edge.

  • Lodestar UM CEO Nandini Dias on her love for Badminton, emergence of PBL and its brand value

    Lodestar UM CEO Nandini Dias on her love for Badminton, emergence of PBL and its brand value

    MUMBAI: Badminton, today, is the world’s second most popular sport. And some 150 years after the game was invented in India, the humble shuttlecock sport has once again dazzled one and all in the country of its origin.

    A survey by British research firm SMG Insight revealed that badminton ranks just behind cricket in terms of a sport that Indians choose to play regularly. Additionally, another survey revealed that the interest in Badminton among Indians has more than doubled since 2017, and has gone up by 40 per cent in 2019 over 2018.

    Badminton’s rising popularity in India can also be gauged from the fact that the last edition of Premier Badminton League (PBL) was watched by over 133 million Indians. A mind-boggling number when you consider that the opening ceremony of Rio Olympics 2016 was watched by 342 million people globally. Already one of the world’s biggest Badminton league, PBL has also helped in establishing the sport as a coveted career choice in India. PV Sindhu got auctioned for Rs 77 lakhs and Sai Praneeth bagged 32 lakhs for PBL Season 5, starting January 2020.

    As you would expect, big brands have also joined the bandwagon. Brands and sporting events have, in fact, always worked very well together and PBL is no exception. Apart from access to some 150 million audiences, PBL is a great opportunity to build reputations and long-term brand image by investing in a growing sport in India. No wonder then that from telecom operator (Vodafone) to energy drink (Red Bull) to cement manufacturer (Dalmia), big brands have associated with the franchise.

    As count-down begins to PBL season 5, we bring you stories of media executives who have played, loved and followed the sport; what they love about the game and how can brands effectively leverage PBL’s growing popularity.

    Name: Nandini Dias

     

    Media agency: Lodestar UM

     

    Designation: CEO

     

    Favourite PBL team: Mumbai Rockets

    What is behind Badminton’s growing popularity in India as a sport? 

    I think it is a few things coming together at the same time. The rise of coaching, led by Gopichand, is a powerful force. The emergence of more than one world-class player at the same time. Till now it's only been a single player followed by a single player. And of course, the emergence of Premier Badminton League. All of these feeding off each other and happening together has resulted in the rise of the sport's popularity.

    When did you start playing Badminton? 

    I do not play regularly anymore due to a serious injury a few years ago but I've been a state player for Maharashtra before advertising and in fact, briefly joined the Railways as a sports quota employee before gravitating to advertising.

    What do you love about Badminton as a sport?

    I started playing Badminton as a kid. I guess one naturally tends to gravitate towards something that one starts doing well at quite early. And there was something about the poetry of hand eye coordination, the power and grace of a flying shuttle, the mix of strength and touch that drew me to it.

    Three Indian and International Badminton players – you admire the most?

    Prakash Padukone, obviously the hero of our times. He was the one who broke down the door as far as our mentality was concerned. I used to admire Rudy Hartono a lot and I will always have a soft corner for Saina Nehwal. In many ways, she is the Prakash Padukone of Indian women's badminton.

    Your favourite PBL team? 

    My favourite, even without trying naturally tends to be, Mumbai. It's something that comes naturally due to my past association with the game.

    Between Prakash Padukone and P V Sindhu, how has the association between brands and Badminton players evolved? 

    I don't think the two eras are in the same ballpark as far as brand association goes. Prakash's era in India could at best hope for an association with sport equipment brands that a player actually used and even that was rare. Today of course, the brands that the likes of PV are associated with go far beyond the purview of sport equipment into social and personal categories which is indicative of the foray of the sport's popularity into non-core audiences.

    Do you anticipate more brands engaging with Badminton players as PBL viewership grows? 

    Yes it will. Badminton is also a spectator-friendly sport and currently enjoys huge casual participation. Which is great news for any sport and with familiar faces growing out of the sport into prime time viewership through talk shows etc, it is only natural that more brands will want to be part of the bandwagon. What is also great is that there is a steady second layer of players coming in. Last few years we had 3-4 singles players but now we have five male players in the top 30 BWF list and even the rise of our doubles teams.

    What is behind PV Sindhu’s unmatched brand value? 

    PV has got a certain X-factor as a personality that makes her both inspirational and human at the same time. It's her personality that is now coming to the fore along with the delivery of her talent which was always there. She can switch from a winning-machine to someone who seems approachable, chat-able and hang out-able with when she's off court. And yet,she has delivered impressive results, which makes her an obvious choice for any brand.

    What is driving PBL viewership growth, from 35 million in 2016 to 133 million in 2018? 

    Badminton as a sport has a wider casual playing segment than most other sports. It can be indulged in by a wider range of age groups, genders and geographies. This, in turn makes badminton a more involved viewing experience. Secondly, the length of the matches are short and extremely high intensity points, the longer rallies and improved fitness of the players has literally drawn in sceptical watchers to become involved enthusiasts. Thirdly, I feel the team structure of PBL makes it a more competitive experience rather than an individual sport. Be it the Olympics or Davis Cup and of course hockey and cricket, we've always been more favourable to team sports than individual sports as a nation. In addition we like watching if there is an Indian competing. Last few years we have had several winners bringing in big medals. Lastly, the technical quality of the broadcast, the cameras, the packaging, the replays, the challenges; the graphics etc have pulled it up to a far more engaging level than we've ever seen before.

    What role can PBL play in making Badminton a coveted career option in a Cricket-crazy country like India? 

    The number of prize money tournaments inside India should go up drastically. Like cricket and football and now Kabaddi, a player should be able to earn a decent living even if she/he doesn't become a global superstar. That single act of giving the sport a consistent safety net moves it from a sport to a career. And PBL is the biggest chance to do that.

    PV Sindhu and Tai Ying got auctioned for Rs 77 lakhs each for PBL season 5. Your thoughts? 

    It is a testament to the sport's growing popularity in India and the fact that it can provide both glamour and an enviable career.

    How can brands fully leverage their association with PBL? 

    Other than naming rights and a few interesting innovations, I don't think we' ve yet explored the possibility of what all can be done with various aspects of the game in order to create properties that can be leveraged by brands.

  • Lodestar UM facilitates unique association between Amul & Cricket South Africa with high visibility during matches

    Lodestar UM facilitates unique association between Amul & Cricket South Africa with high visibility during matches

    MUMBAI: Lodestar UM (An IPG Mediabrands Company) one of the leading media agencies in India, has brought together India's largest dairy brand, Amul and Cricket South Africa in a unique and innovative partnership. The agency has facilitated a two-pronged media deal for Amul for the on-going Proteas Tour of India.

    The brand, Amul, is present on the jersey of the South African team, as well as on the boundary rope. It's an innovative media association for Amul, where the brand is getting 10X visibility on television(through  both the jersey and on-ground rope), without buying on-air sponsorship.

    Dr R.S. Sodhi, Managing Director, Amul, said, "Amul is very proud to be associated with the South African cricket series an an Asian Partner."

    Talking about the association, Dhruv Jha, head content and experiences, Lodestar UM, said, "We are always looking out to create innovative media solutions for our clients that benefit them both in terms of reach and cost efficiency. Amul has always been a big sports enthusiast. This association is the testimony to the brand's commitment for sports."

  • From menstrual hygiene to career counselling; Lodestar UM concludes another satisfying chapter of Impact Day

    From menstrual hygiene to career counselling; Lodestar UM concludes another satisfying chapter of Impact Day

    MUMBAI: Giving back to the society is an integral part of Lodestar UM. So every year the agency shuts its offices on a work day and every employee engage in philanthropic work across Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru.

    This year from educating destitute women on menstrual hygiene to helping children in government aided schools to make the right career choices, the Lodestar UM teams came together in full force to make a difference in their own small way to the theme of Better World.

    Originally launched in 2016, the Lodestar UM Impact Day strives to bring its employees together in the spirit of Care and Community. It is the Agency’s annual day of service where all its employees go to work; but this time to restore and revitalize the communities they live and work in

    “For us, this single day marks the beginning of a whole new year of commitment. Being conscious of what’s happening around us and finding solutions to create a better world is at the heart of our philosophy as an agency. I want to thank each one of my colleagues for the collective passion and goodwill they bring to this initiative. Their enthusiasm was heartwarming. Therefore, every year Impact Day turns out to be a day of fulfillment and achievement of a very different kind”, said, Nandini Dias, CEO, Lodestar UM.

  • Only 3% of brands in Tamil Nadu advertise on both TV and digital

    Only 3% of brands in Tamil Nadu advertise on both TV and digital

    MUMBAI: Marketers advocated for the need to create ads simultaneously for television as well as digital to penetrate deeper in regional markets like Tamil Nadu, at the recently concluded Tele-Wise Tamil 2019. The event was organised by Indiantelevision.com to acknowledge the vast pool of opportunities Tamil television has for brands and advertisers in Chennai on 6 August.

    On the panel were Lodestar UM EVP Laya Menon, Matrimony.com AGM marketing communications Akhil Jain, Paytm Travel GM brand marketing Bhushan Walzade, TAM Media Research VP Tam Axis Vinita Shah, TVS Auto Assist India head marketing Mahima Singh, and Wavemaker general manager Rajendra J Prasad. It was moderated by Bodhitree Multimedia co-founder & Director Mautik Tolia.

    Speaking on the panel, discussing the might of the Tamil market for national and regional advertisers, Menon said, “Hetero-TV consumption is a trend not just in Tamil Nadu but also other South Indian markets. Thus, to optimise the reach of any campaign, we have seen while the reach tends to start with TV, the digital medium adds anywhere between 7-10 per cent to it. And this is just the AV medium I am talking about. To top that, we have other layers like social media platforms. The fact is that the market is now screen-agnostic. TV sells the opportunity and the added advantage comes from online content that has to be fairly customised for the market on a language-basis, which adds a significant amount of measurable reach.”

    Jain, who admitted spending around 80 per cent of his ad spends on TV, shared the example of his own brand as he elaborated more on the concept. He said that he has seen campaigns that run both on TV and digital performing better than the ones that ran just on the latter.

    He said, “I believe that there is a huge synergy between digital and television. As you know, ours is a digital-first platform. With our marketing communications, we ask people to download our app. Now, there is this two-screen theory, which says that even while people are watching TV, they have their phones with them. So, whenever our ad pops up on TV, and the person is using the phone, we serve them the communication on digital medium too, for example, on Facebook.”

    Jain added that it increases the rate of conversion for their app, adding more users. He mentioned that he has observed a positive blip in the number of registrations on the app when the ad is running simultaneously on both platforms.

    Walzade shared similar thoughts as he noted, “I think that the digital medium is growing very fast now. It makes it very important for us to 360-degree campaigns. At Paytm, especially with our travel business, we don’t only put TVCs on national and regional TV, but are also going big on social media.”

    Speaking about the Tamil Nadu market, Walzade added that the state is in top 3 when it comes to internet penetration and the literacy rate is also quite high there. The acceptance of new technologies there is leading to the thriving of e-commerce industry and it really helps us in investing in media and reaching to consumers.

    However, Shah noted that despite there being a great understanding of the need to advertise on multiple platforms only 2.5-3 per cent of advertisers in Tamil Nadu advertise on both TV and digital. She urged the community to recognise this big gap in the synergy between TV and digital and try to fill it.

    Another insight that came out through the session was the importance of creating content in simple and relatable language for the regional audience. The speakers insisted that national advertisers create simultaneous campaigns for the regional markets to assure better results for their campaigns.

    Singh said, “One’s approach should be really regional when it comes to connecting with the regional audience. National advertisers should look at creating content that is more local and is closer to the audience.”

    She also emphasised the need to understand the audience’s AV-viewing patterns and recognise at what time they are accessing content on what platform for better targeting. Prasad seconded her thoughts as he advocated for the creation of customised and bespoke brand codes for each region.

  • Lodestar UM wins Mattel’s media mandate

    Lodestar UM wins Mattel’s media mandate

    MUMBAI: Following a competitive pitch, IPG Mediabrands network agency Lodestar UM has won the media mandate of Mattel; the iconic toy maker that has created several children’s brands including Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price and Thomas & Friends etc.

    The account will be handled out of the agency’s Mumbai office.

    “We are delighted to have the Mattel business in our portfolio, which has the distinction of being the largest toymaker in the world. Almost every kid has grown up with these iconic brands and can share a Mattel moment. We are looking forward to bringing cutting-edge innovation and performance to Mattel’s media mandate, which has so many successful and diverse franchises across its product portfolio”, said Nandini Dias, CEO, Lodestar UM.

    Lokesh Kataria, Marketing Head Mattel Toys, India, said, “We are excited to align our media mandate with Lodestar UM. The agency has the best strategic data and tech driven media solutions. We wanted a media agency partner who would help us reach new consumers more effectively. Lodestar UM has the expertise to help us deliver this vision and we are looking forward to this partnership.”

  • Anita Mookerjee joins Lodestar UM as head for South business

    Anita Mookerjee joins Lodestar UM as head for South business

    MUMBAI: Media and marketing company, Lodestar UM has appointed Anita Devraj Mookerjee as the head for South India business. 

    Mookerjee will lead the entire South India operations of LUM, including the agency’s Bangalore, Chennai and Kochi operations. Lodestar UM’s South India operations includes marquee clients like Wipro Consumer Care, Accenture, MedLife, Exide Life Insurance, Duroflex, Zivame, Amaron Batteries, Amante and several others. 

    Mookerjee will lead the agency’s continued focus on strategic media planning, technology, data, content and ROI driven solutions.

    Prior to joining Lodestar UM, Mookerjee was the managing director at Mediacom Indonesia. 

    Lodestar UM chief executive officer Nandini Dias says, “A comprehensive search for the right leader, led us to Anita, who is the perfect candidate to spearhead the next phase of development in these critical markets. A performance-oriented, industry leader with a proven track record of success, especially in the areas of business growth, strategy and brand building, Anita will ensure we continue to deliver on the Lodestar UM promise of powerful, creative, insight-driven ideas for our clients”

    Talking about her new role, Mookerjee mentions, “I spent my formative years in media in Lintas Media Group (now Initiative), where I used to handle ITC. So, this is a home coming for me. Lodestar UM as an agency has always focussed extensively on its product and people.”

    Armed with over 19 years of experience in media communications and brand planning, Mookerjee is an alumni of Mumbai University. She started her career with Ogilvy in 1999. In 2005, she joined Lintas Media Group as Business Director. Following a stint of 3 years, Mookerjee joined Mediacom in 2008 as General Manager and overlooked the agency’s operations in Bangalore and Chennai. She moved to Mediacom Indonesia in 2012 as Managing Director and spent 5 years with the agency before returning to India.