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Tag: Wavemaker India

  • MIS 2024: The power of personalisation: Strategies for creating a seamless customer experience

    MIS 2024: The power of personalisation: Strategies for creating a seamless customer experience

    Mumbai: The Media Investment Summit 2024 which is being held on 4 April at Novotel, Mumbai is a dynamic platform that aims to bring together minds from the brand, media, advertising, digital & TV fraternity to explore the ever-evolving landscape of content, Adtech, Martech, metaverse and Web 3.0, the evolution of traditional media planning and buying, data and privacy infringement and ROI on advertising.

    The day-long affair is to make sure to tantalise the thoughts of those looking for answers to myriad topics under the branding, advertising, TV, digital media planning, and buying roof.

    The session can provide valuable insights into the strategies, challenges, and future trends associated with creating a seamless customer experience through personalized marketing.

    The session of the event was chaired by Wavemaker India chief digital officer Sairam Ranganathan and consists of panellists including – Dr Reddy’s Laboratories India director head digital omnichannel & transformation Rupali Krishna Digrajkar, Shemaroo Entertainment COO, digital Saurabh Srivastava, MiQ MD and global board member Siddharth Dabhade, Criteo country head, India Medhavi Singh, Interactive Avenues VP, media, Priyanka Mohanty Nayudu.

    Here are the quotes from various industry experts on the power of personalisation: Strategies for creating a seamless customer experience:

    MiQ MD and global board member Siddharth Dabhade

    I think the evolution we’re witnessing involves a convergence of media and data, with companies worldwide, including those in India, consolidating functions like data science, marketing, and business priorities. Those who’ve successfully integrated these elements have outperformed because marketing can’t solely focus on one aspect; it must combine media and data. Many companies possess vast data, but it often remains fragmented. Thus, the challenge lies in consolidating this data to establish a unified consumer view. Additionally, families are accumulating more first-party data, which is crucial. Moreover, macro trends significantly influence consumer behaviour and brand perceptions. The ongoing challenge is integrating all these elements effectively. For instance, in a recent case study, we targeted consumers interested in inverter solutions while considering the macro trend of power outages driving inverter sales. It’s about merging data from various sources, deriving actionable insights, and ensuring data privacy. Another case study involves an auto player, where we analyzed dealership sales and inventory levels in real time to optimize marketing campaigns accordingly. personalisation should benefit both consumers and advertisers, enhancing relevance and efficiency.

    Shemaroo Entertainment COO, digital Saurabh Srivastava,

    One business I represent that’s highly relevant to this topic is Shemaroo, which operates a direct-to-consumer OTT business. Effective personalisation is crucial for us as it enhances consumer engagement and drives loyalty, ultimately impacting our business model, especially considering the high cost of acquiring consumers. When content is personalized based on data analysis, it sharpens our proposition and improves user engagement. For instance, our collaboration with Amazon Personalize has led to a significant shift in how users consume short-form video content, demonstrating the power of data-driven recommendations. This collaboration has become a noteworthy case study, indicating potential for further expansion beyond short-form content. Loyalty is paramount for every brand, as retaining consumers is key to maximizing lifetime value. Additionally, the OTT market in India is poised to double, creating opportunities for both global and local players. However, achieving this growth requires significant efforts in storytelling, data utilization, technology, and personalisation to meet the diverse needs of consumers. Ultimately, the collective integration of these elements will contribute to the expansion of the market, albeit with considerable effort.

    Dr Reddy’s Laboratories India director head of digital omnichannel & transformation Rupali Krishna Digrajkar

    We’re currently in the data-driven era where across various industries like pharma, media, entertainment, and telecom, customers demand both convenience and quality interactions with brands. This emphasis on convenience and expectation highlights the importance of personalisation. At Dr. Reddy’s, we engage with two main segments: B2B/B2B2C customers, such as doctors who then convey information to patients, and the over-the-counter (OTC) segment for direct consumer products. personalisation relies heavily on understanding data and deriving insights from it. Defining customer personas and understanding their needs, triggers, and barriers are essential for delivering targeted experiences to micro-segments. In our case, since we interact with diverse sets of doctors within specialities, influencing their perceptions about our products is key to driving prescriptions. This requires continuous relationship-building and content-based marketing to engage doctors effectively. While the theory is clear, executing personalisation at scale is complex and requires expertise in various elements such as data analytics and customer data management. Dr. Reddy’s is actively involved in orchestrating numerous initiatives due to the breadth of our business, which includes 74 brands. Personalisation efforts extend to content production, which must be customized and distributed modularly across different formats and geographies. Visualization plays a critical role in data-driven decision-making, and defining use cases and selecting the right toolbox are crucial aspects of implementing personalisation effectively.

    Criteo country head, India Medhavi Singh

    In today’s landscape, personalisation isn’t just about attracting more customers and boosting conversion rates. It’s also about fostering long-term customer relationships and maximizing lifetime value. Some may think personalisation is about individualising every interaction, but it’s crucial to understand that true personalisation occurs at scale. This necessitates investing in the right technologies to enable widespread personalisation efforts across various verticals. For instance, consider streaming platforms that recommend content based on users’ viewing history; this is made possible by their vast user bases. Similarly, at our company, leveraging our extensive data—over 720 million videos and 5 billion products—enables us to achieve personalisation at scale. Across the user journey, from acquisition to engagement, personalisation plays a pivotal role. For example, in collaboration with Clinique, we targeted audiences with high purchasing power, tailoring our approach to appeal to premium and luxury segments. Likewise, in the gaming vertical, we personalize ads to encourage user conversion. Personalisation extends to minute details, such as tailoring ad formats based on user preferences—be it single-window or scroll-based views. Moreover, real-time adaptation is crucial; algorithms must dynamically adjust based on user behaviour shifts, ensuring a personalized experience at every touchpoint. Therefore, creating personalised experiences at scale is paramount in today’s context.

    Interactive Avenues VP, media, Priyanka Mohanty Nayudu

    From initially attracting consumers to actively engaging with them and ultimately retaining their loyalty, personalisation plays a pivotal role throughout the entire journey. Take Spotify, for example, one of our brands during its launch in India. Globally recognised for its personalized approach, Spotify’s DNA is infused with personalisation. Therefore, our launch strategy had to emphasize personalisation from the outset, incorporating the “person, place, moment” framework along with extensive data analysis to understand our target audience’s preferences. This journey encompasses capturing audiences through media campaigns, acquiring them, engaging them with content recommendations tailored to their tastes, and retaining them by continually adapting to their usage patterns. Remarkably, leveraging personalisation has led to a significant increase in streams—up to 30 to 40 per cent more compared to regular usage. This underscores the critical role personalisation plays throughout the consumer journey.

  • COLORS with Seagram’s Imperial Blue and Wavemaker goes hi-tech to launch AI-powered fun-filled #FansWaliHoli

    COLORS with Seagram’s Imperial Blue and Wavemaker goes hi-tech to launch AI-powered fun-filled #FansWaliHoli

    Mumbai: This Holi sparked celebrations that are unique and innovative! Viacom18’s flagship Hindi entertainment channel COLORS hit a hatrick, marking their third collaboration with Seagram’s Imperial Blue Packaged Drinking Water and Wavemaker India for an unforgettable #FansWaliHoli campaign, powered by cutting-edge generative AI technology. This initiative delivers a personalized and interactive Holi experience for the fans, unprecedented in its scope.

    This festive campaign, brought to life by Viacom18’s Network Branded Content in collaboration with Wavemaker India, empowers fans to create personalized Holi posters featuring their favorite celebrities: Karan Kundrra (Actor), Kanika Mann (Actor), Harsh Gujral (Comedian), and Raj Barman (Singer). Through an interactive microsite (www.becausemenwillbemen.com), fans can effortlessly select their preferred artists and generate custom posters with playful messages, encapsulating the essence of the vibrant festival of Holi, all while staying true to the brand ethos. These posters are then conveniently delivered to users’ WhatsApp for easy sharing with loved ones or posting on social media.

    Vivek Mohan Sharma – Head, Branded Content, Viacom18 commented on the campaign, “We are constantly striving to push boundaries and explore innovative ways to connect brands with audiences. Building on Viacom18’s vision of adopting technology every step of the way, we are approaching content marketing through the lens of technology as well. By leveraging generative AI, we have created a fun and interactive experience for fans to celebrate Holi with their favorite COLORS stars, while seamlessly integrating the Seagram’s Imperial Blue Packaged Drinking Water brand message. This campaign is a perfect example of how we are marrying content solutions with cutting-edge tech to deliver a holistic brand and content experience.”

    Ishwindar Singh, Pernod Ricard India said, “Seagram’s Imperial Blue packaged drinking water stands for embracing life with a smile and Holi, the festival of colors, is the perfect occasion to showcase our brand’s commitment to inspiring smiles and light-hearted moments. Partnering with Wavemaker & Viacom18 has allowed us to merge technology with celebrations to amplify the consumer experience through developing engaging campaign around key festivals like Holi..

    Shekhar Banerjee, Wavemaker India said, “At Wavemaker we are extremely proud to partner with our client Pernod Ricard India and brand Imperial Blue packaged Drinking Water to have continuously deliver on engaging innovatively with our consumers. Holi wishes delivered through an AI led campaign which puts you in the same frame with your favourite celebrity and recreates a beautiful poster which can be shared on social, go up as a poster in your room, be your wallpaper or give you bragging rights within your circle, is simply magical.”

    The campaign kicked off on 22 March and will run till 31 March.

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

    A post shared by ColorsTV (@colorstv)

     

  • This summer vacation, make new friends with Tang’s new campaign!

    This summer vacation, make new friends with Tang’s new campaign!

    Mumbai: Tang from Mondelez India, is to announce the launch of their innovative campaign centred around fostering kids’ creativity this summer- ‘Tang Summer Break Bestie’. It is an exciting campaign which promises an engaging and interactive experience for parents and their kids. Based on the insight that children may often experience boredom during their summer break as their friends are away travelling, the ‘Summer Break Bestie’ aims to bring a difference to the school break and introduce a refreshing take on summertime fun. Through this campaign, which features the popular television actress – Shruti Sheth, the brand aims to stir every child’s creativity by giving them a chance to create their bestie with the help of unique animations.

    By simply scanning the QR codes on the Tang packs and visiting www.tangindia.in- Children along with their parents can embark on an imaginative and fun journey to create their unique bestie aka friend-like avatar for the summer. Whether it’s a panda, an alien, a wizard or even an astronaut, the possibilities are immense with over 1.25 lac possible combinations. Kids can engage in various fun activities such as skipping, dribbling, cycling, and jumping jacks with their besties and capture these memorable moments. Not only will this campaign ignite the spark of creativity in kids, but parents can also share the heartwarming clips on various social media platforms using the #TangSummerBreakBestie with an opportunity for participants to win exciting prizes and rewards this summer.

    Speaking about Tang’s creative campaign for the summer vacation, Mondelez India vice president- of marketing Nitin Saini said, “Summer, with its promise of freedom and fun with friends, turns into a period where children are always eager to experience moments of laughter and adventure with their friends. However, they might get separated from their buddies due to other travel plans during this crucial downtime. So, we saw an opportunity to bridge the gap and bring the perfect summer companion to life for children, which also serves as a great opportunity for them to bond with their parents during the break. With a commitment to infuse fun and excitement, we are happy to introduce the new campaign ‘Summer Break Bestie’ for the young hearts yearning for a fun-filled summertime. A child’s imagination is endless, and we are excited to see the avatars these kids will create to enjoy their summer break.”

    Bates India group creative directors Pashyn Sethna and Pranav Bhide added “Summer vacation means 24×7 fun. But it also means friends travelling away and boredom creeping in. So as a brand that champions kids’ break time, the challenge was to keep the fun going all summer. Tang’s ‘Summer Break Bestie’ is an interactive new platform for kids and parents to come together and create their virtual BFF. Using their imagination, kids can design their own characters, going up to over 1,00,000 combinations! The idea brings alive summertime activities like playing, learning, dancing, reading and more, that kids can engage in throughout the summer. For the campaign, digital, social and influencer channels will spotlight this unique coming together of tech and kids’ imagination to defeat summertime boredom.”

    Wavemaker India’s chief client officer & office head, West, North & East Shekhar Banerjee also mentioned “With simple and easy-to-access tech, we are enabling kids to create memorable experiences when they are locked indoors during peak summers. The objective is to drive engagement through various media touchpoints and effectively strengthen Tang’s association with summer.”

  • India shifts to a new socio-economic classification system ISEC, women education is one of the key definers of social capital

    India shifts to a new socio-economic classification system ISEC, women education is one of the key definers of social capital

    Mumbai: India’s sole and autonomous market research industry body, Market Research Society of India (MRSI) announces the adoption and implementation of its latest Socio-economic Classification System, ‘ISEC’. The current Socio-economic Classification (SEC) being followed in India is based on ownership of consumer durables and vehicles. The growth in GDP and income, penetration of consumer durables, and ownership of vehicles has witnessed a significant increase, leading to the current socio-economic classification becoming less discriminatory and more volatile. The need to redefine the key variables led to the formation of a more stable, and more robust construct, ‘ISEC.’ Among the various industry stakeholders on track to adopt ISEC are The Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA), research users of various organisations such as ITC, Hindustan Unilever Limited, Marico, Dabur India, etc., research agencies including Kantar, IPSOS, as well as key media agencies.

    On rolling out the new socio-economic classification system, Market Research Society of India director general Mitali Chowhan said, “Socio-economic classification is the base of any targeted consumer understanding. At MRSI we recognise the need for an evolved SEC structure and ISEC is a system that is highly relevant. ISEC was developed by the industry, for the industry and unlike any previous classification system, it considers women’s education as a key definer of social capital, an attribute that is highly pertinent in current day. As an industry body, we are deeply invested in our stakeholders and the launch of ISEC is in line with our commitment to help our industry grow and evolve.”

    Socio-economic classification enables brands and agencies to understand their target audience’s behaviour and profiles and set price points. Updates to the current socio-economic classification is critical given the changing landscape of Indian households. ISEC addresses this with classification using household education and occupation profiles.

    In line with the roll-out of ISEC, MRSI organized a panel discussion that reaffirmed the importance of an evolved Socio-economic classification system to target consumers. Reinforcing ⁠their thoughts were senior industry leaders Amit Adarkar, CEO of IPSOS India, ⁠Jasmine Sachdeva, Managing Partner of Wavemaker India, ⁠Muralidhar Salvateeswaran, Chief Operations Office, Insights APAC at Kantar, ⁠Rajiv Dubey, Head of Media at Dabur India, ⁠Vivek Malhotra, Group CMO of India Today Group and Vinay Virwani, Head – Consumer Insights at Dabur India. The panel that was moderated by MRSI’s General Secretary, Shuvadip Banerjee, Chief Digital Marketing Officer of ITC Ltd. discussed the increased need for a deeper understanding of consumer behaviour, media targeting, and challenges the industry is faced with given the existing NCCS construct.

    Stressing on the need for a robust SEC system, IPSOS India CEO Amit Adarkar said, “Socio-economic classifications are the starting point of any planning or decision-making, impacting almost all industries. Following a SEC system that is relevant, evolved and representative is hence critical. NCCS was introduced at the time when digitisation was gaining momentum and women representation in household decisions was marginal. Our country has evolved greatly since then and it is essential that we follow a SEC that is equally evolved.”

    Concurring with Adarkar, Worldpanel Division managing director South Asia K Ramakrisnan Kantar said, “The challenges that companies are faced with these days are innumerable with the current SEC system adding to these challenges in terms of targeting and understanding behaviours. ISEC is a robust system that works well in both urban and rural India. It has more distinctiveness, a better distribution and it gives us the confidence that its structure will benefit brands and their decisions.”

    Unlike NCCS that only factored the education of the chief earner and the presence of certain consumer durable items in the household, MRSI’s ISEC takes on a more advanced approach by including the occupation of chief earner, education of highest educated male adult as well as education of highest educated female adult. Created by a team of seasoned experts and professionals from across the research and insights industry using National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), the Worldpanel division, Kantar, Indian Readership Survey (IRS), and referencing data from VTION,  ICUBETM, among others.

    Speaking on the new SEC, Sunil Kataria, chief executive Officer – Raymond Lifestyle – India & International, and chairman of The Indian Society of Advertisers said, “The development and progress of our economy is at a rapid pace. At such a pace it is even more important for us as advertisers and spenders to understand our consumers and their behaviour. ISEC is representative, relevant and robust. It gives us a holistic view of our audience segment and how they are equipped to make decisions. We welcome this new socio-economic classification and will continue to work with MRSI to further strengthen this system as and when required.”

    ISEC makes way for improved distribution and sharper and refined targeting. It is considerably more stable than NCCS, hence omitting the need for frequent updates.  ISEC’s discriminating quality is visible with each of the class/tier behaving differently, thus being more relevant as the economy develops with improvements in standards of living, increased asset ownership, infrastructure development and government interventions. Moreover, social capital in India can be defined by the education of the female and this parameter helped improve ‘discrimination’.

    Speaking on the implementation, IPG Mediabrands India CEO Shashi Sinha, further added, “A better and deeper understanding of consumer cohorts is always appreciated. It equips brands the opportunity to identify and target consumers in a sharper manner and opens up avenues for sharper communications. ISEC is highly discriminatory which is also crucial in current times. The implementation was long due and we are certain that this will help the industry considerably going forward.”

    “Following a socio-economic classification system that is representative of the population ensures that the industry is marching forward with efficiency. It ensures that the money spent is being spent correctly and more effectively. ISEC gives us that confidence and we are certain that this is a step forward in the direction of economic growth and development.” added India Today group CMO Vivek Malhotra.

    Representative of India’s social-economic strata, ISEC works equally well for urban and rural, is straightforward and quick and is not intrusive to administer.  A classification system spanning 1 to 12 tiers, ISEC is an open-source system and is available for all industry stakeholders

    SEC systems are used by all research companies, advertisers, and measurement bodies to target households. 

  • Cadbury 5 Star has created a ‘Time-Travel Device’ to skip Valentine’s Day entirely!

    Cadbury 5 Star has created a ‘Time-Travel Device’ to skip Valentine’s Day entirely!

    Mumbai : Taking its philosophy a step further for Valentine’s Day this year, Cadbury 5Star is set to transform 14 February with a bold new campaign that will take the day of love out of the equation. Cadbury 5 Star has consistently supported individuals who feel disenchanted with Valentine’s Day and prefer to spend the occasion doing nothing. Building on the success of last year’s endeavor to help escape the mush, the brand along with its volunteers will introduce the ‘time travel vessel’, with a mission to Erase Valentine’s Day. On 14 February three brave volunteers will embark on a mission to fast forward the day from their timelines, with the entire world invited to witness the spectacle through an event which will be live streamed for all.

    Commenting on the campaign, Mondelez India VP- marketing Nitin Saini said, “Cadbury 5 Star is an embodiment of bold cheekiness and mischief, and the current campaign will meet a new level of whimsy by doing the impossible – Erase Valentine’s Day. Since last year escaping Valentine’s Day was just not enough for some, we wanted to break the mush meter altogether for the 5 Star fanatics, and fast forwarding the day seemed like the only way to accomplish the mission while also offering a rollercoaster ride of laughter and endless banter. We hope this first-of-a-kind voyage with 5 Star will be a successful one with the mission as a new ray of hope for singles who will hopefully join us as Mission Engineers to make this collective dream come true.”

    Cadbury 5Star has embarked on this mission in partnership with the legendary space scientist Nambi Narayanan, to introduce a unique ‘time travel vessel’, a ship named F.N.S. Cringe Vinash, that will be sent to cross the International Date Line between American Samoa and Samoa at exactly 11:59pm on 13 February 2024 thereby crossing the 24-hour threshold and setting foot into 15 February, 12:00am – the local time on the other side of the International Date Line thus, skipping 24 hours of Valentine’s day in a single minute! The volunteers who will embark on this momentous journey will symbolize the spirit of all those who wish to erase Valentine’s Day from their calendars this year. These volunteers, equipped with an abundance of Cadbury 5Star treats, will indulge in these delightful confections and Do Nothing as they journey through time.

    Ogilvy India chief creative officer Sukesh Nayak added, “5 Star has been surprising audiences every year with crazy digs at Valentine’s Day. But this time, when Karunasagar Sridharan proposed the idea of literally erasing the day using time travel, we instantly knew that this was going to be bigger than anything we’ve done, and a mammoth task to pull off. Fortunately, the Ogilvy Experiential Marketing Team lead by Krishnakant Mishra managed to move mountains and get a ship to the middle of the Pacific Ocean, and our Ogilvy teams have orchestrated everything from a detailed live stream event in the middle of nowhere to a mission control room, and to add to the craziness, they’ve even brought in a legend like Nambi Narayanan to explain the science behind the mission. Every ‘do nothing’ campaign on 5 Star has been loved by audiences and we are looking forward to the buzz our latest installment generates.”

    Wavemaker India chief client officer & office head Shekhar Banerjee mentioned, “When it comes to building an anti-culture narrative, we know that one-size-fits-all approach just won’t cut it. Disrupting popular norms and triggering conversations requires a unique and differentiated approach to media. For this mission, we teamed up with some cool influencers as our hosts, carefully chosen to help us achieve our goal. As a countdown to the time-machine launch we will see diverse media touchpoints building anticipation for the D-Day. So buckle up and brace for impact as Cringe Vinash is about to rewrite cultural narratives like never before. Stay tuned for an unforgettable experience.”

    Conceptualized by Ogilvy, the brand has released an ad film announcing the mission and asking viewers to sign up as ‘Mission Engineers’ by visiting the mission’s website – www.erasevalentinesday.com. According to the website, Mission Engineers will get to play a ‘key role in making history’ – they will get to virtually connect with the control room during the event on 14 February and will even get to contribute LIVE to certain decisions taken by the crew.

  • This Valentine’s Day, Cadbury Silk merges the magic of love and power of AI

    This Valentine’s Day, Cadbury Silk merges the magic of love and power of AI

    Mumbai: This Valentine’s Day, Cadbury Silk, India’s favourite premium chocolate from Mondelez India, plays cupid once again to highlight some unforgettable love stories around us. Elevating the celebration of love to new heights, the brand has introduced an innovative and interactive experience that allows couples to weave their significant moments of love into a heartwarming tale of love and affection, brought to life with cutting-edge generative AI technology.

    To add the cinematic magic to this campaign, Cadbury Silk has joined forces with acclaimed filmmaker Zoya Akhtar who brings in her expertise to help couples craft their cherished moments into beautiful memoirs. Being the curator of contemporary love stories, she will contextualise and breathe life into the special moments capturing the essence of love in its most authentic form. Consumers can simply scan the QR code on Cadbury Silk packs, leading them to an exclusive website where they will need to answer some interesting questions that will help in curating their unique love stories with personalized avatars, which will be featured in the animated movie.  The AI module will seamlessly weave these elements together to craft a visually stunning and emotionally resonant story.

    Speaking about this, Mondelez India VP – marketing Nitin Saini said, ” Cadbury Silk continues to reign as the ultimate curator of Valentine’s Day celebrations. We believe the priceless romantic moments are not always the expensive ones, therefore with this campaign, we wanted to celebrate the everyday magic of a deeper and meaningful love and create a platform for couples to express their unique stories in a truly personal and heartwarming way. The idea was to create an experience that couples could revel in by watching a movie on them, by them and gush over the cute moments that are a testament of their love. The collaboration with Zoya Akhtar adds an extra layer of creativity, ensuring this campaign will be an unforgettable celebration of the diverse and beautiful stories that make each love story unique. Combined with the power of technology, this collaboration will bring love stories to life that is bound to touch hearts.”

    Akhtar added, “I am excited to be part of Cadbury Silk’s Valentine’s Day campaign. Collaborating on this campaign will allow me access to a lot of unique love stories that varied couples share. I will also get to craft these moments into beautifully animated short films through the magic of AI.  It’s fun to be able to capture and share the essence of these special experiences in a new way. I look forward to adding my touch of creativity to make this Valentine’s Day unforgettable for everyone involved.”

    The brand has also launched a new ad film featuring Akhtar embodying the spirit of love that Cadbury Silk is known for.

    Ogilvy India CCOs Kainaz Karmakar & Harshad Rajadhyaksha added, “Where there’s love, there’s a story. And there can’t be a better gift than your story made into your own AI movie. When Akshay Seth came to us with the ‘Story of Us’ we instantly loved it, but the execution was a challenge. It involved a partnership between Cadbury Silk x Zoya Akhtar x AI x Disney+Hotstar x Millions of personal stories! Since this is the first time customized AI video generation at scale is being attempted, it took a lot for all the moving parts to come together but they finally have. The interface, with Zoya Akhtar as your guide nudges you to dig into your story and pull out the best nuggets. Then AI will turn that into a mini movie featuring Avatars of the two of you. The best stories will feature as an anthology on the streaming platform Disney+Hotstar”.

    Wavemaker India chief client officer & office head Shekhar Banerjee said, “Over the years, Cadbury Silk has leveraged technology to create unique and memorable experiences during Valentine’s Day. This year, we are taking it up a notch by transforming everyday moments of love into cinematic experiences, powered by AI and Zoya Akhtar. These AI-curated stories will be amplified through strategic media partnerships and personalized content collaborations with leading OTT and music platforms, as well as brand experience zones. Our ultimate goal is to make every couple’s Bollywood dream come true. As a result, we are excited to collaborate with top industry players to deliver unparalleled romantic experiences that will leave a lasting impression on our audience”.

    Ogilvy India’s Creative Tech Team, led by Rajneesh Bolia, is using a proprietary tool to convert simple text input from the consumer into lovable character animations featuring the consumer. Built in-house to deliver personalized videos of moments shared by consumers, the team has successfully automated this unique AI-driven solution that is probably the world’s first in terms of use-case for a brand, the scale and the way it is automated and implemented.

    Selected videos from the campaign will be featured on the streaming platform Disney+Hotstar, allowing consumers to share their love stories with a wider audience.

  • Join 5Star’s Nothing University to become future-ready by acing the art of ‘Doing Nothing’

    Join 5Star’s Nothing University to become future-ready by acing the art of ‘Doing Nothing’

    Mumbai: Cadbury 5Star, India’s beloved chocolate brand, has always stood out as an advocate for taking time in our fast-paced lives to Do Nothing. Currently, as technology continues to evolve, a lot of work in future will be done by AI. With a lighter and fun take on this trend, the brand is adding a spin to how people will have more time to chill in their office because of which the art of ‘Do Nothing’ will become an essential skill. Therefore, to help people become future-ready and set themselves apart in the corporate setting, Cadbury 5Star has taken an unconventional route to navigate the trend by introducing the Nothing University, where those who sign up can learn the art of “Doing Nothing” and get a certification. As long-time champions of ‘Doing Nothing’, the brand has declared that we should welcome AI instead of fearing it.

    Speaking about this unique approach on Cadbury 5Star’s long-standing brand identity, Mondelez India VP- marketing Nitin Saini said, “Cadbury 5Star’s Do Nothing ideology has stood as a proud and humorous counter to the modern culture of living life on-the-go. Currently, the advent of AI is taking the industry by storm and making everyday job easier thus, leaving more room for people to ‘Do Nothing’, and as the cultivators of this ethos we want to help people ace it. The introduction of Nothing University is a cheeky take on this concept and our attempt to help everyone upskill in ‘Doing Nothing’. This will not only elevate the brand’s purpose but also establish an unforgettable and fun experience for the consumers of today.”

    Ogilvy India chief creative officer Sukesh Nayak added “With AI dominating the news almost every day, there is a lot of debate and speculation about the impact it will have on every industry. In its signature irreverent style, Cadbury 5 Star has taken a crazy dig at it by celebrating the prospect that when AI does most of our work, we’ll get a lot of time to chill and do nothing. We have conceived and crafted the Nothing University and developed an entire curriculum around doing nothing efficiently in the future workplace, complete with interactive video lectures and a diploma.”

    Wavemaker India chief client officer & office head, West, North & East Shekhar Banerjee said “In the era of AI, 5Star’s Nothing University is revolutionizing norms with a witty curriculum on ‘Doing Nothing.’. In collaboration with top comedians, influencers, and brand partnerships, we aim to amplify the delight of ‘Do Nothing’, with a counterculture narrative. From enrolment to graduation, our media campaign is brimming with playful essence, embarking on a journey into the art of doing nothing, reshaping skill development with a touch of humour across multiple media touchpoints”

    The innovative campaign was launched with a humorous and relatable digital film envisioning a future where while AI does its job, humans can embrace the art of doing nothing.

    People can participate and experience this one-of-a-kind course online through the microsite 5staruniversity.com which hosts interactive video sessions. Once registered, people can take courses in modules taught by corporate employees turned comedians Atul Khatri and Rahul Subramanian, equipping people to become future-ready and focus on the exciting possibility of AI making people’s jobs easier and leaving more room to enjoy Doing Nothing in the midst of getting ready for an AI-powered future workspace. At the end of the course, students will also get a certification as a fun take on the completion of this activation. That’s not all! Cadbury 5Star will also set up a physical campus for a short duration for people to experience the course on-ground through workshops, practice labs, research facilities for researching techniques in Doing Nothing while also being able to join the completion ceremony and collect their certificates.

  • Wavemaker India bolsters its North leadership team

    Wavemaker India bolsters its North leadership team

    Mumbai: Wavemaker India, GroupM’s most awarded agency, has announced key appointments to further strengthen its North leadership team. The agency has appointed Jasmine Sachdeva as managing partner and Dipika Bhasin as head for Team Reckitt.  

    The move is aimed at strengthening the agency’s position in the region and enhancing its capabilities to deliver impactful solutions to clients.

    Sachdeva, a highly experienced media professional with over two decades of industry expertise joins back at GroupM after a short stint with Publicis Media. She is a skilled strategist with expertise in crafting integrated media strategies, audience planning, and designing ROI-focused campaigns. She has a remarkable track record of spearheading award-winning campaigns for brands such as Nestle, Haleon, MamaEarth, Hero Moto Corp, Google, and Airtel.

    Bhasin, a media and marketing expert, has played pivotal roles across agencies including Dentsu, Omnicom Media Group and Carat. With over two decades of experience, she has successfully led media practices for renowned brands such as Apple, LG, Vivo, Royal Enfield, HP, Perfetti Van Melle, Maruti, Snapdeal, Nissan and many more.

    Wavemaker CEO – South Asia Ajay Gupte said, “Wavemaker India is currently on a strong growth trajectory. Our goal is to drive positive provocation within the industry and continue to expand our reach across the landscape. I am delighted to welcome two highly experienced leaders to take on critical roles within the organization and drive further growth. Their unwavering focus on clients and people development is truly commendable.”

    Commenting on the appointment, Wavemaker India chief client officer & office head – West, North & East Shekhar Banerjee  said, “I am excited to welcome Jasmine and Dipika to the Wavemaker family. Their impressive industry experience and diverse skill sets make them a valuable addition to our organization. We are confident that their expertise will contribute significantly to our ongoing efforts to drive innovation, excellence, and transformation for our clients. We look forward to achieving great success together”.

    In their new roles, both Sachdeva and Bhasin will be reporting to Banerjee.  

  • Leo Burnett India leads with 17 finalists in 2023 ONE Asia Creative Awards

    Leo Burnett India leads with 17 finalists in 2023 ONE Asia Creative Awards

    Mumbai: Leo Burnett India Mumbai leads all of APAC with 17 finalists in the 2023 ONE Asia Creative Awards, the fast-growing regional awards program and part of The One Club for Creativity. India is also the country with the most finalists, collecting 23 this year.

    Leo Burnett India’s finalists selections are for five entries on behalf of four clients. They include six finalists working with Wavemaker India Mumbai for “#BRINGBACK2011” on behalf of Oreo, five with Prodigious Mumbai are for Airtel “Airtel175”, three for Pepsico Lay’s “Smart Farm”, two for Burger King “The Great Celebrity Hack”, and one for Pepsico Lay’s “The Biochar Project”. BBDO India Mumbai has two ONE Asia 2023 finalists, both for “See the Signs #ShareTheLoad” on behalf of P&G India – Ariel.

    Rounding out the ONE Asia 2023 finalists from India with one each are Brandcare Medical Advertising and Consultancy Mumbai working with Dr. Suresh Saravdekar Mumbai and Amit Gavathe Mumbai for Keshav Srushtee “Gram Health Locket”; Landor & Fitch Mumbai for Full’r “Eat Like No One’s Watching”; Ogilvy Gurgaon for Coca-Cola India “Stump Cam”; and Subhajit Mukherjee Mumbai with Wunderman Thompson Kolkata for Exide Industries “India Moves on Exide – The Moving Canvas”.

    India has the most ONE Asia 2023 finalists with 23, followed by Philippines with 20, Australia and Singapore with 19 each, Japan with 16, mainland China with 13, Thailand with eight, South Korea with seven, Hong Kong SAR-China with five, Taiwan-China with four, Vietnam with three, and Indonesia with two.

    The complete list of ONE Asia 2023 finalists can be viewed here. Winners will be announced online on December 12, 2023.

    ONE Asia is part of The One Club’s renowned Global Creative Rankings. ONE Asia awards won by agencies and brands now gain them international recognition, and corresponding points contribute to regional and global network and holding company global rankings totals.

  • Cadbury Celebrations’ #ThisAdIsMyStore to brighten Diwali for homepreneurs

    Cadbury Celebrations’ #ThisAdIsMyStore to brighten Diwali for homepreneurs

    Mumbai: Diwali is a time of celebration and festivities, of sharing joy and happiness with one another. It is this spirit of generosity that Cadbury Celebrations, India’s most loved chocolate gifting brand, is championing once again with its latest campaign, #ThisAdIsMyStore. The heartwarming pan-India campaign puts the spotlight on thousands of small business owners, gifting them the visibility they need to have a bumper Diwali.

    This year, Cadbury Celebrations’ latest campaign is built around channeling prosperity towards smaller home-based businesses selling varied seasonal Diwali items such as hand-painted diyas, kandli, homemade snacks, desserts, candles, jewelry, etc. While such businesses primarily cater to the festive season’s prosperous demand cycle, they often can’t optimally capitalize on it as they lack the resources and presence required to reach out to new prospects and get more business.

    With #ThisAdIsMyStore, this time Cadbury Celebrations is giving talented homepreneurs the platform to shine by turning every Cadbury ad across all formats – including billboards, digital outdoors, mobile outdoors, online, print, and TV – into a shoutout for their business aka ghar ki dukaan. Each ad features a unique QR code that redirects users to their local homepreneur’s WhatsApp for Business chat, where they can discover and shop for homemade items.

    The Cadbury Celebrations campaign is complemented by a moving and uplifting TVC that showcases what such an intervention means to small local business owners. It opens with a shot outside a house in a brightly lit colony, where Beena, a woman who owns a homemade diya business is busy packing her customers’ orders. A group of youngsters then visit her home and cajole her into coming with them, even as she frets about fulfilling orders for the entire colony. The group then shows Beena her own #ThisAdIsMyStore billboard, informing her that she won’t be fulfilling orders just for their colony but the entire city before wishing her a Happy Diwali with a Cadbury Celebrations pack. An emotional Beena hugs the group before the ad cuts to more #ThisAdIsMyStore billboards showcasing women entrepreneurs who sell seasonal items out of their homes.

    Speaking on the campaign, Mondelēz India VP marketing Nitin Saini said, “One of the biggest pulls about Diwali is the ever-present sense of generosity and a sense of share and care between communities during the festive season. With the #ThisAdIsMyStore campaign, we are tapping into this festive spirit by shining the spotlight on one of the least visible sections of the Indian business ecosystem: the seasonal sellers. These businesses are typically operated from home by women for a short duration and don’t have the presence or the resources to expand beyond their immediate localities. We wanted to change this dynamic by giving them the platform to reach out to customers all over their city and benefit from the demand cycle. Everyone deserves more happiness, more prosperity, more joy in their lives and, this Diwali, we are glad to be the enablers of prosperity for the small business owners who have signed up for the campaign.”

    Ogilvy India chief creative officer Sukesh Nayak added, “Diwali is the time for all businesses to thrive. But unfortunately, there are a few businesses that don’t fully benefit from the festive demand. Women Homepreneurs despite having the best talent and offerings manage to do business near their homes only. Their reach stays limited to their immediate neighbourhood.

    Extending our brand’s platform of generosity, we decided to shine light on these talented women homepreneurs with #ThisAdIsMyStore. We decided to make every celebrations ad, their ad. We personalised and hyper-localized every Cadbury Ad to showcase these home businesses across their city and increased the reach for ‘Ghar ki Dukaans’ by helping them travel beyond their current social circle and neighbourhood.

    We conceived and developed a tech-enabled digital platform for these home businesses to register and get their ads in our Celebrations Ads across the city. To ensure a simple and seamless buyer experience, we made each #ThisAdIsMyStore a shop front to scan and buy directly from these home businesses. So, this Diwali Ghar ki Dukaan se bhi kuch Achcha ho jaaye, kuch meetha ho jaaye.”

    Wavemaker India chief client officer & office head, West, North & East Shekhar Banerjee said “This year, we intend to make Diwali even more special for every Homepreneur. As a team, we encountered two significant challenges: developing an intuitive and user-friendly technology and ensuring deep and seamless integration across various platforms and media touchpoints. To truly make an impact, we focused on enabling three key segments to easily access this technology: Homepreneurs, their close connections, and festive shoppers. It is crucial for festive shoppers to perceive this as a valuable alternative for their holiday shopping needs. With this campaign we are gratified to be enablers of prosperity for these hardworking individuals and look forward to seeing their businesses thrive”

    This campaign was executed with the help of tech partner Delta X and production partner EarthSky Pictures.