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Tag: Vikram Sakhuja

  • Madison Media appoints Vinay Hegde as SVP – buying

    Madison Media appoints Vinay Hegde as SVP – buying

    MUMBAI: Madison Media has just announced the appointment of Vinay Hegde as SVP buying; reporting into the group’s buying COO Neelkamal Sharma. Hegde joins the agency from Starcom Mediavest Group, where he was national trading director.

    Hegde has over 20 years of experience having worked in Mindshare Fulcrum for over 10 years handling buying for Unilever business. He has also worked in Disney as Director Revenue Strategy and HTA and Percept previously.

    Madison Media & OOH group CEO Vikram Sakhuja said, “I am delighted to have Hegde join our team. I have known him as a fantastic Buyer whose understanding of the Indian TV environment is second to none. He will bring considerable heft to Madison’s prodigious Buying strength.”

    On his appointment Hegde said, “I am delighted and look forward to using my experience to contribute to the crystallization of the vision of the leadership team here at Madison. In my view Madison is the quintessential example of an agency with strong foundations built on human spirit by the enigmatic and brilliant Sam Balsara and now infused with a fresh energy by the charismatic Vikram Sakhuja. ”

    Madison Media Group handles media planning and buying for blue chip clients including Godrej, ITC, Marico, Snapdeal, McDonald’s, TVS, Raymond, Piramal Healthcare, Levis, SpiceJet, Domino’s, Max Life Insurance, Asian Paints, Pidilite, Tata Salt, Acer, Crompton, Indian Oil, Gowardhan Dairy, Café Coffee Day and many others. The gross billing of Madison Media Group is about Rs. 3,750 crores.

  • Madison Media appoints Vinay Hegde as SVP – buying

    Madison Media appoints Vinay Hegde as SVP – buying

    MUMBAI: Madison Media has just announced the appointment of Vinay Hegde as SVP buying; reporting into the group’s buying COO Neelkamal Sharma. Hegde joins the agency from Starcom Mediavest Group, where he was national trading director.

    Hegde has over 20 years of experience having worked in Mindshare Fulcrum for over 10 years handling buying for Unilever business. He has also worked in Disney as Director Revenue Strategy and HTA and Percept previously.

    Madison Media & OOH group CEO Vikram Sakhuja said, “I am delighted to have Hegde join our team. I have known him as a fantastic Buyer whose understanding of the Indian TV environment is second to none. He will bring considerable heft to Madison’s prodigious Buying strength.”

    On his appointment Hegde said, “I am delighted and look forward to using my experience to contribute to the crystallization of the vision of the leadership team here at Madison. In my view Madison is the quintessential example of an agency with strong foundations built on human spirit by the enigmatic and brilliant Sam Balsara and now infused with a fresh energy by the charismatic Vikram Sakhuja. ”

    Madison Media Group handles media planning and buying for blue chip clients including Godrej, ITC, Marico, Snapdeal, McDonald’s, TVS, Raymond, Piramal Healthcare, Levis, SpiceJet, Domino’s, Max Life Insurance, Asian Paints, Pidilite, Tata Salt, Acer, Crompton, Indian Oil, Gowardhan Dairy, Café Coffee Day and many others. The gross billing of Madison Media Group is about Rs. 3,750 crores.

  • Vikram Sakhuja to chair EFFIE 2016; Mitrajit Bhattacharya will be co-chair

    Vikram Sakhuja to chair EFFIE 2016; Mitrajit Bhattacharya will be co-chair

    MUMBAI: The Advertising Club has appointed Madison World groyup CEO Vikram Sakhuja as president of EFFIES 2016. Chitralekha Group president and publisher Mitrajit Bhattacharya will be the co-chair of EFFIES 2016.

    Speaking of Sakhuja’s appointment, The Advertising Club president Raj Nayak said, “EFFIES has emerged as a coveted industry award that lauds campaigns and individuals delivering landmark brand solutions. Vikram has been an essential part of EFFIES 2015 and was instrumental in ensuring the awards success last year. I am delighted that Vikram will be at the helm of the prestigious awards this year too. I am confident that under his leadership the awards will gain further in repute, stature and scale. Wishing all the best to Vikram and the team.”

    Speaking about his new role Sakhuja said “It is a privilege to be chairing the EFFIES. It remains the one award that Agencies and client covet equally since it celebrates effectiveness. This year the EFFIES will be held in December, a little earlier than last year to ensure that Christmas and New Year is not spent working on entries. We look forward to again welcoming great work from all quarters.”

    EFFIES 2016 will continue to celebrate successful campaigns that drive the Media and Advertising industry towards now echelons of growth and scale.

  • Vikram Sakhuja to chair EFFIE 2016; Mitrajit Bhattacharya will be co-chair

    Vikram Sakhuja to chair EFFIE 2016; Mitrajit Bhattacharya will be co-chair

    MUMBAI: The Advertising Club has appointed Madison World groyup CEO Vikram Sakhuja as president of EFFIES 2016. Chitralekha Group president and publisher Mitrajit Bhattacharya will be the co-chair of EFFIES 2016.

    Speaking of Sakhuja’s appointment, The Advertising Club president Raj Nayak said, “EFFIES has emerged as a coveted industry award that lauds campaigns and individuals delivering landmark brand solutions. Vikram has been an essential part of EFFIES 2015 and was instrumental in ensuring the awards success last year. I am delighted that Vikram will be at the helm of the prestigious awards this year too. I am confident that under his leadership the awards will gain further in repute, stature and scale. Wishing all the best to Vikram and the team.”

    Speaking about his new role Sakhuja said “It is a privilege to be chairing the EFFIES. It remains the one award that Agencies and client covet equally since it celebrates effectiveness. This year the EFFIES will be held in December, a little earlier than last year to ensure that Christmas and New Year is not spent working on entries. We look forward to again welcoming great work from all quarters.”

    EFFIES 2016 will continue to celebrate successful campaigns that drive the Media and Advertising industry towards now echelons of growth and scale.

  • Ad Club new committee appointed

    Ad Club new committee appointed

    MUMBAI: At the recently concluded annual general meeting, The Advertising Club unanimously elected Colors CEO Raj Nayak as its President for the second consecutive term.

    The new managing committee is as follows:

    • President| Raj Nayak, CEO, Colors, Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd.

    • Vice President| Vikram Sakhuja, Group CEO, Media and OOH, Madison Communications Pvt. Ltd.

    • Secretary | Ajay Kakar, Chief Marketing Officer, Financial Services, Aditya Birla Group

    • Jt. Secretary | Bhaskar Das, Group CEO, Zee Media Corporation Ltd.

    • Treasurer| Shashi Sinha, CEO, IPG Mediabrands

    • Office Bearer | Ashish Sehgal, COO, Zee Unimedia Ltd.

    • Member |Mitrajit Bhattacharya, President and Publisher, Chitralekha Group

    • Member | Partha Sinha, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, McCann

    Worldgroup

    • Member | Pradeep Dwivedi, Chief Corporate Sales & Marketing Officer, Dainik Bhaskar Group | DB Corp Ltd.

    • Member | Ramesh Narayan, Managing Director, Canco Advertising Pvt. Ltd.

    • Member | Vikas Khanchandani, Chief Business Officer, Reliance Broadcast Network Limited

    • Member | Viral Jani, Head TV Partnerships, Twitter India

    • Co-opted Member | Partho Dasgupta, CEO, Broadcast Audience Research Council

    • Co-opted Member | Punitha Arumugam, Director, Agency Business, India and South East Asia, Google India Pvt. Ltd.

    • Co-opted Member | Ajay Chandwani, Director, Percept Limited

    • Immediate Past President | Pratap Bose, Founder, Social Street

    Expressing his pleasure at his re-election, Nayak said, “I am extremely honored & humbled at the love bestowed upon me by the industry. I hope to continue working even more vigorously to realize The Ad Club’s agenda of acting as a catalyst in developing our vibrant and dynamic industry.”

    Publicis Worldwide CEO South Asia and AAAI president Nakul Chopra welcomed the announcement saying, “I am delighted that Raj has been elected President Ad Club for another term. A dear friend, a respected colleague – Raj has always worked for the good of the industry via various forums. I look forward to working closely with him to further the already strong relationship between The Ad Club and AAAI.”

    Zee MD and CEO and IBF president Punit Goenka added, “I am most certain that with his rich experience, acumen and industry knowledge, Raj will continue to take ‘The Advertising Club’ to greater heights. The very fact that he is re-elected, speaks abundantly about his contribution made to the club and to the industry. Over the last year, the club has certainly been a catalyst in developing the industry and with its interactive platforms and properties, it has served as a brilliant platform for industry professionals to interact and exchange thoughts. I wish Raj all the success in this role.”

    Showing his excitement about the announcement, K Swamy BBDO Chairman,MD and IAA president India chapter, IAA Global Senior Vice President Srinivasan Swamy said, “I was delighted to hear that Raj was reelected to lead The Advertising Club. His passion and energy levels are infective. He has brought in many senior names‎ to join the committee and I eagerly look forward to next phase of accelerated growth for the Club under his stewardship.”

    Industry stalwart Madison world chairman Sam Balsara also expressed his pleasure by saying, “I am delighted that Raj has agreed to continue as The Ad Club President. This augurs well for the members of the advertising, media and marketing community in general and members of The Ad Club in particular. Raj is everybody’s favorite person and is uniquely positioned to discharge this onerous responsibility which he has kindly agreed to, despite his hectic and I am sure taxing work schedule”.

    Industry veteran GroupM South Asia CEO CVL Srinivas commented, “Its great news for the industry that Raj Nayak has been re-elected President of The Advertising Club. Raj brings a lot of style and substance to whatever he does. His boundless energy, passion and commitment is so amazing. I wish him the very best and look forward to another great year with him at the helm”.

  • Ad Club new committee appointed

    Ad Club new committee appointed

    MUMBAI: At the recently concluded annual general meeting, The Advertising Club unanimously elected Colors CEO Raj Nayak as its President for the second consecutive term.

    The new managing committee is as follows:

    • President| Raj Nayak, CEO, Colors, Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd.

    • Vice President| Vikram Sakhuja, Group CEO, Media and OOH, Madison Communications Pvt. Ltd.

    • Secretary | Ajay Kakar, Chief Marketing Officer, Financial Services, Aditya Birla Group

    • Jt. Secretary | Bhaskar Das, Group CEO, Zee Media Corporation Ltd.

    • Treasurer| Shashi Sinha, CEO, IPG Mediabrands

    • Office Bearer | Ashish Sehgal, COO, Zee Unimedia Ltd.

    • Member |Mitrajit Bhattacharya, President and Publisher, Chitralekha Group

    • Member | Partha Sinha, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, McCann

    Worldgroup

    • Member | Pradeep Dwivedi, Chief Corporate Sales & Marketing Officer, Dainik Bhaskar Group | DB Corp Ltd.

    • Member | Ramesh Narayan, Managing Director, Canco Advertising Pvt. Ltd.

    • Member | Vikas Khanchandani, Chief Business Officer, Reliance Broadcast Network Limited

    • Member | Viral Jani, Head TV Partnerships, Twitter India

    • Co-opted Member | Partho Dasgupta, CEO, Broadcast Audience Research Council

    • Co-opted Member | Punitha Arumugam, Director, Agency Business, India and South East Asia, Google India Pvt. Ltd.

    • Co-opted Member | Ajay Chandwani, Director, Percept Limited

    • Immediate Past President | Pratap Bose, Founder, Social Street

    Expressing his pleasure at his re-election, Nayak said, “I am extremely honored & humbled at the love bestowed upon me by the industry. I hope to continue working even more vigorously to realize The Ad Club’s agenda of acting as a catalyst in developing our vibrant and dynamic industry.”

    Publicis Worldwide CEO South Asia and AAAI president Nakul Chopra welcomed the announcement saying, “I am delighted that Raj has been elected President Ad Club for another term. A dear friend, a respected colleague – Raj has always worked for the good of the industry via various forums. I look forward to working closely with him to further the already strong relationship between The Ad Club and AAAI.”

    Zee MD and CEO and IBF president Punit Goenka added, “I am most certain that with his rich experience, acumen and industry knowledge, Raj will continue to take ‘The Advertising Club’ to greater heights. The very fact that he is re-elected, speaks abundantly about his contribution made to the club and to the industry. Over the last year, the club has certainly been a catalyst in developing the industry and with its interactive platforms and properties, it has served as a brilliant platform for industry professionals to interact and exchange thoughts. I wish Raj all the success in this role.”

    Showing his excitement about the announcement, K Swamy BBDO Chairman,MD and IAA president India chapter, IAA Global Senior Vice President Srinivasan Swamy said, “I was delighted to hear that Raj was reelected to lead The Advertising Club. His passion and energy levels are infective. He has brought in many senior names‎ to join the committee and I eagerly look forward to next phase of accelerated growth for the Club under his stewardship.”

    Industry stalwart Madison world chairman Sam Balsara also expressed his pleasure by saying, “I am delighted that Raj has agreed to continue as The Ad Club President. This augurs well for the members of the advertising, media and marketing community in general and members of The Ad Club in particular. Raj is everybody’s favorite person and is uniquely positioned to discharge this onerous responsibility which he has kindly agreed to, despite his hectic and I am sure taxing work schedule”.

    Industry veteran GroupM South Asia CEO CVL Srinivas commented, “Its great news for the industry that Raj Nayak has been re-elected President of The Advertising Club. Raj brings a lot of style and substance to whatever he does. His boundless energy, passion and commitment is so amazing. I wish him the very best and look forward to another great year with him at the helm”.

  • When advertisers turn singers for Sony Mix’s ‘Dhun Project’

    When advertisers turn singers for Sony Mix’s ‘Dhun Project’

    MUMBAI: The folks at Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) are in a celebratory mood not just for one but two reasons. In an all cash deal worth $385 million, the network has recently inked a pact to acquire the Ten Sports channel portfolio which was with Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL). Second, it is the fifth anniversary of its music channel Sony Mix.

    To commemorate its birthday, the network has initiated The Dhun Project. Through this, the channel intends to pay tribute to Indian musicians and aims to give back to India’s rich musical heritage by raising funds to empower those musically oriented and donate to educational initiatives across levels.

    “This is our way of giving back to music, by empowering its creators, curators and everyone associated with the art in India,” says SPN senior EVP and business head Max cluster, Sony Mix Neeraj VyasI. “It is a tribute to the musicians of Bollywood. Several things go into the making of a song which do not get recognised. The name ‘Dhun’ because it is a key word for music and also goes with the channel’s name. We had launched in 2011 because we clearly saw a need gap wherein music channels were providing everything else but music. We came with an aim to play more music, with a clear mood map to match music with various moods and 12 minutes of advertising. There was very little variety. The last five years have been exceptional for us. ”

    “Music is an integral part with or without Bollywood. We always wanted to grow music in this country. According to me, this is a good way to contribute and I hope to make some difference through this initiative. With The Dhun Project we want to encourage talented musicians, to help them further contribute to music in India and inspire society with the melodies they create that harmoniously unite us. The advertisers featuring in the video have identified the cause, they connect to music and will take the communication ahead from there,” adds SPN CEO N.P.Singh.

    The new initiative will be promoted on the various channels under the network and by featuring the CXO’s of media and entertainment industry, the initiative hoped to get a push through each one’s Twitter and Facebook page. Championing the cause, it has brought together stalwarts from the advertising and media industries to record an exclusive music video for the anthem. Senior executives like GroupM’s CVL Srinivas , Madiso’s n Vikram Sakhuja, Lodestar’s Shashi Sinha, Future Group’s Sandip Tarkas, Mindshare’s Amin Lakhani, Zenith Optimedia’s Anupriya Acharya, Idea Cellular’s Shuchi Singhal, OMD ‘s Harish Shriyan, Mudra’s Sonal Dabral, SPN’s Rohit Gupta and SPN’s Neeraj Vyas feature in Dhun Project music video. The project will also be played live during Goafest in front of the entire media and entertainment industry.

    The first leg of project involves the channel’s contribution of Rupees 10 Lakhs towards helping a musician who needs medical support every year. The ambassador for this year is Roshan Ali (a dholak player). Ali has recorded with artists like R.D.Burman, Laxmikant Pyarelal, etc. The project is seeking help from the Indian Cine Musician Association head who suggests them a name which the channel will filter further and pin down on a person.

    It is also leveraging the crowdsourcing platform Ketto.Org, co-founded by actor Kunal Kapoor to raise funds for Spic Macay to organize a series of events across the country that will enable heritage musicians to perform in schools and colleges. Young students will be exposed to music performed by nationally celebrated musicians, who in turn will continue to earn a living from this artistic endeavour.

    To catch a glimpse of the music video, visit:

  • When advertisers turn singers for Sony Mix’s ‘Dhun Project’

    When advertisers turn singers for Sony Mix’s ‘Dhun Project’

    MUMBAI: The folks at Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) are in a celebratory mood not just for one but two reasons. In an all cash deal worth $385 million, the network has recently inked a pact to acquire the Ten Sports channel portfolio which was with Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL). Second, it is the fifth anniversary of its music channel Sony Mix.

    To commemorate its birthday, the network has initiated The Dhun Project. Through this, the channel intends to pay tribute to Indian musicians and aims to give back to India’s rich musical heritage by raising funds to empower those musically oriented and donate to educational initiatives across levels.

    “This is our way of giving back to music, by empowering its creators, curators and everyone associated with the art in India,” says SPN senior EVP and business head Max cluster, Sony Mix Neeraj VyasI. “It is a tribute to the musicians of Bollywood. Several things go into the making of a song which do not get recognised. The name ‘Dhun’ because it is a key word for music and also goes with the channel’s name. We had launched in 2011 because we clearly saw a need gap wherein music channels were providing everything else but music. We came with an aim to play more music, with a clear mood map to match music with various moods and 12 minutes of advertising. There was very little variety. The last five years have been exceptional for us. ”

    “Music is an integral part with or without Bollywood. We always wanted to grow music in this country. According to me, this is a good way to contribute and I hope to make some difference through this initiative. With The Dhun Project we want to encourage talented musicians, to help them further contribute to music in India and inspire society with the melodies they create that harmoniously unite us. The advertisers featuring in the video have identified the cause, they connect to music and will take the communication ahead from there,” adds SPN CEO N.P.Singh.

    The new initiative will be promoted on the various channels under the network and by featuring the CXO’s of media and entertainment industry, the initiative hoped to get a push through each one’s Twitter and Facebook page. Championing the cause, it has brought together stalwarts from the advertising and media industries to record an exclusive music video for the anthem. Senior executives like GroupM’s CVL Srinivas , Madiso’s n Vikram Sakhuja, Lodestar’s Shashi Sinha, Future Group’s Sandip Tarkas, Mindshare’s Amin Lakhani, Zenith Optimedia’s Anupriya Acharya, Idea Cellular’s Shuchi Singhal, OMD ‘s Harish Shriyan, Mudra’s Sonal Dabral, SPN’s Rohit Gupta and SPN’s Neeraj Vyas feature in Dhun Project music video. The project will also be played live during Goafest in front of the entire media and entertainment industry.

    The first leg of project involves the channel’s contribution of Rupees 10 Lakhs towards helping a musician who needs medical support every year. The ambassador for this year is Roshan Ali (a dholak player). Ali has recorded with artists like R.D.Burman, Laxmikant Pyarelal, etc. The project is seeking help from the Indian Cine Musician Association head who suggests them a name which the channel will filter further and pin down on a person.

    It is also leveraging the crowdsourcing platform Ketto.Org, co-founded by actor Kunal Kapoor to raise funds for Spic Macay to organize a series of events across the country that will enable heritage musicians to perform in schools and colleges. Young students will be exposed to music performed by nationally celebrated musicians, who in turn will continue to earn a living from this artistic endeavour.

    To catch a glimpse of the music video, visit:

  • Lower e-commerce spending slows down TV ad growth: Madison

    Lower e-commerce spending slows down TV ad growth: Madison

    MUMBAI: H1 2016 has not been a good time for the advertising industry – TV specially – according to leading Indian ad agency Madison Media.

    Against the projected 20 per cent TV ad growth for the full year, only 11 per cent growth has been achieved in H1 2016. This compares poorly with the gee-whiz 35 per cent growth rate achieved in H1 2015 over H1 2014 on the back of a substantial increase in e-commerce spends and the ICC World Cup.

    The drop in the TV ad growth rate is also the main reason why the total ad market growth in H1 2016 has only been 12.9 per cent, says Madison Media. This has led to a downgrade of the earlier projected growth rate for 2016 from 16.8 per cent to 13.2 per cent. The drop in value of advertising growth has been accompanied by a reduction in the volumes of adverts on most TV programming genres, with the exception of Hindi movie and Kannada channels.

    The Madison-Pitch report says that the TV industry attracted around Rs 10,198 crore in ad spending in H1 2016 as compared to Rs 9186 crore in H12015. FMCG advertisers splurged 16 per cent more in H1 2016 at Rs 5,346 crore (Rs 4,622 crore in H1 2015) but contributed 72 per cent to the growth rate of the industry. E-commerce as a category shaved spending by 37 per cent as it fell from Rs 629 crore in H1 2015 to Rs 394 crore in H1 2016.

    “The drop in growth rates in TV is led by a lower contribution of e-commerce which is a category known to pick and choose high priced inventory / impact programmes and substituted by FMCG users who resort to everyday advertising and seek high value for money,” explained Madison Media & OOH CEO Mr Vikram Sakhuja.

    Clothing fashion and jewelry ad spending also slipped into the negative zone with a 22 per cent plunge from Rs 308 crore in H1 2015 to Rs 241 crore in H1 2016.

    The telco internet and DTH segment, however, maintained its growth of last year with spends of Rs Rs 1198 crore (Rs 1068 crore in H1 2015),

    In a release sent out last week, Madison Media said it expects this trend to continue and if it does, the overall ad industry should be on course to hit a spend of Rs 50,000 crore by end 2016. However, the agency says it is culling down its TV growth rate number from 20 per cent to 11 per cent.

    Which Madison World chairman Sam Balsara says is not good news at all. “The drop in growth rate of TV advertising does not augur well for the economy as generally a spurt in ad spends leads to higher GDP growth.”

  • Lower e-commerce spending slows down TV ad growth: Madison

    Lower e-commerce spending slows down TV ad growth: Madison

    MUMBAI: H1 2016 has not been a good time for the advertising industry – TV specially – according to leading Indian ad agency Madison Media.

    Against the projected 20 per cent TV ad growth for the full year, only 11 per cent growth has been achieved in H1 2016. This compares poorly with the gee-whiz 35 per cent growth rate achieved in H1 2015 over H1 2014 on the back of a substantial increase in e-commerce spends and the ICC World Cup.

    The drop in the TV ad growth rate is also the main reason why the total ad market growth in H1 2016 has only been 12.9 per cent, says Madison Media. This has led to a downgrade of the earlier projected growth rate for 2016 from 16.8 per cent to 13.2 per cent. The drop in value of advertising growth has been accompanied by a reduction in the volumes of adverts on most TV programming genres, with the exception of Hindi movie and Kannada channels.

    The Madison-Pitch report says that the TV industry attracted around Rs 10,198 crore in ad spending in H1 2016 as compared to Rs 9186 crore in H12015. FMCG advertisers splurged 16 per cent more in H1 2016 at Rs 5,346 crore (Rs 4,622 crore in H1 2015) but contributed 72 per cent to the growth rate of the industry. E-commerce as a category shaved spending by 37 per cent as it fell from Rs 629 crore in H1 2015 to Rs 394 crore in H1 2016.

    “The drop in growth rates in TV is led by a lower contribution of e-commerce which is a category known to pick and choose high priced inventory / impact programmes and substituted by FMCG users who resort to everyday advertising and seek high value for money,” explained Madison Media & OOH CEO Mr Vikram Sakhuja.

    Clothing fashion and jewelry ad spending also slipped into the negative zone with a 22 per cent plunge from Rs 308 crore in H1 2015 to Rs 241 crore in H1 2016.

    The telco internet and DTH segment, however, maintained its growth of last year with spends of Rs Rs 1198 crore (Rs 1068 crore in H1 2015),

    In a release sent out last week, Madison Media said it expects this trend to continue and if it does, the overall ad industry should be on course to hit a spend of Rs 50,000 crore by end 2016. However, the agency says it is culling down its TV growth rate number from 20 per cent to 11 per cent.

    Which Madison World chairman Sam Balsara says is not good news at all. “The drop in growth rate of TV advertising does not augur well for the economy as generally a spurt in ad spends leads to higher GDP growth.”