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  • Do we need 24-hour news channels?

    Do we need 24-hour news channels?

    NEW DELHI: The news television industry has been getting a lot of negative publicity these days, the prime reason being the inflammatory content they are airing. Not just viewers, but several advertisers and marketers have also highlighted their discontent with the journalism these channels are doing and some brands have already started pulling out their ad monies. While most people put the blame for this on the rat race for TRP and viewer interests, Parle Products Pvt Ltd senior category head – marketing Krishnarao S Buddha voiced an intriguing thought – do we really need 24-hour news channels these days?

    “I don’t think that the content degeneration on news channels happened recently. It’s been worsening for a few years now. I think the days when we had just Doordarshan, which had only three bulletins running, we had more semblance of propriety in the news content. I really want to understand whether there is a need for 24-hour news channels, from a programming perspective. If there is enough news happening across the globe that it requires multiple 24-hour news channels to cover,” he pointed out. 

    He added that this “mad requirement” of filling content slots for 24 hours has forced news channels to go overboard and serve content that is not only toxic but is also non-relevant. 

    Buddha was speaking at the recent brand safety webinar hosted by Indiantelevision.com in partnership with BBC World News and BBC.com. Other speakers on the panel – moderated by Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO, and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari – were Wavemaker CEO – South Asia Ajay Gupte, Future Group CMO – FBB Prachi Mohapatra, BBC Global News MD India Rahul Sood, PolicyBazaar head of marketing Samir Sethi, Accenture MD supply chain, network, and sales operations Shekhar Tiwari and Initiative CEO Vaishali Verma. 

    Contrary to Buddha’s view, Gupte stated that he doesn’t feel that there is more supply than demand for news in the current scenario, and it makes complete sense from a business perspective to have multiple 24-hour news channels. 

    Said he, “At the end of everything, this is a marketplace, which functions on the basic objective of demanding profitability. To achieve that, there needs to be an equilibrium in demand and supply, so that the pricing remains fair. I believe that there is really not more supply than the demand in the market right now. This is only from the business perspective and how the market forces generally work.”

    Buddha insisted that in that case, channels really need to work on their content strategies and come up with smart fillers based on investigative journalism. 

    “There is a stark need for creating differentiators within news channels based on content. If there is virtually the same telecast happening on each channel, then there is nothing much to differentiate them,” he interjected. 

    Gupte too agreed that news has a responsibility to serve and it defines the culture and thinking of any nation. “It is definitely important for networks to ensure that the content is right. It will create a better market too, in terms of delivery. People will then have the option to consume the content that suits them better. I would leave it to the channels to decide the content.”  

    Tiwari added that channels need to have the right strategy, the right talent, and the right investors to ensure great content. “There is a need for a good 24X7 independent news channel that covers current affairs, sports, entertainment, and everything else. Then we will have better content provided. It shouldn’t be working under the pressure of its investors or a government for that matter.”

    The panel highlighted several important factors that are contributing to the erosion of faith in news channels by advertisers and marketers. Vaishali Verma also highlighted that three out of ten clients of her agency have already said no to advertising on news channels, and the industry is in dire need of a course correction. 

  • ‘3 out of 10 brands are saying no to advertising on news channels’

    ‘3 out of 10 brands are saying no to advertising on news channels’

    NEW DELHI: News channels have always been a big part of the media mix for any advertiser; they enjoy a sizeable share of eyeballs and have been known as a brand-safe space to be present on. However, in the past few months, advertisers have become gravely concerned by the controversies around news content, as well as the TRP manipulation scandal that has come to the fore. The existing news space, especially on TV, has called for a strong inspection on advertisers’ part, and a few of them have already pulled out ad money from some channels.

    In a recently concluded Indiantelevision.com webinar called “Is Your Brand Truly Safe: Decoding The Right Brand Equity With The Power Of Trust” — powered by BBC World News and BBC.com, and moderated by Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO, and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari – leading marketers and advertisers unanimously agreed that their faith in news television has eroded to a great extent.

    Sitting in the panel were Wavemaker CEO – South Asia Ajay Gupte, Parle Products Pvt Ltd senior category head – marketing Krishnarao S Buddha, Future Group CMO – FBB Prachi Mohapatra, BBC Global News MD India Rahul Sood, PolicyBazaar head of marketing Samir Sethi, Accenture MD supply chain, network, and sales operations Shekhar Tiwari and Initiative CEO Vaishali Verma.

    Verma claimed that three out of every ten clients of hers has already said no to advertising on news channels.

    “As a consumer of news, I can say that the content has been sensationalised, there is no investigative journalism left, and as a result, we are seeing brands taking a different route when it comes to their media mixes. There definitely has been a loss of credibility,” she said.

    Tiwari noted that news is not news if one needs to go and validate it, but today the consumers are forced to do that. This has resulted in the lack of credibility that advertisers are also taking into account.

    Sood added that the environment around news television has been such of late that he can no longer proudly flaunt his association with the industry. “This says a lot about the state of media right now.”

    Buddha, whose Parle products will no longer advertise on some of the top news channels in the country, said, “News channels are going overboard, the content is toxic and the news they show is really not relevant. I do not want my brand to be seen with the content that these channels are peddling.”

    Earlier, news channels used to be a big part of their media mix given the credible and brand-safe environment that they created, shared Mohapatra. “The two core factors for us have been the viewership the news genre generates and the credibility it has, but if that is being compromised, we will definitely rethink our media mix.”

    However, not all brands are wary of their presence on any form of content, be it good or bad, in news media.

    Verma highlighted that every brand has its own lakshman rekha (boundary) that it follows. “Some brands have taken out their ad monies and that was absolutely right on their part. Some are still continuing to advertise and it is only because the medium is still relevant to them. They have their audience consuming that content.”

    Gupte, in the same vein, reflected that each news channel serves the content that their audience likes viewing. “It is delivering what is being consumed. And if there is a collective movement where people dismiss this kind of content and stop viewing it, the viewership will go down and it makes sense from a business perspective.”

    PolicyBazaar’s Sethi agreed and pointed out that news is a competitive genre and there is significant advertising demand there. “For a product category like ours where primary customers are male, we get that reach from news channels.”

    However, he added that news channels cannot shy away from their responsibilities of being a credible and trustworthy source of valid information.

    But could the continued association with ‘problematic’ news content impact the brand equity at large?

    The panel agreed that it has a long-lasting impact on any brand’s image and equity as customers are more sensitive and sensible these days. At the same time, it also depends on the level of association the advertiser has with the channel or a particular piece of content.

    Gupte stated, “The impact on brand equity hugely depends on the level of association. For example, it’s more difficult on platforms like YouTube where a single advertiser might be visible on the whole duration of the content. Also, it depends on the brand too.”

    Sethi added, “Obviously a sponsor is much more deeply associated with the content than someone who is doing vanilla spot advertising with maybe 20 other brands.”

  • ‘Positive Provocation’ guiding the road for Premjeet Sodhi as chief strategy officer at Wavemaker India

    ‘Positive Provocation’ guiding the road for Premjeet Sodhi as chief strategy officer at Wavemaker India

    NEW DELHI: Things have changed significantly since Premjeet Sodhi first ventured into the media planning and marketing industry. Strategy has undergone a sea change – from sitting on the periphery of television planning to becoming integral to defining what the media tasks would be – pushing creativity into action rather than the other way around. Being a part of the process on behalf of many brands and agencies, Sodhi has witnessed this shift first-hand.

    Now, as he takes on the mantle of chief strategy officer at Wavemaker India, just six months after being made the chief growth officer, he is all set to further the role of strategy in the brand’s creative process. In an exclusive conversation with indiantelevision.com, Sodhi talks all about his new position, his plans for the agency, and his journey within the industry. 

    It was within only a few months of him joining the agency as chief growth officer that Sodhi was handed over the responsibilities of the chief strategy officer at Wavemaker India. “Things are changing rapidly these days. We are now working more closely to the media product and this role allows me to engage closely with the teams and build outputs for clients. So, the transition was made keeping that in mind,” he said, adding that he’s very much enjoying his new, engaging duties.

    Congratulating his successor to the position of chief growth officer, he said: “Kishan (Kumar MS) has taken over the role and that comes so naturally to him. He is already doing a fabulous job.” 

    For Sodhi, his initial focus is on promoting the Wavemaker operating system and deploying their approach of ‘Positive Provocation’ deep within the market.

    “Positive provocation is a recently rolled out proposition for us at Wavemaker India, consisting of various tools, frameworks, and an operating system behind it. The idea is not of disruption, as many agencies claim to do today to rebuild a brand. In fact, it is about provoking a brand to move positively in a productive fashion towards adding additional value to the system. So, it is all about asking the right questions, seeking out various aspects for growth, and arriving at the right strategy,” he elaborated. 

    Read more news on Wavemaker India 

    Positive provocation is the proprietary Wavemaker tool made up of three core aspects: Unlock, Transform, and Maximise. ‘Unlock’ caters to tools that offer complete precision in digital media audit across the full gamut of platforms the client is present on – be it e-commerce, or search, or social. The tools unlock areas for immediate growth of clients and are already doing pretty well for the agency. 

    With ‘transform,’ the agency helps clients in their classic strategy and comms planning using elements of measurement and analytics to chart out the best ways to use storytelling and related techniques. 

    ‘Maximise’ aims to provide cutting-edge tools on how to deliver media plans that are integrated across platforms. It builds attribution as a key factor in the whole media planning and strategizing process. 

    To implement these plans, Sodhi is working on a leadership style that allows the people to lead. “I work on a reverse pyramid formula; the team leads and I am there to support them at the backend and take the flak when something goes wrong. The job that I do is of an enabler in the team. I have a very open-door and casual style of working.”

    His motivation comes from the likes of Roda Mehta, Lynn de Souza, and Shashi Sinha, under whom he has worked for several years. 

    “I learned a lot under Roda Mehta. She was a perfectionist, very hard working lady and inspired me a lot. Lynn de Souza’s working style was where she got everyone together, encouraging people to deliver their best; and then there was Shashi Sinha, I was his subordinate before joining Mindshare Fulcrum. His leadership style was very casual and friendly. He drove everybody to raise the quality of the product. So, these are the people who have really shaped who I am today,” he shared. 

    Sodhi also gave a nod to his former colleagues at Mindshare, and credited friend and guru Suresh Balakrishna for teaching him how to manage day-to-day business during his stint at Lintas Media Group.

    “Amin Lakhani, Prasanth Kumar, and Parthasarathy Mandayam; though I worked with them for just two years, they inspired me a lot,” he said. 

    Sodhi had anticipated that taking up a new role in the middle of lockdown would be quite challenging. But luckily for him, the transition was eased by a warm and cooperative staff. “It was quite an experience for me. I have always been a people’s person and have realised that personal interaction within the team yields the best results. Right now, one needs to make an extra effort for that personal interaction but I am blessed with a team that is really supportive and welcoming. So, it has been a smooth landing for me,” he signed off. 

  • PHD Appoints Monaz Todywalla as CEO for India

    PHD Appoints Monaz Todywalla as CEO for India

    Mumbai: PHD, part of Omnicom Media Group, has roped in Monaz Todywalla as its new chief executive officer for India. Prior to joining PHD India, Monaz held the role of VP of growth & strategy at Wavemaker India.

    PHD APAC CEO James Hawkins said, “We could not have asked for a more experienced, skilled and innovative thinker to lead the India team. With Monaz’s strong emphasis on cross-functional, multi-disciplinary work, and her focus on creating an inclusive work environment, I am absolutely confident that Monaz will lead PHD India to greater heights.”

    Monaz comes with close to two decades of extensive experience in the field of media, marketing and communications, with an in-depth understanding of planning, buying, strategy and execution across industries such as FMCG, Telecom, BFSI, Retail and Confectionary. Her diverse experience is best illustrated by the sheer range and number of clients she has worked closely with. From L’Oréal, Vodafone, Kotak, HDFC Life and Starbucks, to Tata Cliq, Asian Paints, MDLZ, Amul and Marico – her varied expertise has led to her being recognised as a top media and marketing professional in India.

    Todywalla said, “I am excited about working with the talented and diverse team at PHD India, fostering creativity and inclusiveness in a space that is already abuzz with innovative thought. Coupled with a solution-oriented and richly-curious ethos at PHD, I am looking forward to leveraging my experience and helping our clients make the leap in a rapidly changing business landscape.

  • Cadbury collaborates with Jasleen Royal for Dairy Milk Silk’s ‘I Missed You’

    Cadbury collaborates with Jasleen Royal for Dairy Milk Silk’s ‘I Missed You’

    NEW DELHI: Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk has collaborated with the singing sensation Jasleen Royal as she launches her much-awaited music video Sang Rahiyo, for its Heart Pop ‘I Missed You’ campaign. This is a manifestation of ‘How Far Will You Go For Love’, where Cadbury Silk has been encouraging young couples across the country to go above and beyond the norm to express their love, and how Silk is in itself the perfect romantic gesture. The collaboration is brought to life by Wavemaker.

    Cadbury Silk launched its limited edition ‘I Missed You’ Heart Pop bar – an embodiment of the emotion that numerous couples have felt being away from each other the past few months since the lockdown. In her latest song, Jasleen has beautifully encapsulated the emotions of a young couple during a long-distance relationship.

    The music video features Ranveer Allahbadia (as Jasleen’s partner), as they take various efforts to keep their relationship alive despite the difficulties triggered by long-distance due to lockdown. Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk plays a sweet role in their love story – a partner in their good times spent together and a medium to let them know how much they missed each other when apart.

    Read more stories on Wavemaker India 

    Commenting on the collaboration, Wavemaker India chief content officer Karthik Nagarajan said, “We wanted to build an association that would capture the essence of #HowFarWillYouGoForLove messaging seamlessly. Over the years, Cadbury Dairy Milk Silk has been an integral part of expressing love and has evolved into a symbol of love. Known for her soul-stirring love songs, Jasleen Royal came across as the ideal choice to bring alive the brand’s messaging”.

  • Wavemaker global president Ajit Varghese steps down

    Wavemaker global president Ajit Varghese steps down

    KOLKATA: Wavemaker global president Ajit Varghese has stepped down from his position after a stint of more than 13 years. He joined WPP’s media buying arm Maxus, now Wavemaker, as South Asia managing director in 2006.

    Varghese started his career as a research executive at IMRB International in 1995. He also worked with Madison and Initiative Universal Media. When Maxus merged with MEC to form Wavemaker, he was appointed market development president in 2018, after making Maxus a major force in India.

    He was an agricultural engineer who stepped into the world of advertising after an aborted attempt to join the Indian Air Force, Varghese confirmed the news of his departure to his team through a message on social networking platform LinkedIn. "Thanks to all the people who have supported me to make the Maxus journey so fruitful for so many of us. The X factor and spirit of Maxus stays.", he posted. 

  • Wavemaker creates ‘Iss Saal har Ghar Pandal’ campaign for Gemini Oil

    Wavemaker creates ‘Iss Saal har Ghar Pandal’ campaign for Gemini Oil

    National, August 20, 2020: To keep the spirits of festivity alive even during these challenging times, Gemini Oil has launched its new campaign ‘Iss Saal har Ghar Pandal’, conceived, designed and produced by Wavemaker Films, the creative production arm of Wavemaker India. 

    The campaign aims at spreading awareness about celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi festival at home along with their loved ones, ensuring the safety norms are in place. 

    ‘Iss Saal har Ghar Pandal’, has been conceptualised in-house including the scripting to production, the entire campaign has been managed by Wavemaker Films. 

    Speaking on this incredible campaign, Karthik Nagarajan, Chief Content Officer, Wavemaker India said, “Ganesh Chaturthi is an indelible part of the Maharashtrian culture and as the pandemic threatens the festivities this year, Gemini wanted to reassure its audience that the real spirit of the festival is safe in our hearts and homes. 

    Conceiving, writing and producing a TVC during the lockdown is an arduous task but the idea was so powerful that we were able to overcome all else”.

    Commenting on the campaign, Subin Sivan, Head of Marketing, Cargill’s Oils, said, “Ganpati is one of the most popular festivals in Maharashtra. As a brand that is rooted in Maharashtrian culture, Gemini has integrated itself with the Ganpati festival over the years. While a lot has changed this year due to the pandemic, we believe the festive cheer and energy during the Ganpati Chaturthi should not change. Our campaign ‘Iss Saal Har Ghar Pandal’ encourages our consumers to celebrate the festival at home keeping the original festive spirit intact”. 

  • Mother Dairy in association with Wavemaker & Red FM unveils new campaign for Rocket ice cream chocolate

    Mother Dairy in association with Wavemaker & Red FM unveils new campaign for Rocket ice cream chocolate

    NEW DELHI: Mother Dairy Ice Creams along with Wavemaker and RED FM have conceptualised and executed the brand’s latest campaign for Rocket ice cream chocolate in association with Red FM.

    RED FM RJs interacted with Neila, the alien brand mascot of Mother Dairy’s Rocket Ice Cream chocolate and invited the listeners to share their pictures with the newly launched product on the social media with the hashtag #RockItWithRocket to win hampers. Hosted on RED FM’s on-air and digital platforms this innovative campaign showcased alien invasion at RED FM studios.

    A Mother Dairy spokesperson said, “It has been our constant endeavour to introduce enticing ice cream flavours to our consumers to keep them delighted throughout. This year has been no different with the launch of a unique Ice Cream Chocolates category under the new brand Rocket. To engage and excite the imagination of young target audience our creative partner Ogilvy has created an awkwardly cute and adorable intergalactic alien-Neila as the brand mascot. Here is a fun piece of Neila trivia, the name Neila isn’t just derived from the alien’s colour as referred to the color Blue in Hindi, but it is also the word ALIEN spelt in reverse – NEILA.”

    He further added, “As part of our consumer engagement initiative, we have launched a fun campaign #RockItWithRocket on social media and have also associated with Red FM to strengthen Neila’s connect with the consumers. The campaign is duly building up the momentum by engaging consumers from all spheres and we are confident that our consumers will find our new range truly exciting and delightful.”

    Wavemaker India chief content officer Karthik Nagarajan said, “Our work is only as innovative as our clients and partners. Adaptive marketing is all about brands understanding popular culture and becoming a part of it seamlessly. Neila is a playfully innovative way of using meme marketing to cut through the clutter and making the brand endearing to the customer. Mother Dairy has always been supportive of contemporary campaigns that drove us to design this fun campaign along with our partner Red FM.”

    RED FM and Magic FM director and COO Nisha Narayanan said, “An innovative product needs an innovative campaign and we are happy to be associated with Mother Dairy for the launch of Rocket, Ice Cream Chocolate. The thought behind this campaign was to create more conversations and playfulness around the newly launched product by Mother Dairy.”

    Check out the video with RED FMs RJ Raunac with Mother Dairy Rocket Ice Cream Chocolate:

  • Mother Dairy collaborates with Wavemaker and Radio City to launch #RishtonKiImmunity

    Mother Dairy collaborates with Wavemaker and Radio City to launch #RishtonKiImmunity

    NEW DELHI: The recently launched butterscotch flavoured Haldi Milk by Mother Dairy has already received huge positive response. To spread the awareness further, Wavemaker in collaboration with Radio City have launched the latest campaign #RishtonKiImmunity.     

    The campaign aims at celebrating the beautiful strong bond with mother and her child. Just as a mother shields the child against all odds, Mother Dairy Haldi Milk aims at building immunity with powerful turmeric extract combined with milk for strength in a delightful Butterscotch flavor.

    As a part of Radio City’s digital and on-air campaign, all RJ’s came together and shared their childhood golden moments, where they hesitated to drink Haldi milk and the various  tricks their moms used to pull out on them to convince. RJ Divya, through her popular show, urged moms of Delhi to send in their #RishtonKiImmunity stories and the tricks they used on their kids to feed things they dislike. 

    Mother Dairy  business head value added products Sanjay Sharma said, “As a customer centric organisation it has been our constant effort to bring out products that are aligned to the needs of consumers and our latest offering of Haldi Milk reaffirms our commitment. While the product has been an instant hit our campaign #RishtonKiImmunity too has struck the right chord with our target group. The relationship of mother and a child has beautifully encapsulated the caregiving nature of a mother while keeping up the taste preferences of her child. The campaign also helped us on building up the momentum by engaging consumers from all spheres."

    Wavemaker India managing partner Mansi Datta said, “Mother Dairy stands for its values of trust, care, love and warmth and they are also cognisant of the demands of today’s scenario – saluting their truly innovative product offering, bottled Haldi Milk that aims to improve immunity in such times. We, at Wavemaker, understand their values and conceptualised an interesting initiative around #RishtonKiImmunity, that captures the beautiful bond of mother and child while convincing the importance of super foods. I am sure this campaign will resonate with consumers very strongly.”

    Mother Dairy, Wavemaker along with Radio City also took this initiative a notch higher by taking up the role of a mother for the orphans and abandoned kids ensuring safety by distributing masks and sanitizers at various orphanages in Delhi NCR and at the same time distributed Haldi milk bottles to raise the kid’s immunity during these tough times.

    Radio City chief creative officer Kartik Kalla said, “We are glad to associate with Mother Dairy for the #RishtonkiImmunity campaign. Radio City has always taken a step forward for the benefit of the city and its citizens. With the current situation due to the pandemic, Immunity boosting is one of the most important factor to protect oneself from covid. We are certain that through this campaign we will able to spread in the vibe of positivity, hope and happiness amongst Delhiites”.

    The noble initiative story can be seen here:

    https://www.facebook.com/1876326852686027/posts/2639736753011696/

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  • Wavemaker India bags media mandate for Sun Pharma

    Wavemaker India bags media mandate for Sun Pharma

    MUMBAI: Sun Pharma today announced Wavemaker India as its media partner. Wavemaker India will manage integrated media mandate for Sun Pharma in India. 

    Wavemaker south Asia CEO Ajay Gupte said, “This is a proud moment for us. We are super excited to partner with Sun Pharma and confident that with our understanding of winning new consumer growth segments, backed by insights and precision capabilities, we can help Sun Pharma further strengthen its growth journey in India”.

    Wavemaker India CCO and head-west Shekhar Banerjee said, “We are delighted to start our partnership with Sun Pharma. Powered with our consumer journey data, our expertise in analytics and some great talent at Wavemaker India,  we believe we will be able to identify more growth levers for Sun Pharma brands. Extremely thrilled for an exciting journey ahead with Sun Pharma”.

    Sun Pharma is the world's fourth-largest speciality generic pharmaceutical company and one of India's top pharmaceutical companies.