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Tag: Silver

  • Gold glitters less as base metals shine brighter

    Gold glitters less as base metals shine brighter

    MUMBAI: Gold bulls blinked in October as the yellow metal slipped 0.5 per cent in rupee terms after touching record highs near Rs 1.21 lakh, while silver sparkled briefly before easing 1 per cent. After months of glitter, profit-booking and a stronger dollar dimmed the bullion buzz.

    Silver still outshone gold over the year, up 68.3 per cent versus gold’s 57.2 per cent. A supply squeeze and soaring ETF premiums kept silver in the spotlight, even as China curbed retail gold access and cut VAT exemptions from 13 per cent to 6 per cent.

    Base metals stole the show. Copper broke above Rs 1,000, riding renewed trade optimism and mine disruptions that trimmed global inventories by nearly half. LME copper stocks fell 50 per cent, while refined production rose only 4 per cent against a 6 per cent surge in demand.

    Zinc surged 4.5% as smelter shutdowns in Japan, Italy, and the US shrank supply. LME zinc stocks plunged to a two-year low of 38,000 tonnes, pushing the market into tight backwardation unseen since 1980.

    Aluminium climbed 5 per cent, buoyed by easing US-China tensions and shrinking warehouse stocks, which are down 14 per cent this year. With global demand expected to soar nearly 40 per cent by 2030, supply strains are set to linger.

    Energy markets flickered between hope and hesitation. Crude oil slipped 2.6 per cent on weaker demand despite geopolitical flare-ups, while natural gas gained 3.1 per cent as winter loomed and AI-driven power demand lifted consumption forecasts.

    Central banks held steady, with the RBI keeping rates at 5.5 per cent and trimming inflation forecasts to 3.1 per cent. The Fed paused its balance-sheet runoff after two rate cuts this year, as the US shutdown stretched past 30 days.

    From bullion dips to base metal breaks, the month painted a picture of cooling glitters and glowing grit, proof that in commodities, it’s never all gold that glitters.
     

  • The One Show opens its doors to the insurgents

    The One Show opens its doors to the insurgents

    NEW YORK: The One Club has shaken up its awards structure in the most significant overhaul in decades, launching The One Show Indies—a dedicated competition designed to level the playing field for independent agencies, design firms and freelance creators locked out of the global creative spotlight by better-resourced rivals.

    The new category, debuting within The One Show 2026, is a direct challenge to the holding company orthodoxy that has long dominated the industry’s most prestigious accolade. Entry is restricted to truly independent outfits: at minimum 51 per cent founder or staff-owned, with no more than four physical offices. The signal is unmistakable. The One Club reckons independent shops are being starved of recognition, and it intends to rectify that.

    The One Club chief executive Kevin Swanepoel  framed the initiative as an act of creative liberation. “The One Show Indies is like a new rebel wing inside The One Show,” he said, summoning the rhetoric of insurgency. “We’re recognising independent shops and creators who make powerful work without holding company budgets and restraints.”

    The economics of entry have been designed to entice participation. Submissions are capped at a modest ten entries per eligible shop, with each piece of work allowed into no more than three categories. Entry fees come at a steep 20 per cent discount off The One Show’s regular rate, whilst burdensome case study films are restricted in their use as judging material. The combined effect is tangible: a genuine attempt to remove the financial and administrative friction that deters cash-strapped independents from throwing their hat in the ring.

    The jury will be drawn entirely from creatives at independent agencies, using the same rigorous judging standards that underpin The One Show’s reputation. Winners will claim Gold, Silver and Bronze Pencils and Merit awards, with an additional Crystal Pencil bestowed on an overall Best of Indies champion. A separate celebration event is planned, staged in casual surroundings away from the formal May ceremonies during Creative Week.

    The One Show Indies crystallises a shift in the creative industry’s consciousness. Independents have spent years grumbling about glass ceilings at award shows dominated by multinational holding companies. They’ve complained—often with justification—that the costs of entry and the judging structures inherently favour agencies with dedicated awards departments, bigger budgets, and armies of administrative staff to shepherd work through the submission process.

    This new category doesn’t solve that structural imbalance entirely. But it cracks the door open. For smaller shops punching above their weight, a One Show Pencil—even one contested exclusively amongst independents—remains a genuine prize. It offers market validation, bragging rights, and the kind of industry credibility that shapes client perceptions and staff recruitment.

    The One Club’s motives are plainly also commercial. Awards bodies thrive on volume and participation. Attracting a hitherto underserved cohort of independents will swell submission numbers and fortify The One Club’s position as the creative industry’s dominant credentialing authority.

    Entry deadlines are stacked across four rounds, with the super-early window closing 30  October  2025, offering the deepest discounts. Regular entry runs until 23 January 2026, with a final window through 20 February 2026. Judging commences in January, with winners announced in May.

    The One Club operates as a non-profit, recycling revenue from entries back into industry programming across four pillars: education, inclusion and diversity, gender equality, and creative development. That circularity—awards funding grassroots support—gives the organisation a moral sheen beyond the commercial calculus of conventional awards schemes.

    The One Show Indies lands at a moment when the creative industry is reassessing who deserves a voice. This rebel wing may just prove to be the most inclusive—and competitive—corner of the awards landscape.

  • MMTC-PAMP names Amul Saha as chief digital officer

    MMTC-PAMP names Amul Saha as chief digital officer

    Mumbai: Indian gold & silver refinery accredited by the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA), MMTC-PAMP announced the appointment of Amul Kumar Saha as its chief digital officer. In his new role, Saha will create and drive strategy to scale up presence and achieve market leadership in the fast-growing consumer space. This would include building new business and revenue streams and presence in strategic and high growth spaces like eCommerce, digital gold, buyback and other related business lines. He will report to MMTC-PAMP managing director & CEO Vikas Singh.    

    Saha is a seasoned business leader with 12 plus years of experience in sales, business development, product marketing and technology. His recent specialisations are in the Online and E-Commerce domain and he was earlier associated with Samsung India. Under his leadership, the brand achieved online market leadership in the hyper competitive consumer durables sector.  

    Commenting on his new role, Saha said, “I am honoured to take up this responsibility that the company has entrusted me with. As a part of my new role, I will be exploring uncharted avenues to grow our consumer-facing business primarily through Digital and Omni-channel initiatives. My approach to solving complex problems is by breaking them down into smaller problem statements, identifying key input metrics, and laying down processes that can help the organization scale in a predictable and organized manner. I am obsessed with improving the consumer experience and I would like MMTC-PAMP to be at the forefront of improving consumer experience in the precious metals industry.”   

    MMTC-PAMP CEO and MD Vikas Singh said, “I am delighted to welcome Amul as our chief digital officer. Amul is a seasoned business leader with diverse experience across sectors. His extensive track record in building successful portfolios and achieving market leadership through winning teams make him a great asset at MMTC-PAMP.”   

    An alumnus of IIM-Ahmedabad, IIEST Shibpur, and RIMC Dehradun, Saha has experience managing complex multi-party environments that simultaneously involve brands, marketplace sellers, third-party fulfillment partners, and a host of external agencies. 

  • Mindshare named MMA EMEA Mobile Agency of the Year 2015

    Mindshare named MMA EMEA Mobile Agency of the Year 2015

    MUMBAI: WPP’s Mindshare has been named Mobile Agency of the Year 2015 in the MMA EMEA Smarties awards. The award follows hot on the heels of the agency being named Agency Network of the Year in the APAC MMA Smarties and Global Media Agency of the Year in the MMA Global Smarties.

     

    The work that secured the EMEA title includes:

    Gold

    Brand Awareness: Rexona – Who Does More?

    Cross Media / Cross Mobile Integration: Rexona – Who Does More?

     

    Silver

    Promotion: Magnum – #celebratemagnum

    Mobile Site: Vodafone – Share Your Passion

     

    Bronze

    Marketing Within a Mobile Gaming Environment: Vodafone – Freezone Gaming Stars

     

    Mindshare Worldwide global mobile director James Chandler said, “It’s fantastic to see our Mindshare teams receive the recognition that they richly deserve for leading the industry in Europe. Congratulations too to all our clients who have been true partners in pushing the boundaries of mobile.”

     

    In addition to the EMEA title, Mindshare Turkey also picked up four gold, one silver and one bronze award in the local MMA Turkey awards that were announced at the same time:

     

    Gold

    Brand Awareness: Rexona – Who Does More?

    Cross Media / Cross Mobile Integration: Rexona – Who Does More?

    Mobile Social: Vodafone – Between Us Hurriyet Social

    Innovation: Rexona – Who Does More

     

    Silver

    Mobile Native: Neutrogena – Winter Love

     

    Bronze

    Mobile Native: Vodafone – Between Us Hurriyet Social

  • Asian campaigns win six awards at the Festival of Media Global Awards

    Asian campaigns win six awards at the Festival of Media Global Awards

    MUMBAI: Asian campaigns impressed many at the Festival of Media Global Awards.

     

    The function which was held in Rome saw campaigns from India, Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines take away with a combined total of six awards.

     

    Indian campaigns won Gold in two categories, with Gillette India’s ‘Soldier for Women’ winning Best Engagement Strategy and Kaan Khajura Teshan’s ‘Mobile Entertainment Box’ bagging the Best Use of Mobile award, as well as a Bronze in The Effectiveness Award category with Parachute’s ‘Convincing Consumers to Become Our Sales Force’ campaign.

     

    UHP’s ‘First Step to Livelihood’ in the Philippines was awarded a Bronze for Best Engagement Strategy, and Red Bull’s ‘Soapbox Race’ in Taiwan also won the Bronze for Best Event/Experiential Campaign. In Japan, ‘Carrie Call’ by Movie picked up the Bronze in the Best Use of Mobile category.

     

    UM Australia walked away with both Agency of the Year and Campaign of the Year for their innovative social media campaign ‘XTL’, which encouraged Australian teens to call out disrespectful or inappropriate online behaviour with the hashtag #XTL (crossing the line). Produced by UM for the Department of Families, Housing, Communities and Indigenous Affairs, ‘XTL’ won the Gold for Best Social Media Strategy, as well as the Silver in Best Targeted Campaign and Bronze for The Utility/Public Service Award. The 90 per cent of teens surveyed reported using #XTL in the right context.

     

    UM also won awards for two other campaigns in Australia: News Corps’ ‘Fast Front Pages’ (Silver, Best Communications Strategy) and ING Direct’s ‘Spend Your Lunch Well’ (Gold, Best Entertainment Platform).

     

    “The XTL campaign was particularly impressive because it showed that creativity and effectiveness is not just the domain of big brands, but that government departments can also be at the heart of great campaigns. XTL was a serious, socially responsible campaign that used modern technology to reach a modern audience,” says Heineken global media director Tom Gill, who was also one of the judges.

     

    Starcom MediaVest Group won Best Agency Network of the Year, with nine campaigns across seven different countries winning various awards, including UHP’s winning campaign in the Philippines. Independent agency Forsman & Bodenfors were responsible for two of Sweden’s wins for their work with Volvo Trucks on two campaigns. ‘The Epic Split’ (Bronze, Best Content Creation Award) and ‘Live Test Series’ (Bronze, Best Digitally Integrated Campaign).

     

    For the first time ever, this year’s awards introduced tiered judging of Gold, Silver and Bronze awards to honour even more entries than ever before. The shortlisted entries were highly contested, with the judges going through several rounds of voting for many of the categories before deciding on winners.

     

    This year’s winners come from 19 different countries around the world, including Canada, (Gold, Best Event/Experiential Campaign, with Budweiser’s ‘Red Light’); the United Arab Emirates (Gold, Best Digitally Integrated Campaign, for ‘Mapped Out’ by Etihad); and Hungary (Gold, Best Use of Technology, for Telekom’s ‘Sky Gallery’).

     

    GlaxoSmithKline head of global media and chair of the 2014 Awards Jury Sameer Singh, comments: “It’s truly fascinating to see so many campaigns like ‘XTL’ using social media for focused, targeted outreach, and actually succeeding in changing people’s behaviour and opinions. More than ever before, marketers are seeing the value of reaching out to specific audiences through social media – brilliant propositions and clever execution rule in the entries we judged from all over the world.”

     

    A panel of 25 industry experts judged the 191 shortlisted entries to decide upon the winners, and the awards were announced at a gala dinner on 8 April, the final night of the Festival of Media Global 2014.

  • ASCI’S Nams Initiative bags a Silver at EASA 2013

    Mumbai: The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has won the Best Practice Silver Award at the European Advertising Standards Alliance’s (EASA) Annual Meeting held in Milan, Italy recently.

    The Council received this award for introducing the path-breaking initiative, National Advertising Monitoring Service (NAMS) in May 2012. ASCI had introduced NAMS to strengthen the process of tracking and reducing misleading advertisements which harm the interests of consumers.

    The proactive monitoring by NAMS of print and TV ads has helped in tracking a much wider number of misleading ads month on month. In relative terms, the number of ads against which complaints were received and processed by ASCI has jumped nearly five-fold from 177 in 2011-2012 to 784 in 2012-2013. Clearly, the NAMS initiative has helped in strengthening the ad self-regulation and complaint redressal process manifold.

    ASCI chairman Arvind Sharma said, “ASCI through NAMS has done path breaking work in tracking down and removing ads which make misleading, false or unsubstantiated claims. And the EASA Best Practice Silver award is recognition by the global ad Self Regulatory Organisations (SRO) that ASCI not only follows global best practices but also helps in innovating new ones. This recognition encourages us to further strengthen the professional and ethical standards in the ad industry to ensure responsible advertising and thereby protect the interests of the consumers.”

    The EASA awards were organised around EASA’s annual general meetings held in Milan which include technical meetings on self-regulation best practice and a workshop on social media.