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Tag: Mohit Joshi

  • Havas Media wins media mandate for MyGate

    Havas Media wins media mandate for MyGate

    BANGALORE: Havas Media has won media duties for MyGate, India’s leading community management solution, whose comprehensive offering comprises security, ERP and a host of other features for gated communities. The mandate includes over-the-top (OTT) media services and all offline media duties. The account was won following a multi-agency pitch. The account size is estimated to be Rs 30+ crores and will be handled out of the agency’s Bangalore office led by Havas Media EVP south Saurabh Jain.

    MyGate head of marketing Ranjit Behera said, “By enhancing the safety and convenience of gated communities and constantly introducing newer, better, friendlier solutions to everyday problems, MyGate is bringing about a positive change in community living. Effective communication is a crucial component of this effort, and we’re glad to have the passion, experience and strategic thinking of Havas Media Group’s meaningful media to navigate its constantly evolving landscape.”

    Havas Media Group India MD Mohit Joshi said, “MyGate is a pioneer brand in the community management space which thrives on technology and innovation. MyGate app facilitates a seamless and contactless experience to its user which is a need of the hour. MyGate’s recent integrations with news and healthcare platforms is a testament to their passion towards community welfare. We are honoured to be partnering with MyGate and are glad to further bolster our e-commerce portfolio with this win.”

    Founded by ISB-IIM-IIT alumni, MyGate is headquartered in Bangalore, with offices in its major markets across the country. MyGate’s eponymous mobile app enables gated communities to vastly enhance their security and convenience through a number of innovative features, such as visitor management, e-intercom, accounts & payments, leave at gate, and daily help management. It allows residents to approve entries and exits, manage visitors/deliveries, communicate with their neighbours, log attendance and pay society maintenance bills and daily help workers, among much else. Launched in 2016, it is now used by over 2 million homes every day in over 10,000 gated communities across the country.

    Over the past year, MyGate has been named one of India’s Most Disruptive Start-ups (by YourStory) and among India’s Top 15 Tech Disruptors (by BusinessWorld).

  • IPL 2020: Brands opt for spot buying over bigger packages

    IPL 2020: Brands opt for spot buying over bigger packages

    NEW DELHI: It was being coined for long by the industry insiders that IPL will bring respite to the broadcasters from tardy advertising revenues that they are dealing with since the onset of Covid-19 pandemic, in early March.

    The tournament will take place in UAE this year between September 19 and November and is touted to be the biggest Live Sports event this year. Undoubtedly, there is a lot of excitement about the property among consumers, broadcasters and brands.

    It has been widely reported that Star has set a target of Rs 3000 crore in advertising revenues for IPL this year.

    Media Ant co-founder Samir Chaudhary shares, the ad rates for Star Sports are pretty much the same as the last time, Rs 13-15 lakhs per 10 seconds but on Hotstar it has gone up from ‘120 CPM in last season to ‘180 CPM.

    Interestingly, the experts pointed that while the advertisers are happy to go ahead with this high impact property, they are also playing it safe when it comes to buying ad slots on Star Sports and Hotstar for the tournament. Unlike every year, brands are not flocking to buy package deals but are smartly investing in spot buying, a leading marketing expert tells us. He adds that this is also the reason that ad rates have been slightly up this year. 

    Several reports indicate that Star has already sold a large part of their ad inventory and the rest of the inventory will be sold close the bigger matches. A lot will also depend on the viewership numbers of the tournament. For the record, IPL has always been able to clock high viewership numbers. In 2019, the cricketing league clocked a viewership of 462 million.

    Media veteran Shripad Kulkarni notes, “For Star Sports, these are the rates that they have begun with but it is a very dynamic situation this time. It will all depend on demand and supply. Also, usually, they used to open the FCTs once the sponsors were finalised but they don’t have much time now, so all of this is running parallely. I am hoping for the sake of all us that there is a last-minute surge in the prices as many are looking at it as a point of revival.” 

    Interestingly, this year, IPL is coinciding with the festive season which is further helping its cause. Traditionally brands are keen to advertise during this season to reach out to their consumers who are in a good mood to purchase. Advertisers have a very small window and they prefer to go all in during this time. So, this year, it is expected that advertisers will be happy to pay a premium for IPL slots to reach out to their consumers.

    In a recent interaction with Indiantelevision.com CEO, founder, and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari, Havas Media group MD India Mohit Joshi had noted that good 25-30 per cent of this year’s festive season spends will be taken by forthcoming the cricketing league, scheduled to happen between 19 September and 8 November.

    Another expert insisted that the market sentiments are fairly positive right now and a number of brands are in the process of buying ad slots. Though, he adds that the sponsorship rates are running about 25 per cent low this year. 

    The positive sentiment around the property was further enhanced with the announcement of Dream11 replacing Vivo as the title sponsor. The fantasy league brand bought the sponsorship right for Rs 222 crore.

    On the digital front, Disney + Hotstar will play a major role this year. Several industry experts have pointed that they are expecting good viewership on Hotstar and therefore the ad rates are slightly higher, maybe up to 50 per cent more than the last time.” It is expected that a lot of brands will be keen to experiment with IPL on the digital front.

    Surprisingly, Kulkarni is expecting a dip in the ad rates for Hotstar to the tune of 25-30 per cent from the last season. He also agrees that a lot is going to depend on demand and supply. The rates might be revised as the season progresses and viewership numbers are revealed. 

    In terms of the number of FCTs sold, all the media experts maintained that many brands, from the ed-tech, automobile, and FMCG categories, are in the discussion phase and confirmations will follow in the next two weeks. 

  • Havas Media Group appoints Sanchita Roy as head of west India

    Havas Media Group appoints Sanchita Roy as head of west India

    MUMBAI: Havas Media Group has appointed Sanchita Roy as head of west India. Roy will be responsible for the overall management and growth of the Havas Media Group Mumbai as well as the Western operations.

    She will be reporting to Uday Mohan – managing partner, north and west India who has recently taken over the additional responsibility of west besides leading the largest operation of north India.

    Havas Media Group has been growing at a phenomenal pace over the years and this year also has been winning new clients inspite of the overall slowdown. 

    Havas Media Group MD India Mohit Joshi said, “In these challenging times, while the focus has been of persistence and optimism, Havas Media Group has been steadily forging ahead with adding new clients and thus is looking at further strengthening its operations and bolstering the team. I am very happy to welcome Sanchita to Havas – she carries with her a vast experience in integrated media strategy and planning which will add immense value to both the network and our many clients.  I am confident that she will lead the team well under Uday’s guidance who has handled both North & West operations in his expanded role and has been a long-standing pillar of the Havas Media Group operations.”

    Roy said, “Havas Media Group has been a challenger-brand in the Indian media ecosystem but over the last few years has made huge strides in the overall media environment. Their global expertise, digital prowess and the unique ‘Together’ strategy makes it the most agile and future-ready agency network. I look forward to this opportunity and an exciting journey with Havas.”

    Prior to this Roy was with Omnicom Media Group India including PHD and has also had stints with Wavemaker and Mindshare previously. With over 19 years of experience she has worked with brands like J&J, Beiersdorf, Unilever, Volkswagen, Ferrero, Reckitt Benckiser and has been a recipient of coveted industry awards like Media Abbys, CMO Asia, Emvies and Campaign Asia Account Person of the Year.

  • Havas Media bags integrated media duties of ACC Cement

    Havas Media bags integrated media duties of ACC Cement

    MUMBAI: Havas Media has bagged the integrated media mandate of ACC Limited. ACC Limited is one of the largest producers of cement and ready mixed concrete in India. Headquartered in Mumbai ACC has set a benchmark in cement and concrete technology and has earned the country's trust and goodwill through its valued product portfolio, ethical business practices, and governance and focus on sustainability. 

    ACC Limited CMO and head new products and services Ashish Prasad said: “We are happy to have Havas Media as a partner in our journey to live by our pioneering and innovation spirit. We are confident that with the very dynamic and fast-changing media scenario, Havas Media with their global experience and expertise will be able to develop a robust strategy for our brand and add impetus to all our marketing initiatives.”

    Havas Group India CEO Rana Barua CEO said: “ACC Cement is synonymous for cement and enjoys high equity in the Indian market. From anticipating customers’ needs to being able to serve them with innovative and differentiated products and solutions, ACC has always been a front-runner. Havas Group’s multi-faceted, integrated, meaningful approach makes us a strong force to reckon with. We are glad to be partnering with such an iconic brand and look forward to a meaningful association.”

    Havas Media Group India managing director Mohit Joshi said: “We are excited to be appointed as a brand partner for a legacy brand like ACC Cement. At play will be Havas Media Group's integrated media skills centered on digital and our 'Meaningful Brands' framework which will together map the brand chart for ACC Cement. We look forward to carving a meaningful brand strategy and taking the brand to greater heights.”

  • Anita Nayyar departs from Havas Group

    Anita Nayyar departs from Havas Group

    MUMBAI: After 13 years with the network, Anita Nayyar CEO of Havas Media India and Southeast (SEA) Asia, is moving on from the agency to pursue other interests. Anita who will leave the group at the beginning of May 2020, will transition the India leadership role into Mohit Joshi, Group MD reporting into Rana Barua, CEO, Havas Group India.

    Nayyar joined Havas in 2007 as CEO of Havas Media India. Under her leadership Havas Media in India grew exponentially and expanded its offerings as an integrated communications group. In 2018, Nayyar was promoted to CEO of Havas Media Southeast (SEA) Asia on the back of an accelerated growth strategy in the region, in addition to her role as CEO of Havas Media India.

    Havas Group India &  Southeast Asia chairman & CEO Vishnu Mohan  said, “Anita has played a pivotal role in Havas Media India’s success and growth over the years. A future forward-thinking leader with a deep understanding of people, brand and media, Anita has also been an inspiration to many young professionals. We are grateful for her significant and lasting contribution to Havas Media India and wish her the very best for her next chapter.”

    On her departure, Anita Nayyar said, “It has been an extremely fulfilling and meaningful journey at Havas India over the last 13 years. I am grateful for the opportunities given by the network including the broader remit of SEA in 2018. As Havas Group India continues to reinforce its integrated model of operations, I am confident the Group will continue to chart its success story and I wish the team at Havas Group well with its future development.”

    Havas Group India CEO Rana Barua, “Anita is credited with growing Havas Media India’s footprint and elevating it’s presence. Her dedication and passion are exemplary that has led to her becoming a strong voice in the industry. On behalf of the network, I would like to thank Anita for all that she has done and wish her all the best going ahead.”

    “Working with Anita for over a decade has been an immensely rewarding and learning experience. She has been an integral part of Havas Media and valued by both clients and colleagues alike. As I welcome the new challenge, I would like to thank the network for the opportunity and Anita for her mentorship and guidance,” added Mohit Joshi.

  • Industry hopes pinned on a better 2020 for mainline advertising

    Industry hopes pinned on a better 2020 for mainline advertising

    DELHI: 2019 was a mixed bag of opportunities and challenges for the advertising industry. Television primarily witnessed a great drop in its growth with an ambiguous first quarter because of the new tariff order and a slow final quarter because of the economic slowdown. While the second quarter gave some hope with IPL, cricket world cup and general elections holding the trends up, the overall performance of the industry was disappointing. The growth, as shared by GroupM in its report, was in single digit numbers, at 9.4 per cent, less than half of what it recorded in 2018 and much lesser than the estimates of 12-14 per cent predicted during the beginning of the year.

    Madison Media Ultra CEO and head investments Amol Dighe shared, “As we all know, categories like FMCG, Telecom, Ecommerce, BFSI, Auto, etc. have a significant share in all Mainline Mediums. Most of these categories were affected by the economic slowdown resulting in the slowdown of advertising spends as well. We had to revise the Madison Pitch estimates in terms of growth across mediums. The growth forecast for leading mediums like TV was revised downward.”

    However, mainline agencies are positive that the growth trends will change for positive in 2020, as they are pinning their hopes towards seeing a revival in the economy.

    Havas Media Group managing director Mohit Joshi said that the wrapping year was a bit challenging for the industry and firm and he is expecting it to improve in 2020. “2019 was a tough year but we managed to reach our aggressive targets. Economic slowdown did have an impact on the advertising spends especially on our auto and white good clients. For 2020, I see a slow Q1, however, I am hopeful that it will balance out in the next three quarters,” he shared with his fingers crossed.

    Dighe is expecting more product launches with a revival in the economy in 2020. He said, “We are all hoping for a better 2020. We expect that consumer demand will pick up in 2020 as the government is taking steps to revive the economy, which will lead to higher spends on advertising. 2020 might see more product launches which were postponed due to the weak consumer demand in 2019.”

    GroupM has predicted the growth for television to be 11.1 per cent in 2020, stating that the global economy will remain soft during the year. It has predicted that India will remain the world leader in advertising across media and ad spends will continue to grow at 12-13 per cent each year from 2020 to 2024.

    The industry seems quite positive about the growth in the sector however economic uncertainty within the country and the ongoing situation of unrest will surely impact the overall performance, which will be interesting to see through the year. 

  • What agencies find lacking in a brand’s communication brief

    What agencies find lacking in a brand’s communication brief

    DELHI: Some may say that advertising is dead while some may refute the claim. However, what definitely is not dead is the agency-client relationship, which is built of sour-and-sweet tractions and successes. Anyone would agree that there have been as many unsuccessful campaigns as there have been successful ones. And while the celebrated campaigns get the fame for the brand, the dubious ones often get the fingers pointed towards the agency. But is it always the agency’s fault?

    None in the agency world would agree to that. Yes, there have been cases of mistakes from the creative side, but doesn’t the brand hold some responsibility too? Industry insiders would say yes, and the first step to a faulty campaign can, in fact, be taken by the brand when it comes to brief the agency about what it wants.

    Havas Media Group managing director Mohit Joshi says brands often come up to the agencies with a lack of tangible communication objective. “They try to achieve too many things at the same time,” he adds.

    This can be a serious problem, especially in today’s time when each brand is trying to steer ahead with a purpose. CMOs are actively looking to find agency partners that allow them to sell their products with an added touch of integrity and social responsibility in campaigns.

    Yes, some stunning campaigns have come out with this approach, but sometimes too much of demands can end up in creating stories that are fragmented and do little for the brand.

    While we are not sure if the ad was conceptualised based on a faulty brand brief or was the agency’s call, but All Out’s #MujheSabNahiPata can be a good example of brand message overshadowing brand purpose, that is to get rid of mosquitos. The campaign was created by BBDO.

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    Another mistake that brands make while briefing an agency is seeking absolute clarity in message, shares Dentsu One group creative director Auryndom Bose.

    He says, “The idea of absolute and total clarity in a message, commonly prescribed as Comprehension. If absolute comprehension was really what people were looking for, demo videos would go viral. Engagement and Comprehension are opposite to each other, and for 30 seconds worth of media money, I would multiply it any day with Engagement rather than Comprehension.”

    Bose is also averse to the idea of an agency testing an idea or a message on a group of people before going ahead with it, “Testing an idea or message to see if it works with consumers might be the right thing to do for a business but is a strange thing to do to a human being. The human being in that situation understands this strangeness and reacts accordingly. Frankly, because humans are complicated. Which is why I think reading a human being’s eyes and heartbeats and asking him/her questions about the idea in that time and place can reveal little or nothing about the idea that not already self-evident. Ideas simply need conviction and a simple understanding of human nature, testing them on human is just strange.”

    Bose continues, “Research after research has come back with no influence on customers who sat poker-faced through extended product windows and couldn’t play back how many chemicals made the formula. The assumption that consumers are waiting in a room to hear from you, listen to how well your product works or what goes into the making of the product is a common error. It could work but then why do you need an advertising agency.”

    Brands need to be extra careful while going ahead with a communication idea to an agency and to the consumers. Creative briefs can sometimes close the doors for experimentation that an agency might be willing to do for you.

    So, how can a CMO work on an ideal brief?

    Mohit Joshi says, “An ideal brief needs to give us a clear marketing and communication challenge – which becomes a KPI for us.”

    Be very clear of your message and your intentions, but do not try to make them completely comprehensible as Bose suggests.

    From an agency perspective, Bose shares, “I think context is really important these days especially since we are out the days of one single mass media message, it needs to start conversations and pick up on digital, has to have ‘legs’. Having a real-world context on which to set the brand pitch is important. Originality is key because a differentiated brand space is worth the wait. Human insight is another classical device we use in our weaponry, it helps storytelling, but these days if that insight doesn’t translate or ‘tie in’ into a larger context, it becomes ‘a one message wonder’.”

  • E-commerce industry to spend an estimated Rs 2000 cr on marketing festive season sales

    E-commerce industry to spend an estimated Rs 2000 cr on marketing festive season sales

    MUMBAI: Festive season is the best part of the year for e-commerce companies and this year they have recorded 12 times growth in sales as compared to the past year despite the economic slowdown, industry insiders revealed to Indiantelevision.com. The e-commerce sector remained largely immune from the impact of the slowdown as the lucrative offers kept the purchase intent of the consumers intact.

    Logicserve Digital co-founder and CEO Prasad Shejale explained, “Creative messaging coupled with enticing discounts has been successful in convincing the end-user to spend money on the preferred e-commerce platform.  Post the purchase customers feel a sense of satisfaction that they were successful in saving some bucks after the festive season purchase. Hence, boosting consumer sentiments has helped e-commerce players in India to set new industry benchmarks and surpass their sales targets.”

    He added, “Also, if you observe global e-commerce players have started tapping tier-2 and 3 cities of India which have contributed a significant share of growth during the latest sale season. For this, e-commerce companies have been implementing strategies to reach out to the Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) customers. In emerging markets like India, the consumers in tier-2 and tier-3 cities may be less educated, especially at the bottom of the pyramid, and given the low purchasing experience may find difficulty in resisting offers, affordable and value-driven sale season themes, especially during the festive season.”

    The platforms have been spending extensively to market their online sales during this festive season. As per estimates shared by Havas Media Group India managing director Mohit Joshi the spends by the industry will touch Rs 2000 crore.

    Expectedly, Amazon and Flipkart are spending the most to drive their festive season sales. Shejale reveals that the two spent between Rs 700 – 850 crore, and Rs 400 – 550 crore respectively last year. The numbers are estimated to be the same this year as well.

    Madison Media Plus CEO Rajul Kulshreshtha shares, “Within a span of two months (Aug – Sep), these players had spent considerate amount, especially Amazon. The total spends by this category so far is Rs 204 crore (as per reported spends) Amazon is spending more on print while Flipkart is following a completely opposite strategy. So is in the case of Paytm and Snapdeal where Paytm is not taking the TV route while Snapdeal’s approach is TV and radio.”

    The strategic communication planning for e-commerce platforms is also very tactical during this period as all of them are targeting the same set of consumers with fairly similar offers. Brandintellé Services Pvt Ltd founder and CEO Biswajit Das says that each platform tracks real-time data offers made by its competitors, shared by third-party data providers, based on which they design specific offers and marketing communication.

  • Havas Media bags integrated media duties of British Council

    Havas Media bags integrated media duties of British Council

    MUMBAI: Havas Media, India has bagged the integrated media duties of British Council Examinations and English Services India Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of British Council, UK, specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities with presence in over 100 countries. 

    The mandate includes media strategy, planning and buying, digital and social duties. The account will be handled out of the agency’s Gurgaon office. 

    Established in 1948, the British Council is recognised across India for its network of eight libraries and cultural centres. It offers a range of specialised projects in arts, education, English language and society to several thousand people across India. It also provides access to English language training and learning for both students and teachers and enables opportunities to study abroad including in the UK. BC Examinations and English Services India Pvt Ltd manages the delivery of IELTS and Digital English language services. 

    Commenting on the partnership, British Council Examinations and English Services India Pvt Ltd CEO Michael King said, “Agility and a consumer-centric mindset from our partners is key to our deliveries, as is reliance on deeper customer insights and data-driven actions. We are confident that Havas Media with its integrated media approach and market expertise will deliver the desired results for the brand. We are excited about this partnership and look forward to working with Havas Media.”

    Havas Media Group, India managing director Mohit Joshi said, “We are delighted to be partnering with British Council, an international organisation that aims to celebrate the modern-day relationship between both countries and build meaningful connections via creativity, collaboration and cultural exchange. Digital is at the core of Havas and we are proud to be associated with a digital-first brand that has created world-leading digital cultural experiences, opening up the worlds of dance, music and theatre to millions of young Indians.”