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Tag: Schbang

  • Amit Dhawan joins Art-E MediaTech as partner & CEO

    Amit Dhawan joins Art-E MediaTech as partner & CEO

    MUMBAI: Art-E MediaTech, a full-service marketing and advertising agency, has announced the appointment of Amit Dhawan as its CEO and the newest partner in the firm.

    An IIM Ahmedabad alumnus, Dhawan was previously with Schbang as the founding partner and business head for their Delhi office, where he was responsible for setting up the business in the North as well as leading the company’s media business. In his eight plus years of experience, he has worked with a diverse set of 200+ brands, including Johnson & Johnson, Panasonic, Godrej, Cipla, Realme, and more.

    “While we empower ourselves to meet the changing marketing landscape, we must have the solid support of people that will propel us forward. Having someone of Amit Dhawan’s calibre join us brings rich expertise in driving our clients to a reputable position in the marketplace, combined with qualitative and admirable leadership skills and knowledge,” said Art-E co-founder Rohit Sakunia. “We are delighted to welcome Amit as our partner as we continue to grow and disrupt the industry.” Art-E was founded by Rohit Sakunia, Tejender Sharma, and Animesh Mukherjee in 2018.

    Amit Dhawan said, “I am excited about becoming a part of Art-E, which has always been at the forefront of delivering meaningful and true solutions to its clients by seamlessly integrating creative, tech, and media. By applying the learning I have had so far, I hope to make a meaningful difference to the business of our clients.”

    Dhawan has also been featured in the ’30 under 30′ list by Agency Reporter as well as amongst the Top 100 smartest digital marketing leaders by the World Digital Marketing Congress, Global Federation of Digital Marketing, World Federation of Marketing Professionals, and CMO Asia.

  • Aditya Mehendale promoted as national creative director at Schbang

    Aditya Mehendale promoted as national creative director at Schbang

    Mumbai: Digital marketing agency Schbang has promoted Aditya Mehendale as national creative director, according to his LinkedIn profile.

    In this new role, Mehendale will oversee the creative products in India for the agency. He will be also responsible to maintain synergies across both North and South zones in India.

    He joined Schbang as a creative strategist six years ago. He was earlier the creative director of the agency. 

    Mehendale crafted various communication strategies for brands such as Fevicol, Amazon Prime Video, Ashok Leyland, Mattel, Castrol, Jio, and Raw Pressery.

    “Aditya is a brilliant creative mind and has proven time and again his ability to understand the customers’ requirements and translate them into a fine creative product,” said  Schbang’s founder Harshil Karia, as quoted by media reports. “The work that Schbang has done over the last seven years has had his touch on it. I am delighted with the celebration, it’s a growth story that means a lot to us. We wish Aditya all the best in this new role,” he added.

    Speaking on his new role, the media reports quoted Mehendale saying, “It’s been awe-inspiring to be part of a journey that has taken us from being a fledgling agency seven years ago to one of the most dominant independents in India. “As I step into the big shoes of overlooking our entire India creative portfolio, I thank Schbang for its unshaken faith and confidence in me and intend to do my best to strengthen our position as an India-born creative powerhouse.”

  • Zee5 partners with Garnier and Wavemaker for ‘Garnier Men BroCast’

    Zee5 partners with Garnier and Wavemaker for ‘Garnier Men BroCast’

    Mumbai: Zee5 has entered a partnership with Garnier and Wavemaker to exclusively stream “Garnier Men BroCast,” a celebrity podcast on male grooming conceptualised in partnership with Schbang.

    The brand has roped John Abraham and Tiger Shroff for the first episode of the podcast to initiate conversations about normalising grooming for the modern Indian man. The first season of the podcast is a three-episode series with each episode lasting for six to eight minutes, accessible to both AVOD and SVOD audiences on the platform.

    “An average Indian man spends 42 mins every day grooming himself. With search around men’s skincare increasing by 400 per cent over last five years and 22 per cent male consumers (aged between 18-34) turning to social media influencers for grooming tips, Garnier along with Wavemaker wanted to dedicate its latest property, ‘Garnier Men BroCast’ to change the perception around the idea of male grooming and address the stigma associated with grooming being a focus area only for women,” said the company in a statement.

    “Leveraging tech in beauty in collaboration with Zee5’s reach, we are confident of reaching the right audience, to drive talkability and consumer love for Garnier Men,” said L’Oreal India general manager – marketing Zeenia Shroff.

    “Garnier Men has been a pioneer in driving grooming conversation with Indian men,” said L’Équipe L’Oréal Wavemaker head Avinash Pareek. “In partnership with Zee5, we have been able to create an entire campaign around it with promotional elements leading to reach and buzz, giving BroCast stellar scale.”

    “We are glad to partner with Wavemaker to exclusively host the show, created by Garnier Men to lead conversations around this subject, along with lifestyle problems with their solutions,” stated Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd chief revenue officer – digital and SMB Gaurav Kanwal. “John and Tiger being the epitome of charm, will be the best examples to immerse and inspire across this trend of men’s grooming.”

  • Schbang announces key appointments to senior leadership team

    Schbang announces key appointments to senior leadership team

    Mumbai: In announcement of two key appointments, marketing solutions agency Schbang on Friday introduced Amisha Gulati as vice president – integrated solutions, and Sharmeen Indorewala as head of new business, especially for its technology transformation service.  

    Gulati was previously associated with Zee5 as the marketing manager. At Schbang, she will report to co-founder and CEO Akshay Gurnani. She comes with ten years of industry experience with stints at organisations such as The Glitch, Spark Eighteen Lifestyle, and Vyas Gianetti Creative.

    Gulati said, “Schbang has done a fantastic job in the short six years and I am very excited to be part of its trailblazing journey. Work doesn’t feel like work when you are living your passion. Fueled by such passion, I aim to bring about Impact in society – through the company, its clients and my team. Hence, it’s my endeavour to build teams and work that deliver value and that we are proud of, at Schbang,”    

    Indorewala will report to Schbang’s co-founder and chief technology officer Sohil Karia. She joins from Proof Analytics (a Schbang partnership) where she was the head of business. Prior to that, she was also the founder and CEO at The Parfait Co. At Schbang, she will responsible for growth strategy and new business development for the technology vertical.  

    Indorewala said, “My prior business experience working with startups like The Parfait Co. and Proof Analytics has enabled me to work towards the company goal of building out the technology transformation division while showcasing our deep research and consultancy capabilities, our consumer-centricity focused skills, with a keen eye on brand meditation as well as our established and rapidly growing tech department under Sohil’s leadership.”

    Speaking on the new development, Schbang founder Harshil Karia, said, “It is great to see our leadership team strengthen with both Sharmeen and Amisha, extremely strong women with varied and diverse experience. They are bringing in with them an entirely new perspective to the leadership at Schbang. Sharmeen growing our technology transformation and Amisha to bring in depth of strategy to our work, both will act as pillars for Schbang as we grow. Both of them will help in strengthening our offering to companies and groom our strong talent pool of over 600 Schbangers.”

  • Brands pay homage to the ‘silent heroes’ on International Nurses Day

    Brands pay homage to the ‘silent heroes’ on International Nurses Day

    MUMBAI: Celebrated world over as the birthday of Florence Nightingale, 12 May or ‘International Nurses Day’ recognises the work of nurses around the globe. Since the beginning of the pandemic, compromising their own safety, nurses have become the primary caregiver and family to countless Covid patients isolated away from their homes and loved ones.

    Lauding their tireless effort and to shine a spotlight on their contributions, brands paid homage to these selfless healthcare professionals working on the frontlines of the battle against Covid-19.

    L’Oréal Paris shared its heartfelt gratitude for the covid warrior nurses through a digital film featuring their brand ambassadors Aditi Rao Hydari, Sobhita Dhulipala, Shakti Mohan and Mithali Raj. The film carries a strong message and is a humble tribute to these heroes for their phenomenal strength, grit, and selfless contribution.

    Global b2b platform Bulk MRO that services corporations, governments and healthcare networks across Europe, North America, India, Middle East, and Africa saluted the nurses’ spirit of service through a post on LinkedIn.

    It said: “It’s International Nurses Day today, and we’re honouring the men and women at the front lines who are going above and beyond while facing what most of us can’t even imagine.

    Today’s registered nurses are everyday heroes. They are putting their health and safety on the line to help us in the fight against Covid-19, and we owe it to them to do our part to keep our families and communities safe.

    #NursesAreHeroes #InternationalNursesDay #NursingWeek2021 #ThankYouNurses”

    Advertising agency Schbang created an appreciation post for the occasion tagging the brands, with the words: “In appreciation for all the nurses who work 24/7 to help us fight the virus!”

    #CreatingASchbang #InternationalNursesDay #Myntra #Aqualens #COVID19“

    https://www.linkedin.com/posts/letschbang_creatingaschbang-internationalnursesday-myntra-activity-6798192467184291840-JbAx/

    Ahmedabad-based Software company, Safal Infosoft also shared a tribute on its LinkedIn account:

    “Your knowledge, courage & kindness are a key asset to keep the population safe & healthy #InternationalNursesDay #DataNote “

    IPL franchise Punjab Kings also took to their Twitter handle with a tribute to the hands that care: “To the silent heroes who work tirelessly and serve fearlessly. We are indebted to you “

    #InternationalNursesDay #SaddaPunjab

     

     

    Kansai Nerolac Paints shared an International Nurses Day post on their social media channels with the words: “It’s the nurses who worked night and day in our service, and they continue to stand strong and care for all of us. Let us show them our gratitude for their service and contribution. Happy International Nurses Day! #Nerolac #InternationalNursesDay #ColoursThatCare

     

     

    Online media page Social Samosa posted a throwback to Lifebuoy’s tribute to nurses to commemorate the day:
    “Throwback to Lifebouy’s soap art tribute for #Nurses on the occasion of #InternationalNursesDay “

    Lifebuoy wanted to celebrate the invaluable service rendered by medical workers, especially nurses. To commemorate International Nurses Day 2020, hand-carving the image of a nurse into a regular bar of Lifebuoy soap, Lowe Lintas had used the image across social media channels, to keep the cause and the brand connected, while shining a light on the amazing work done by those who are keeping us safe.

  • Schbang elevates Sushant Vithaldas to business head – Bengaluru

    Schbang elevates Sushant Vithaldas to business head – Bengaluru

    NEW DELHI: Creative agency Schbang has elevated Sushant Vithaldas to the post of  business head – Bengaluru. Vithaldas has been with Schbang for three years. 

    In his new role, Vithaldas will be focussing on building and strengthening relationships with well-established corporations in the region and running the entire integrated business of the Bengaluru office. His mandate will include creative, film production, photography, as well as emerging specialisations such as media sciences and business consulting. In addition, he will actively play a role in maintaining synergies between Schbang’s offices in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and the soon to launch Delhi office.

    An important part of Vithaldas’ mandate will be to introduce Schbang’s business transformation services in Bengaluru. The company already has a growing portfolio with ongoing work in areas like CRM deployment, marketing automation, consumer research, and growth hacking for marquee brands. 

    Vithaldas is a seasoned professional with over 19 years of experience in marketing, business development and operations. He has been associated in key roles with companies like Apple, Dell, Havas, and Landmark Group where he was the head – marketing. At Schbang Bengaluru, he has played a role in building key relationships and delivering to clients like Xiaomi India (Redmi & Mi), Amazon, Unacademy, Myntra, General Mills, Ab InBev, cult.sport, cure.fit, Titan SF, Rajasthan Royals, and the Brigade Group to name a few. One of his goals in the new role is to strengthen the company’s workforce by 3X over the next two years on the back of strong delivery to clients using Schbang’s expanded service offering.  

    He will be working closely with Schbang founder Harshil Karia to bring all these functions together and strengthen the unit in the region. Karia said, “Schbang is committed to helping businesses grow through our marketing and business solutions offering. I am confident that Sushant will be the right partner to chart the journey for large scale clients and talented teams alike and deliver exceptional results.”  

    Vithaldas said, “Exciting times ahead as I take up this new role and continue on the growth path we set out for ourselves at Schbang Bengaluru. I have the support of a great team that’s exceptionally talented and focused on delivering integrated marketing solutions that drive business and marketing impact for our client partners. As we move into 2021, the team is scaling up steadily to welcome new business that will include a mix of Bengaluru’s legacy brands and internet first businesses.”  

  • Schbang owns up to its mistakes on Mental Health Day

    Schbang owns up to its mistakes on Mental Health Day

    NEW DELHI: As the world celebrates Mental Health Day, marketing solutions agency Schbang acknowledged the negative feedback it has received on its work culture and vowed to make changes through proactive initiatives. 

    The agency put up a carousel post on Instagram with the first slide reading, “We F**ked Up”. On the next slide, one can read some of the negative testimonials the company has received for its demanding work culture, long working hours, and less work-life balance. 

    The post also had a personal message from the agency: “Mental Health > Everything else. Time to acknowledge and be the change, start a conversation, because we all deserve better.”

    Admitting its mistakes, the agency elaborated on five solutions that they have devised to make Schbang a more positive and mental-health friendly place. These include: ramped up hiring (they had hired 150+ new employees during the lockdown); getting an in-house therapist for employees; additional two mental health wellness leaves; enabling managers to have honest conversations with clients on work-load, briefs, and deliverables; and training managers to get full clarity on briefs before they start the work.

    The two-day mental health leaves can be availed during a calendar year, and are carried forward, like other leaves, for three years in case one doesn’t take them. 

    The post was met with mixed reactions in the comments section. While many lauded the agency for making the bold move of owning up to its mistakes and taking serious corrective measures, other questioned whether this was just a marketing gimmick. One commenter also suggested that the agency should set some rules and guidelines for clients too, for the initiative to work. 

     

     

  • 150 new hires, 10+ new clients, zero layoffs, and an increment for everybody – the story of Schbang’s lockdown

    150 new hires, 10+ new clients, zero layoffs, and an increment for everybody – the story of Schbang’s lockdown

    Lockdown inevitably brought in a set of challenges for all the companies and the economy at large. Schbang, an integrated marketing agency, onboarded 150 new hires during the period with zero layoffs and an increment for all members of its team on the back of some strong business wins and network growth plans.

    With the addition of new members, the team has grown to 500+, working across multiple locations and verticals, making Schbang one of the largest Independent Agencies. “We have been actively hiring new talent from across spectrums, including those who have faced lay-offs during the lockdown. This has been possible due to the faith new clients have bestowed on us during this time and the support of our existing clients even though they have faced challenges too. It's heartening to see Schbang as the partner of choice for large companies seeking category growth. Despite severe pressure on margins, the decision to award increments to all members of our team has to do with our proactive and people-first culture. A call we could take because of our structure as an Independent Entity.”- says Harshil Karia, Founder, Schbang. 

    The decision to award increments to all its team members has shown a positive increase in morale. Their management and leadership have observed a boost in team spirit at large across the board. Along with the financial growth, the company has undertaken a host of engagement initiatives like 3-year career plans for every member of its team, psychological counselling services, workshops for skill development like calligraphy, art, music along with new avenues for physical and meditative growth through a partnership with Mindhouse

    Schbang has onboarded 10+ National clients across verticals with an average turnover of INR 500 Cr during the lockdown. ITC Nimwash, ASUS, HDFC Life, Tata Communications, Olay's Middle East Business, Fiama, Dr. Vaidya's from RPSG to name a few. The list of new clients is steadily growing as Schbang continues to attract the best brands with their commitment to work and clients at large. The end to end execution of campaigns, from planning to launch to reporting has been integral to the growth of their clients. 

    While the company has been grappling for growth like the others in the industry too, Schbang has not just onboarded new clients and hired 150+ people, but has also started two new divisions during this period. Schbang X is a division that focuses on experiments and collaborations, communicating ideas through art, music, and film. Bringing creators & communities together towards creating a societal statement and invoke cultural action. The work on Rio Pads for PCOS month is a stand out for the team. 

    And Schbang for Good is an impact communications wing of the agency, working with Foundations, Trusts, and companies that are taking the World towards Good. The team has done some noteworthy work for Mukul Madhav Foundation on Human Trafficking, and creating a first of its kind digital art museum on Instagram for the visually impaired with the #AddTheAlt campaign and more. 

    The output of the work despite lockdown has stayed the same. Teams across different locations are now closer and collaborative than ever, all thanks to the digital & remote working. Not only they have been collaborating & conceptualizing virtually, and end-to-end implementation for numerous campaigns has been swift.

    With everything that has been happening on the business front, Schbang has rolled their dice more than just once. Many new divisions have come into the play during lockdown based on the requirements of the clients. The agency is set to make multiple significant announcements in the coming months in the product and service domain. With agility in the roots, every day, they are taking a step towards the goal of taking India to the World and bringing the World to India.
     

  • Is Facebook losing lustre among advertisers?

    Is Facebook losing lustre among advertisers?

    NEW DELHI: Covid2019 has left a serious impact on ad revenues across platforms. The advertisers have controlled outflowing monies, are investing very cautiously in certain properties and some of them have stopped advertising completely. Despite the incredible growth in time spent on smartphones and other digital platforms, the ad revenues have been low for all mediums.

    Facebook, one of the most popular social media platforms across the globe, also reported a dip in ad demands in the first quarter of the year.

    While the APAC region remained the only area to show growth in percentage-wise contributions to FB’s ad revenues, it witnessed an 11.13 per cent Q-o-Q decline in Q1 FY20.

    Schbang founder-MD Harshil Karia believes that it is not only because of the pandemic that the platform is losing ad money. “Facebook has been losing steam because other platforms like Instagram and TikTok have taken over. Also, YouTube has been a pretty strong medium. Because advertisers now have more avenues (to explore), they are removing some of the expenditure from Facebook. Also, advertisers are not seeing good returns on their video spends on the platform. As a lot of content moves towards video, Facebook is facing a challenge.”

    He added that it will be better for the platform in terms of ad revenues once the lockdown is lifted but there are certain fundamental challenges that it will have to address to remain relevant for the advertisers.

    WATConsult EVP-media operations (south and west) Sahil Shah also noted that the popularity of Facebook is certainly not at the top for advertisers. “Consumers have moved to more and more platforms, resulting in explorations. But I reckon it’s still early to tell that big monies are shifting from FB to its competition. Facebook is still one of the largest addressable bases with some good targeting and relatively better brand-safe ad options available for advertisers.”

    However, #ARM Worldwide CEO and co-founder Manas Gulati thinks otherwise. “I think it is a mandatory glitch across platforms as we are seeing most of the advertisers playing it safe, so that they open with the additional reserve when the market opens. We have seen an overall drop in the digital marketing spends especially on the categories which have been directly impacted. Close to a good 45-60 per cent drop in ad spends has been noticed across categories.”

    He added that Facebook remains a central part of the advertising mix for his firm as it delivers great results in driving awareness as well as business results. “Content consumption on Facebook has increased drastically especially during these times. I think the change they have brought about in the recent upgrades of their user interface is amazing. Facebook has always been a great source of profile targeting with great technology. It has been great when it comes to results coming out of the overall umbrella of Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook itself. Its approach as a product company was always to demographic profile audience so that the leakage of ad spends is kept to the minimum to drive optimum business results.”

  • Crompton Greaves will let you #CookSweatFree with ‘Air Buddy’

    Crompton Greaves will let you #CookSweatFree with ‘Air Buddy’

    MUMBAI:  One of India’s foremost consumer durable brands, Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals Ltd unveiled a new digital campaign – #CookSweatFree for its innovative kitchen fan ‘Air Buddy’ to highlight the ease of a sweat-free cooking without disturbing the gas flames in the kitchen.

    Amongst all the rooms in the house, one of the most action-packed ones is the kitchen. From your daily meals to the mouth-watering preparations for every occasion, it is considered as the heart of every home and the favourite spot of every homemaker. However, the kitchen is also deemed as the hottest place especially in Indian homes where one is inclined to spend almost 4 to 5 hours in the kitchen with limited exhaust facilities. Likewise, having a fan is not very helpful as it tends to disrupt the gas flames. Taking cognizance of this, Crompton has brought about an Innovative Digital Campaign for its kitchen fan Air Buddy that showcases how easy it is to cook comfortably and sweat free with Air Buddy in the kitchen.

    Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals Ltd vice president fans Rangarajan Sriram said, “Crompton engineers products that provide meaningful benefits to consumers. The consumer insight we came upon is that, while cooking, the fan is always switched “off” when the gas is “on”. The Air Buddy kitchen fan is designed in such a way that, for the first time, you can have your fan on in the kitchen and enjoy soft, focused air flow without disturbing the gas flames. A simple consumer insight has allowed us to cater to this need and enabled us to innovate for a more comfortable and convenient experience. Through this campaign we wanted to showcase the differential factor of the product in an effective manner.”

    The narrative of the digital film broadly captures the key message of #CookSweatFree. The film depicts an Indian couple where the husband is found to be cooking, however, is facing discomfort due to the intense heat surrounding him. Upon returning from work, his wife comes to his rescue by switching on the new focused and soft airflow kitchen fan called ‘Air Buddy’ thereby showcasing the ease of cooking and comfort in the kitchen. The campaign will further be amplified across social media. Moreover, the brand is also providing a special offer of 35% off on Amazon up to October 31st.

    Schbang VP, solutions Saumil Mehta added, “Crompton Air Buddy is a very unique product born out of a core consumer insight & need. When we delved deep into our TG we realized that there is a need gap when it comes to switching a fan on while cooking in the kitchen. Popular wisdom & habit dictates "Gas on = Fan Off". Crompton picked up on this insight and tailor-made solution to enhance the consumers' cooking experience while in the kitchen. Digital played an important role in the mix right from creating awareness amongst our TG by reaching out to the right audience on YT looking out for Recipe videos, remarketing with the relevant product benefits & finally closing the loop by leading the TG back to ecommerce platforms for conversion. The results have been quite promising with 5.7 million impressions delivered, 4% CTR & more than a lakh clicks to ecommerce in just 5 days.”