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Tag: Shekhar Mhaskar

  • Work from home: The new culture in the making

    Work from home: The new culture in the making

    As a matter of fact, WFH had been instituted in Isobar almost a year ago considering the various needs of the employees and to give them a fair chance to strike a balance between personal and professional life. That was a different purpose then, vis-à-vis a forced requirement during this current pandemic. So, in a way, we were able to segue into this WFH comfortably.

    Learning from our offices in the orient, we began working from home a week before the country went into lockdown. Just overnight, the machines of the creative teams were shipped to their homes; remote access to our network was enabled; online meeting platforms were made accessible to all, and so on and so forth. All this to ensure that work continued as usual without any interruption.

    Contrary to popular belief in India, I think WFH has worked really well for us. Efficiency and productivity have reached new heights. Teams and clients from different cities are working more cohesively and in an integrated fashion busting the myth that they always need to be in the same room to be more effective. They are now able to utilise the time they save on travel, to attend to personal commitments or office work. They have become more responsible and productive, the proof of the pudding being in the heightened outcome we have seen in the last two months or so. Brainstorms, discussions, research surveys, pitches, and everything that drives success for the agency has seen a new gleam during this WFH phase. It is not just the internal teams, but also our clients and vendors who have contributed to the success.

    During this time, we have in fact won a couple of accounts and executed some noteworthy campaigns. The account wins will be out there in the media soon. One of the campaigns that stand out is the one we ran for Kia Motors India. We used existing video rushes in an interesting way to create a film that is just apt for the current situation. It inspires everyone and instils hope for a better future. Have a look here.

    In my humble opinion, WHF would continue for us as the lockdown gets lifted in phases and as the authorities would allow only a percentage of the staff to attend office. It would also stay relevant in the long run as we start gauging possibilities of people in certain functions to work from home while others who are more client-facing to work from office or those who are needed on a film set to be at an outdoor location. Or, maybe we look at some sort of rotation of staff. All this is going to be quite a fluid evolution as we move into the future. 

    (The writer is chief growth officer at Isobar. The views expressed are his own and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them)  

  • TV, OTT coexist and complement each other

    TV, OTT coexist and complement each other

    MUMBAI: A panel discussion at The Content Hub 2020 discussed the topic of generating audiences and building stickiness around the content that has been created. The panel was moderated by ISOBAR India chief growth officer Shekhar Mhaskar with panelists Red Chillies Entertainment head marketing Binda Dey, MX Player head of marketing and business partnerships Abhishek Joshi, Juggernaut Productions chief operating officer (OTT) Samar Khan, Filme founder Abhishek Shukla, EVP Lionsgate India executive vice president Amit Dhanuka and Shemaroo Entertainment digital new media COO Zubin Dubash.

    The panel discussed how content made is of no use unless and until it reaches the right audiences. Getting them to watch your content is important. The panel also discussed how traditional broadcasters would retain their core audiences in view of increasing affinity towards on-demand OTT platforms.  

    Binda Dey said, "I have been working in the broadcast sector for a long time. With OTT coming in, the number of ways in which people can consume content has increased. So, it is not television vs OTT but about how people want to consume content and at what time. In television Live content has been a big boom. There has been a lot of innovation in the way IPL is being promoted by Star. This is a kind of gamification where you are combining television with digital. It leads to consuming the same kind of content across different platforms.”

    Amit Dhanuka added, “The content that you see on broadcast television and OTT platform has a stark difference because the consumer that’s consuming it on television vs the audiences who are consuming it on OTT have a different sensibility. One medium reaches out to a very mass pool of audiences while the other is looking for edgy content that has a certain sense of storytelling. Television is not in any way losing out on OTT. They, in fact, are complimenting in some manner.”

    The panelists believe that OTT has given new audiences. It is giving someone who used to watch television earlier at 9 pm an opportunity to watch the same show at any time. OTT has supplemented television audiences in many ways and also brought in audiences who are not getting that content on television. They are now watching content on streaming services rather than traditional broadcast channels. Originals has opened up a brand new audience that was not getting its content on television. Because in television there is a different number of hours and limited slots available to make that content. On the contrary, OTT does not suffer from that as they do not have a designated slot. The Originals that are created for OTT are bringing in more stickiness which consumers were not getting earlier.

    There are so many different platforms like television, cinema and OTT but the question arises are these platforms geared up to face the changing media consumption pattern.

    Zubin Dubash said, "Shemaroo has been there for the last five decades as an organisation. We have been on every digital platform one can think of. So, when we started our OTT story with Shemaroo Me, we had ten years of solid data and consumption habits around our YouTube story. Today on YouTube Shemaroo’s content generates close to 3 billion views every month and we have got around 120 million MAUs on the YouTube platform consuming the content voluntarily. When looking at the business plan of Shemaroo Me we analysed that there is a lot of unmet demand of content that is cataloged and the content that has its shelf-life which doesn’t end ever. We have launched it a year ago, and during this time we witnessed a lot of traction bringing customers to say that a lot of AVOD content comes from Shemaroo.”

    Sharing their views on the same panellists believe that platforms are challenging each other with better storytelling along with better special effects and technicians working on them. Audiences are now expecting better writing, better performances because now consumers are open to new challenges. It is in fact pushing platforms to create better content.

  • Isobar shares how to leverage AEM to power brand experiences in SPAs white paper

    Isobar shares how to leverage AEM to power brand experiences in SPAs white paper

    MUMBAI: Isobar has published a white paper that uncovers and shares the opportunities of Single Page Applications (SPAs) in driving experience-led transformation. The paper responds to the changing marketing landscape – as businesses evolve to meet consumer expectations, commerce platforms are evolving to meet the needs of marketers. The paper is available to download from its website.

    The paper explains how SPAs and Adobe Experience Manager (AEM) have paved the way for more complex and dynamic digital experiences, and includes 12 considerations that CMOs and CTOs should bring to the attention of their technical solution architects.  Part one explains what you “need to know” about SPAs and the second part shares “best practices” for technical architects to consider when defining SPA architecture and integrating it to Adobe AEM.

    Isobar Global CTO Vikalp Tandon said, “Today, one of the biggest challenges for marketers is to find scalable, mature technology solutions and architecture partners that can deliver experience-led transformation. Through this research, we’re empowering CMOs and CTOs to investigate the latest SPA opportunities with their technical architects in order to develop flexible architecture that support the growing complexity of interfaces and devices. We’re proud to share our work with Adobe, and related best practices in how to use AEM to enhance and power brand experiences.”

    “Experience-led transformation along with ever-changing consumer expectations is the primary driving force behind the evolution of the marketing landscape. Online commerce platforms, an important component, are already making strides with headless commerce. Furthering that, SPAs are paving the way for device agnostic experiences that are dynamic and complex, yet simple and seamless for the consumer. This white paper will enable marketers to easily comprehend and inculcate the new technology,” states Isobar India EVP Shekhar Mhaskar.

    Isobar is an Adobe Platinum Partner, the highest level of partnership for an agency, with over 300 certifications around the globe. Adobe recognises that Isobar develops and delivers specialised Adobe solutions using the Adobe Experience Cloud, including Adobe Advertising Cloud, Analytic Cloud, Marketing Cloud and Commerce Cloud across numerous regions.

  • Isobar launches auto industry-first blockchain-powered campaign for CEAT Tyres

    Isobar launches auto industry-first blockchain-powered campaign for CEAT Tyres

    MUMBAI: Isobar India, the digital agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, launched a novel Blockchain-powered campaign to enable transparency throughout campaign delivery and performance for CEAT Tyres.

    By leveraging blockchain technology to create, deliver, and measure the campaign, CEAT Tyres will be able to transparently track all payment transactions that are written to an immutable ledger for every valid ad impression. This will enable them to be assured with confidence that the KPIs of their campaign are met and reported unambiguously. Thus, allowing for reconciliation of their data with an independent ledger which is verified by multiple unbiased parties.

    Commenting on the launch, CEAT Tyres senior vice president, marketing Nitish Bajaj said, “CEAT Tyres focuses on building best-in-class trusted products through a culture of continuous innovation. With that belief, and the promise of this platform powered by Blockchain technology to reach out to a targeted audience is an absolute win-win situation where we put our media investments to maximum use without any spillage, in addition to tracking the campaign at every stage.”

    Isobar, India executive vice president Shekhar Mhaskar said, “ Isobar has always been pioneering in putting to use the latest technological innovation in all spheres of its business, and for the ultimate benefit of its clients. Blockchain, which is making waves in every industry, couldn’t be left behind when it comes to offering an absolute unambiguous view of transactions, deliveries, and measurement of a digital media campaign. We are proud to introduce this as the first digital media campaign in the auto industry with CEAT Tyres.”

    Isobar India senior director, media Prachi Karan said, “This is an auto industry first initiative and we are extremely proud to have introduced this with CEAT Tyres. Staying ahead of the curve, using a creative application of new technology & innovation is something that as a brand both Isobar and CEAT stand for.”

  • Isobar India bags digital mandate for The Rose Group

    Isobar India bags digital mandate for The Rose Group

    MUMBAI: Isobar India, the digital agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, has been appointed as the digital partner for high-end luxury jewelry group—The Rose Group.  Isobar won the account following a multi-agency pitch. The account will be handled from the agency’s Mumbai office.

    Commenting on the win, Isobar India executive vice president Shekhar Mhaskar said, “We are delighted to add The Rose Group to our portfolio. Their amazing vision for super-special experiential retail will only inspire us to conjure up some effective and creative solutions that will take the brand to great heights via digital.”

    Rose Group of Companies managing director Biren Vaidya said, "As the world is moving online, we too wanted to take our brand online. However, it is almost impossible to replicate the offline experience of luxury, online. Hence, we chose Isobar as they were the one agency who understood this and would help take us online, keeping in mind our brand ethos and values."

    The Rose Group specialises in retail concepts, is internationally recognised and is credited for its experiential luxury retail concept – The Rose Salon & Rose: The Watch Bar. Currently, it has a portfolio of over 20 leading international brands that are marketed, distributed or retailed under its operations.

  • CEAT Tyres & Isobar India’s latest campaign focuses on Road Safety

    CEAT Tyres & Isobar India’s latest campaign focuses on Road Safety

    MUMBAI: Isobar India, the digital agency from Dentsu Aegis Network that handles the digital duties for CEAT Tyres, recently released a campaign to spread awareness on road safety during the road safety week. The campaign took forward CEAT Tyres’ ‘Safety First’ objective by adopting a sarcastic-yet-amusing route of communication.

    To strengthen brand recall and to build relatability, Isobar India struck a resonating chord with their social media audiences by personifying daily objects that are used in an unsafe manner while driving.   

    Attracting commendable engagement across all social media platforms, the campaign garnered more than 200% engagement on the page with an average reach of over 1 lakh across a week-long activation.

    Commenting on the association, Nitish Bajaj, Senior Vice President – Marketing, CEAT Limited says, "Our brand purpose is to make mobility safer and smarter. Everyday. Road Safety Week is an apt and a great platform to educate our community about safety. Also, this content helps in building better engagement with our consumers.”

    Speaking on the launch of the Campaign, Shekhar Mhaskar, Executive Vice President, Isobar states, “It's been a journey of more than a year with CEAT Tyres. A journey during which we have embarked upon several integrated campaigns upholding the prime promise of the brand – that of safety for drivers, riders, and equally for pedestrians. As part of this continuum, there wouldn't have been a better time than the Road Safety Week to heighten the impact of the message in a manner that can be easily received by the audience.”

  • Isobar launches India’s first ever UGC-led Voice Mobile Banner

    Isobar launches India’s first ever UGC-led Voice Mobile Banner

    MUMBAI: Isobar India, the digital agency from Dentsu Aegis Network, has partnered with Forevermark Diamonds to launch India’s first User Generated Content led Voice Mobile Banner. The banner has been created to initiate the Forevermark ‘Half Carat Diamond’ campaign under the theme – ‘The Better Half Within Me’, a film that portrays women protagonists pursuing their dreams and passions.

    As per Isobar, the campaign is based on the insight that women generally tend to keep their passions to themselves even as they continue to focus more on their family needs. Hence, through this campaign, the brand intends to give its users a unique platform to share their hobbies and talents through an immersive experience. 

    For that Isobar has created an interactive banner across relevant apps used by women, which focus on areas like cooking, fitness, beauty, lifestyle, amongst others. Women are asked to engage with the banner by speaking about their passion into their mobile microphones and then led to the final frame with Forevermark’s video and a customised message containing the keyed-in passion. The results can be shared via WhatsApp and Facebook.

    Isobar India executive vice president Shekhar Mhaskar said, “The innovation resonates aptly with the brand’s message of celebrating the better half within a woman. Literally and figuratively, this mobile innovation gives women a platform to [voice] their passions and have them heard. We would love to take this thought forward with Forevermark to drive a movement for women where they can make their passions come alive.”

    Isobar India senior director mobile Priyanka Shah said, “Voice is clearly the future. As per a report by Mind Mold and Statistica, we will witness 200 billion voice searches per month by 2020 and there will be 1.83 billion consumers worldwide using AI voice assistants by 2021. Hence we thought of an idea that could deliver the creative message by tactically using the voice platform. The campaign idea brought forward the beautiful concept of embracing your ‘better half’, which lies within you, by prompting the user to voice out their passions. It’s a small step towards Voice revolution and the response rates have made this innovation a stronger case study for deeper future engagements.”

    Forevermark India marketing director Toranj Mehta said, “The Forevermark Half Carat campaign is based on the insight that women, whilst taking care of their family, like to pursue their own passions and follow their dreams. We are encouraging women to let this half of theirs shine. This innovation fits the objective perfectly and allows women to voice out their passions. The numbers we have seen from this innovation are very encouraging and we will look at more such voice activated units in the future.”

    Isobar has also revealed that of the 22,000 women engaged with the communication, 71 per cent were open to sharing their passion points with the brand. The overall campaign reach until now is more than 1 million, with an engagement rate of over 2 per cent.

  • Isobar white paper champions headless commerce as the future for brands

    Isobar white paper champions headless commerce as the future for brands

    MUMBAI:  Isobar, the global digital marketing agency from the house of Dentsu Aegis Network, has recently launched a white paper which elaborates on how ‘headlesscommerce’, an approach to technology architecture, is more important than ever before.

    The report, titled ‘Headless Commerce : Differentiating your approach To experience commerce strategy’, shares how headless commerce is an opportunity for brands. It argues that the reconfiguration of legacy systems can support the functional, emotional and tangible needs of a customer experience. It also explains how the headless commerce approach provides brands with greater control over the UX, giving them a consistent identity across an entire ecosystem of touchpoints and a foundation to create long-term customer relationships that can deliver sustainable business growth.

    Isobar Global chief technology officer Vikalp Tandon said, “One of the biggest challenges in the experience economy for brands is to engage consumers at every touchpoint across an ecosystem. This goes beyond serving the right content at the right time. It originates in the brand’s technology infrastructure that powers their digital presence. The headlesscommerce approach allows brands to deliver a truly customer-centric experience at speed and scale which is key in today’s landscape and is needed to move forward.”

    Isobar India EVP and head Isobar Commerce, India Shekhar Mhaskar added “In this day and age, the consumer demands and desires a seamless, homogenous and uninterrupted experience that is agnostic of devices and media channels. And this is even more imperative in the realm of online commerce. Headless commerce, as a practice, helps to solve all the above, continuously and at speed. It also empowers the brands to simultaneously innovate and improve on two important fronts front-end customer experience and back-end technology.”

    The white paper provides C-Suite brand leaders an overview of:

    ·  The context behind the emergence of unified commerce experiences

    ·  The opportunities of the headless commerce architecture approach

    ·  A Customer Experience Framework

    ·  The limitations of conventional or legacy architecture approaches (Monolithic architecture)

    ·  The opportunity for immersive experiences through rich content approaches

    ·  How headless commerce provides brands with a centralised view of customer data

    ·  The requirements of a headless commerce strategy and what the future holds