June 16-30, 2012 Volume 1, Issue 3 `100 40 THE PIN-UP DEFINING MOMENTS Prasoon Joshi A string of happy accidents MODEL made the man what he is. 18

COPYRIGHT Stealing Ideas It is the ‘pitch’ process that is prone to theft. 46

PROFILE Arijit Ray Dentsu Communications’ CEO believes in the team.

FLYING MACHINE Fake Identity 16 It is the visual element that has made MTV Pinterest a hit with surfers. Here’s how Indian Updating the Journey 44 brands could use this interesting platform. IPL Still a Force 48 30 BIG CBS LOVE Setting the Box 53

EDITORIAL

This fortnight... Volume 1, Issue 3

EDITOR picture, as the saying goes, is worth a thousand words. If that is the case, Pinterest, the two- Sreekant Khandekar A year-old phenomenon in the social networking space should be worth a fortune. All about PUBLISHER pictures and images, that is how the site differentiates itself from Facebook, Twitter or Orkut. Prasanna Singh EXECUTIVE EDITOR In terms of size, Pinterest’s 20 million unique visitors might be minuscule Prajjal Saha compared to Facebook’s 900 million, but the pictorial networking platform has SENIOR LAYOUT ARTIST Vinay Dominic June 16-30, 2012 Volume 1, Issue 3 `100 caught the attention of brands and advertisers across the globe. 40 ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Pinterest, by its very nature of being a pictorial site, is considered to be a favourite Neha Arora, (0120) 4077866, 4077837 THE PIN-UP with women. One could argue with this, but that reason alone is enough for many Noida DEFINING MOMENTS Prasoon Joshi A string of happy accidents MODEL made the man what he is. brands to get interested. Khushboo Varadkar, (022) 40429702-5 18 Mumbai But it is also true that male-oriented brands like Lambhorgini are trying this [email protected]

COPYRIGHT Stealing Ideas platform out quite happily. What the car brand did was put up images of various It is the ‘pitch’ process that MARKETING OFFICE is prone to theft. 46 models on the website just to appeal to the general visitors - all of this through images B-3, First Floor, Sector-4, Noida-201301. Tel: (0120) 4077800. which speak for themselves. MUMBAI PROFILE Arijit Ray Dentsu Communications’ 501-502, Makani Center, 5th Floor, CEO believes in the team. Another smart user of Pinterest is NBC News, which created several boards FLYING MACHINE Off Linking Road, Bandra (W), Fake Identity 16 It is the visual element that has made MTV on Pinterest that carried news from all sources, not just its own. This was because Pinterest a hit with surfers. Here’s how Indian Updating the Journey 44 Mumbai - 400050 brands could use this interesting platform. IPL Still a Force 48 Tel: +91-22-40429 709 - 712 30 BIG CBS LOVE Pinterest doesn’t allow a user to broadcast his or her own work. NBC has managed Setting the Box 53 to increase the number of its followers despite that restriction. BENGALURU S-1, New Bridge Corporate Centre, In India, we are yet to see great innovations on the site, though brand owners 777 D, 100 ft Road, Indira Nagar, Bengaluru - 560038, India agree that opportunities are plenty. This issue of the magazine looks at what makes Pinterest such SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES an interesting platform and how Indian brands could take a leaf or two out of the book of global Akhilesh Singh, (0120) 4077837 brands. [email protected] Owned by Banyan Netfaqs Pvt Ltd and Printed and published by Prasanna Singh, at 7-A/13, Ch. Ratan Singh Complex, Jawala Heri Market, Paschim Vihar, New Delhi-110 063.

Printed at Cirrus Graphics Private Limited B-62/14, Naraina Industrial Area, Phase II, New Delhi – 110028. Prajjal Saha COVER ILLUSTRATION [email protected] Gogol

CONTENTS 49 12 PLUS

COCA-COLA SKODA Reliving the Past 14 Women Drivers! Men find speed CADBURY GEMS - and women at Grown Up? So What! 20 the wheel - an irresistible combo. SAMSUNG Peek into Reality 20 MEDIA 52 16 Rural Approach NICKELODEON-SONIC The newspaper wants to Rangers Ahoy! 50 bridge the rural-rural divide. ERRATA POV 42 The managing director and CEO of Infinity Optimal Paid Content CLUB MAHINDRA MAKEMYTRIP Solutions Sports & Entertainment More publishers are Fun-filled Holidays It’s a Promise is Neerav Tomar and not as mentioned (June 1-15, 2012). experimenting with paid The company is using Eliminating uncertainty about The error is regretted. models. Is it time to go pay? Madagascar as crowd-puller. your destination. Editor

afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2012 5 ADOBE SURVEY 1(:6%8//(7,1 0DJLF7DEOHW Sponsored by

oftware giant, Adobe has pub- per cent in the last year.” This rapid lished a new survey report which growth is driven by both higher rates Ssays that internet traffic generat- of tablet shipments and a dispropor- ed from tablets will exceed the traffic tionately higher number of website Lux> FMCG major, Hindustan Unilever (HUL) plans to from smartphones as early as 2014. visits per tablet than smartphones. extend its soap brand Lux into the deodorant segment. Data traffic from smartphone and The Adobe Digital Index report Unilever, the Anglo-Dutch parent of HUL, has so far extended feature phones have been growing was examining how global website the 112-year-old Lux brand into a range of body and hair at an exponential rate and it was also traffic and engagement differ when wash products. The `1,300-crore deodorant market in India predicted that mobile phones would the visitor is on a tablet, smartphone is growing rapidly. HUL has a strong presence in the male be the first device with which most or a personal computer (PC). fragrance deodorant space with Axe being the largest deo- people in developing economies will The results indicate that tablets dorant brand in India. In the last two years, the women’s access internet for the first time. have become a channel very distinct deo segment has grown by over 40 per cent annually. Also, earlier studies said that more people in future will access MTV> After launching co-branded condoms, lingerie and internet using mobile innerwear earlier this year, the music channel intends to phones than PC. foray into the personal care category by introducing a line However, such sur- up of body sprays and Eau de Toilettes over the next three veys actually ignored months in partnership with Global Fragrances. As part of the tablets as a medium for licensing partnership, Global Fragrances will develop, manu- MARKETING internet. Tablets, like facture and sell the MTV range of personal care products smartphones, are very across 1,00,000 retail points. MTV’s consumer products divi- sion extend into over 16 categories. mobile with a larger screen benefit, in fact from smartphones. according to the Adobe Share of web- Another interesting At present, The chocolate maker plans to soon report, consumers find site visits from finding which Adobe Cadbury India> Toblerone’s launch parent Kraft Foods’ legendary triangular Swiss choco- browsing websites on tablets grew 10 released in January late brand Toblerone to take on Italian brand Ferrero Rocher tablets nearly as engag- this year pointed out entry price times faster than in the premium chocolate market. The company plans to ing as on PCs. Given that (in 2011) tablet varies between sell it more widely than what different third-party the fact that tablets are smartphones in users spent more per `55-80 per pack importers presently do. Cadbury plans to priced at the same level first two years purchase than other of 50 gm. launch several pack sizes of Toblerone as smartphones, it is online customers. in India at a price range of `50-400, attracting customers. and grew more “As businesses retail. According to the than 300 per cent rethink their digital Adobe Digital Index in the last year. experiences to include report, PCs (including mobile strategies, Sony> The Japanese electronics major has decided to laptops) will continue tablets are emerging ramp up its marketing spend by 30 per cent this year to to dominate in terms of internet as the consumer device of choice,” `450 crore from `350 crore last year. Sony, which is still traffic but tablets will grow at a faster says Brad Rencher, senior vice presi- struggling globally following the March 2011 tsunami and rate to capture 10 per cent of the total dent and general manager, Digital the devastating floods in Thailand last year, which badly traffic generated by 2014. Marketing Business, Adobe. disrupted its supply chain, is expecting to clock 30 per cent This is a second report pointing to “Digital CMOs are wise to take growth in sales this year. The company is looking at around tablets as the preferred medium over a mobile first approach to optimize `8,000 crore sales this year as compared to last year’s sales smartphones, following a research by their digital content and marketing which stood at `6,313 crore. TrendStream. initiatives with a focus on the tablet According to the report, “The experience because the consumer share of website visits from tablets demands it.” Havells India> The electrical goods maker is mulling over grew approximately 10 times faster The Adobe Digital Index ana- acquisitions in China and Africa that may entail an investment than the rate for smartphones in the lyzed 23 billion visits to the websites of up to $200 million (about `1,100 crore) to strengthen its first two years after market introduc- of 325 companies from the North overseas operations. The company also plans to expand its tion and grew more than 300 America, Western Europe and Asia. presence to Turkey, Russia, Indonesia and Malaysia. So far, the company’s biggest acquisition has been that of Sylvania QUOTE OF THE FORTNIGHT in Europe for 230 million euro (over `1,500 crore) in 2007. In 2011-12, Havells posted a total turnover of `6,500 crore. ‘‘India is a growing market and penetration It plans to pro- Sahara> The company has decided to levels are much less than duce 50 lakh foray into the dairy business from April, 2013. It plans to produce 50 lakh tonnes developed countries where tonnes of milk of milk and is set to acquire 9,000 acres consumer demand too has after acquiring of land in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya slowed down.’’ 9,000 acres of Pradesh. The company also plans to land in UP launch various projects in West Bengal, MANISH SHARMA, MANAGING DIRECTOR (CONSUMER PRODUCTS), apart from Dwarka, Greater Noida and PANASONIC INDIA ON COMPANIES FOCUSSING ON INDIA FOR HIGH GROWTH and MP. Ghaziabad. TRAJECTORY IN THE ECONOMIC TIMES.

6 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2012

NEWS CORPORATION UNIT 1(:6%8//(7,1 %X\LQJ(TXLW\ Sponsored by ews Corporation and ESPN Mobile,” says John Skipper, pres- have entered into a defini- ident of ESPN and co-chairman, Ntive agreement under which Disney Media Networks. a unit of News Corporation will buy Additionally, as a part of the ESPN’s 50 per cent equity interest development, News Corporation Comedy Central> Viacom’s English comedy channel in ESPN-STAR Sports (ESS). With and ESPN have further announced Comedy Central has announced the launch of seven new this transaction, News Corporation that Peter Hutton, currently sen- shows in the upcoming month. All these shows will be aired units will be able to own and oper- ior vice-president of sports for FOX on primetime slots, with repeats running throughout the day. ate all of the ESS businesses while International Channels (FIC), will Hot in Cleveland, Key and Peele and Happily Divorced Season providing ESPN more independence take over as managing director of 2 will premiere for the first time in the country. The other and flexibility in future support of ESS, a position that is current- four shows are 3rd Rock from the Sun, Archer, The IT Crowd MEDIA The Walt Disney Company’s (which ly held by Manu Sawhney. While and the epic, Doogie Howser. owns ESPN) overall efforts in Asia. Hutton will report to the ESS board, The transaction is subject to cus- Sawhney will stay with the company tomary regulatory approvals and ESS until August 31 to work with Hutton Chauthi Duniya> The Hindi newspaper Chauthi Duniya will be jointly managed by the two on a smooth transition. is all set to enter the English space with the launch of its companies until the Sawhney joined first English weekly publication with the same name. Chauthi transaction closes. ESS’s marketing Duniya English will be launched on July 1. The mainstay of James Murdoch, department in India in the weekly newspaper will be political news coverage, along deputy chief operating 1996 and went on to with other sections such as international news and gadgets. officer, chairman and head its India business The English weekly will be launched with an initial print run of CEO, International for four years, before 80,000 copies. The national paper will be published from Delhi News Corporation, shifting to Singapore and circulated across the metros of the country, including says in an official as head of program- Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru and others. statement, “News Peter Hutton, ming, acquisition and Corporation’s acquisi- currently SVP of marketing. He was tion of the interest of sports for FOX promoted as manag- Aidem Ventures> Independent media consulting, ESS that we did not ing director in 2007. marketing and advertising sales company Aidem Ventures already own, contin- International During his career has been roped in to handle service sales and ad sales ues the programme Channels, will at ESS, he has been for Radiowalla Network’s radio property, SpotRadio of simplifying our responsible for vari- and the internet radio platform, Radiowalla. SpotRadio operating model, con- take over as MD ous functions across is a specialised radio service for retail and corporate players that creates customised, targeted and premium solidating our affiliate the company, includ- of ESS. radio content for clients, taking into consideration their ownership structures, ing sales, distribution, customers’ and employees’ tastes by building associations. and furthers our commitment to programming, acquisition, market- deliver incredible sports program- ing and network presentation. ming to consumers, and particularly Hutton joined FOX International enhancing our position in sports pro- Channels Sports in 2011 after 20 The earlier ESS>ESPN-STAR Sports (ESS), England and Wales Cricket gramming in emerging markets.” years in the international sports five year deal Board (ECB) have entered into a new deal which gives ESS “After 16 years of jointly managing television business. Earlier, he has broadcast rights for home and domestic cricket events for between the two seven years. The deal, covering matches during 2013-2019, ESS, we have decided to indepen- worked at Broad Reach Media, a companies was dently pursue future opportunities media consultancy firm. Before that, is worth $200 million. The current agreement will cover two major events, including the in Asia. We are extremely proud of Hutton was at Ten Sports in Dubai valued at $80 next two tours of the Indian our role in building ESS into what (from 2002-2009), where he eventu- million. team to England, and the it is today, and now with the grow- ally served as chief operating officer. three Ashes series. ing digital landscape in Asia, we look From 1993-2002, he ran TWI, the forward to continuing to serve Asian television division of IMG, running sports fans through ESPN-branded its Indian business as well as televi- digital businesses like ESPNCricinfo, sion production for Asia. He was a MSM>MSM’s Sony Entertainment Television that launched the leading digital cricket brand in radio and television journalist, com- the sixth season of its flagship property, Indian Idol, on June 1 has spent 8 crore to market the latest season of the show the world; ESPNFC and ESPN mentator and presenter. ` through various media, as per industry estimates. Indian Idol is set to run for 26 episodes. As per industry sources, about 30-40 per cent of the total budget ( 2.4-3.2 crore) is being QUOTE OF THE FORTNIGHT ` spent on television, while about `1.6 crore will be spent on print. Out of home, digital, radio and BTL (below-the-line) ‘‘Indian households have over activities will also form a part of the communication effort. 10 per cent penetration of two or more TVs; this swells 9X Media>Music television network 9X Media has to 25-30 per cent in metros. launched the 9X Music Network Live application for iPads. It So, multiple boxes in the same allows users to get the music and other supporting content of home will become a reality in 9X Music Television Network’s four channels - 9XM, 9X Jalwa (Bollywood Hits music channel), 9X Tashan (Punjabi music one third of our top cities.’’ channel) and 9X Jhakaas (Marathi music channel). The 9X ANJALI MALHOTRA, EXECUTIVE VICE-PRESIDENT (MARKETING), DISH Music Network Live App is available on quarterly, half yearly TV, TO DNA ON DIGITISATION FUELLING GROWTH OF MULTIPLE-TV HOMES and annual subscription packages. The introductory price of the app is $1.99, valid for two months.

8 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2012

OAA 2012 1(:6%8//(7,1 :LQQLQJ%LJ Sponsored by he Outdoor Advertising nine metals in all, with two gold, four Awards were announced on silver and three bronze. The agency TJune, 9, 2012 in Mumbai. A won the gold for a campaign done for total of 53 awards were handed out. Tanishq. The Tanishq campaign was OAA 2012 received the highest awarded the outdoor media plan of Bisleri> Bottled drinking water giant Bisleri is looking number of entries in its history – 588. the year (local). It also won silver in for a creative partner. The pitch process is anchored in This year, two significant changes the campaign of the year for the work Mumbai. Most recently, design agency Red Lion has worked were made in the awards process. done for e-commerce portal, eBay. In on the creative mandate for Bisleri. The agency created an Firstly, two separate jury panels were the best use of ambient media catego- animation-led television commercial in September last year, instituted for the creative and the which conveyed the message ‘Stay Protected’. At the time, media entries respectively. Secondly, protection, as a brand proposition, stood for health, hygiene, the judging process for the media quality and purity. The ad film was supported by outdoor and plan of the year awards this year social media channels. included presentation slots for sub- mitting agencies to make more detailed presentations to the jury. Titan’s media Titan> Tata Group’s Titan Industries is on the lookout for Judging was done separately on two spends for a creative agency. The pitch is for an upcoming grooming different days. product and is underway in Bengaluru. The product is slated the launch to be launched within the next six months. Titan’s media The creative jury was chaired by campaign are spends for the launch campaign are pegged at 5-8 crore. Josy Paul, chairman, BBDO India ` The grooming product will be targeted at young adults (both while the media awards jury was pegged at `5-8 crore. men and women) chaired by Sam Balsara, chairman in their twenties, ADVERTISING and MD, Madison on the threshold of World. ry, GroupM - Dialogue professional life. DDB Mudra Max A total of 53 Factory scored gold bagged the top spot, awards were for Mumbai Districts getting 14 metals in given away. DDB AIDS Control Society. Stovekraft> Manufacturer of professional kitchen their kitty, comprising In the media awards, appliances Pigeon Appliances, a brand from the stable of six gold, six silver and Mudra Max’s JCDECAUX India Stovekraft, is currently scouting for a creative agency. The two bronze. The agen- Volkswagen won the gold in the process is underway in Bengaluru. As per market estimates, cy’s gold wins included campaign national media owner the media spends are pegged at `40 crore. Pigeon Appliances the work done for auto of the year category. was established in 2001. Stovekraft was established by brand Volkswagen, was the star The silver in this cat- entrepreneur Rajendra Gandhi in 1999. The group offers two which was awarded of the award, egory was awarded flagship brands, namely Pigeon and Gilma. the campaign of the to Atin Promotions year and also bagged bagging several & Advertising and the outdoor media plan awards across the bronze was given In 2009, Future Future Group> Planet of the year (national). categories. to Times Innovative Brands, a part Sports, sportswear retail brand Volkswagen campaign Media. from Future Group, is looking was the big winner at The gold in the of the Future for a creative partner. The the award ceremony, zonal media owner Group, picked up authorities have started seeking basic agency credentials. bagging a gold for DDB Mudra of the year category was handed a significant stake Delhi-based D&H Blurb Communications (formerly Dhar & Max in the innovation of the year to Times Innovative Media (north Hoon) has worked on the creative mandate for Planet Sports category. In the same category, the zone). Prakash Arts and Pioneer in the agency. in the recent past. In 2009, Future Brands, a part of the silver was awarded to Lintas Initiative Publicity Corporation won silver Future Group, picked up a significant stake in the agency. Outdoors for a campaign done for each in the same category for south Nokia Lumia. and west zones respectively. In the best use of technology cat- Encyclomedia Networks won >> ACCOUNT MOVEMENT egory, Bates Wallstreet won a gold the silver for the work done for for the work done for Star Plus. McDonald’s in the international cat- > Contract Advertising has won the creative Milestone Brandcom won egory. duties for Mankind Pharma’s condom brand, Manforce. The agency won the business following a multi-agency pitch. The size of the business is said QUOTE OF THE FORTNIGHT to be in the range of `15-20 crore. Prior to this, McCann Erickson managed the creative duties for Manforce condoms. The agency had also worked on the creative duties for Addiction (men’s deodorant) and Gas-o-fast ‘‘Advertising makes a promise (digestive tablet). Prachar Communications handles the media duties for all Mankind to consumers. Shopper Pharma brands. marketing delivers it at the point of purchase, taking the > From Here On Communications has won the creative duties for Y2CF brand from a consumer’s Digital Media-promoted location-based check-in service, Hoppr. The agency won the consideration set into the business following a multi-agency pitch which also involved three other agencies shopper’s basket.’’ in Delhi. The size of the business is said to be in the range of `15-20 crore. The company has not appointed a media agency and is currently working with From Here RAHUL SAIGAL, VICE PRESIDENT- RETAIL, OGILVYACTION, ON BRANDING On Communications. For starters, the brand plans to work on some below-the-line AND SHOPPER MARKETING, IN BRAND EQUITY communication.

10 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2012

1(:6$'9(57,6,1* SKODA Women Drivers! The TV campaign for Skoda Laura RS is based on the insight that men find speed – and women in the driver’s seat – irresistible. By Shibani Gharat

omen drivers have long been the butt of jokes of their male counterparts. Skoda WIndia, in its new campaign for the Skoda Laura RS, apparently differs with this notion. Created by Saatchi & Saatchi, the television com- mercial for the Skoda Laura RS is based on the insight that men find speed – and women in the driver’s seat – irresistible. The film depicts the power of the car in an unusual manner. The 30-second film opens to showcase an upmarket club in a big city. The car enters the frame and stops just outside the club. To the surprise of the waiting crowd, it revs up and performs some powerful stunts before com- ing to a halt once again. An attractive woman is really a way to bring alive the benefit of a high then gets off the driver’s seat and dabs on the “The film is performance. burnt rubber on her neck. She walks towards the more refreshing Talking about the target consumers, Sourabh club, confident of her irresistible attractiveness, all visually, at least Mishra, chief strategy officer, Saatchi & Saatchi, thanks to the smell of burnt rubber. says that there are different types of customers and Ramanuj Shastry, chief creative officer, Saatchi compared to a there is a segment of people which looks for a high & Saatchi, says, “Power and performance in a car stereotypical male performance car, even in these times. “As they say being a huge turn-on for men is a well known fact. about the Indian market, for every truth here, the We dramatised this fact by having our leading lady racing the car opposite is equally true. We are targeting the ‘pas- use the aphrodisiac quality of ‘the smell of burn- around town.” sionate about driving’ segment. Even if they have ing rubber’ to be more attractive to men. The film RAMANUJ SHASTRY a chauffeur most of the time, the few times they

is more refreshing visually, at least compared to FOTOCORP get behind the wheel, they would like to drive a a stereotypical male racing the car around town.” car which is crafted for superlative driving perfor- The ‘RS’ mark in Skoda is for variants that mance,” he adds. offer a higher level of performance. So ‘Play on’ “We are targeting the ‘passionate CARS AND WOMEN or many years, cars and women were never about driving’ Futtered in the same breath. Even if they were, segment. Even it was used to poke fun at the latter. if they have a But today, women are increasingly taking the driver’s seat as far as automotive advertising is chauffeur most of concerned. the time.” Hyundai Eon’s launch advertisement showed SOURABH MISHRA FRQWLQXHGRQSDJH>>

MAKEMYTRIP COM MakeMyTrip answers this dilemma chicken dish, runs from one mar- . of consumers through its new prop- ket to another. He then meets a osition of guaranteed 100 per cent lady dressed like a chicken, standing money back on hotel bookings. in front of restaurant named ‘Chi It’s a Promise Conceptualised by Draftfcb Can Restaurant’ holding the menu The ad is based on the insight that there is lot Ulka, the television commercial card. Excited that he has found (TVC) shows an Indian visiting a restaurant that apparently makes of uncertainty amongst consumers in booking one of the Asia Pacific countries. chicken dishes, the man enters and hotels online. By Anushree Bhattacharyya The man, who wants to eat a orders a dish. After a happy meal, he congratulates the chef for the tasty chicken dish. To his shock, the chef hile the world moves replies that the dish was not chicken towards a digitally but dog’s meat. The TVC ends with Wadvanced era, consumers the message, Jo dikhega, wahi milega in India are still uncertain about and promotes the guaranteed 100 online booking of hotels. A research per cent money back offer on hotel revealed that most consumers bookings. remain concerned about the gap Manish Kalra, head, marketing, between what is being promised and Makemytrip.com, says, “Through what is being delivered. The new campaign of travel solutions portal, FRQWLQXHGRQSDJH>>

12 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2012

1(:6$'9(57,6,1* COCA-COLA Reliving the Past In its new campaign, Coca-Cola India celebrates the happiness that cricket brings into the life of people. The campaign is largely based on the global theme of ‘Open Happiness’. By Anushree Bhattacharyya

oke is back with cricket after 16 long years. The brand was last associated with it dur- Cing 1996 Cricket World Cup. In its new campaign, Coca-Cola celebrates the spirit and the happiness cricket brings into the life of people and binds them under various circumstances. The campaign is largely based on Coke’s global theme of ‘Open Happiness’. Conceptualised by Lowe Lintas & Partners, the television commercial, titled ‘Cricket ki khushi’, shows how a group of children who are die-hard fans of the game, come together in a desert to play the game under the scorching sun Apart from television, the beverage company (supported by a voiceover). The TVC will also launch radio, digital and out of home captures various moments of their hap- campaigns in key markets. piness while playing the game. At the end, it shows the new brand ambassador, CREATING NOSTALGIA cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who says, ndustry professionals opine that while the TVC “Khelte raho, khush raho (keep playing, Idoes successfully evoke a feeling of happiness, stay happy)”. it still remains an average commercial with a nice Speaking about the idea, Anupama voiceover. Experts feel that the commercial is a Ahluwalia, vice-president, market- good mix of a few campaigns seen in the past, ing, Coca-Cola India and Southwest which obliterates the freshness factor. Asia, says, “Cricket makes India Experts also feel that at a time when Pepsi happy and Coca-Cola is celebrating Ahluwalia and Balki: on the spirit of happiness is trying to find the right game for association, this happiness. The campaign taps Coca-Cola India grabbed the right opportunity. into the simple pleasures that this game offers, to tell this story of happiness. With Soumitra Karnik, national creative director, this new campaign, Coca-Cola celebrates the pas- Dentsu India, says, “Oh, so while Pepsi is in sion and joy experienced by all of us through the two minds on whether to dump cricket, which it The beverage game of cricket.” supported for years, and to go after football, Coca- R Balki, chairman and chief creative officer, Cola sniffs an opportunity and tries to romance company will Lowe Lintas & Partners, explains, “Coca-Cola’s the joy of cricket. A reasonable strategy; however, objective was to show happiness and talk about if they had created something dramatically dif- also launch radio, anything that brings happiness to the nation. And ferent, it would have been far more refreshing to digital and out of cricket is the best example, as India is known to be watch.” a cricket-crazy nation. Therefore, the new TVC home campaigns. salutes the game of cricket and celebrates its spirit.” FRQWLQXHGRQSDJH>>

<< FRQWLQXHGIURPSDJH Advertising is of the opinion that to latch on to the rising number of The ‘RS’ mark in Skoda female drivers in the country, using a Women... woman in the driver’s seat is a good is for variants that offer a four young women enjoying a ride in strategy. “Hyundai too is doing it it. There were no men around. Ford for one of its models. But the man- higher level of performance. India’s ad for its all-new Fiesta also ner in which it’s done here, I’m not showed two women enjoying the really sure what it brings to the table. obvious, I applaud the effort at try- “But it didn’t Fiesta drive. Perhaps burnt rubber from Laura’s ing to do something different. But I connect the The creator of Dilbert comic strip tyre can be used if you’ve forgotten don’t think this commercial deserves way it should Scott Adams once quoted, “In less your perfume,” jokes Hasan. any applause. Forget the poor execu- have in the commercial. I also think enlightened times, the best way to Hasan is of the opinion that a tion, I think the creative idea itself it’s a nice approach to try and shake impress women was to own a hot car. good car can sell despite its advertis- isn’t one that raises eyebrows,” he things up a bit and put a woman But women wised up and realised it ing and Mahindra XUV is a classic adds. in the driver’s seat. We did that a was better to buy their own hot cars case to prove this. “But, I am not sure He feels that when one has some- long while ago too and if done well, so they wouldn’t have to ride around whether this TVC will appeal to the thing as great as the fast Skoda Laura it’s a welcome deviation from the with jerks.” Well, Skoda seems to males.” VRS to play with, one can’t write macho, testosterone-inspired male have taken him seriously. Charles Victor, national creative a commercial that reduces men to stereotype that would have been the director, Law & Kenneth lauds the dumb blondes who swoon at the obvious choice for a car like the VRS. ATTRACTIVE? effort to do something different with smell of burnt rubber! Again, the intent is laudable, not the eraj Hasan, vice-president, this car commercial. “Firstly, in a cat- Victor opines that ‘Play on’ is output,” he concludes. „ Mstrategic planning, Everest egory that is trying so hard to do the quite nice actually, given the VRS. [email protected]

14 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2012

1(:6$'9(57,6,1* FLYING MACHINE ‘Fake’ Identity The new campaign, which comprises nine TVCs of Flying Machine from the house of Arvind Brands, is based on the core theme of the brand, ‘I am sexy, when I am me’. By Anushree Bhattacharyya

he new campaign of denim brand, Flying accessories, girls take this job very seriously and Machine, from the house of Arvind Brands, The television commercials hence can ‘fake it’. The campaign stresses on the Ttargets the youth and is based on the core show two different sides of core message of brand Flying Machine.” theme, ‘I am sexy, when I am me’. The television Arun Iyer, national creative director, Lowe commercials show two different sides of the youth the youth. Lintas & Partners, explains, “All the television - boys who are not pretentious and girls who can commercials are based on one single insight, that ‘fake it’ easily. a new look. The TVC ends with the tagline, ‘Girls is, ‘how comfortable people should be being them- The TVCs, feature different boys under various can fake it!’. selves’. And, boys are never bothered that much circumstances, who wear the same T-shirts for Alok Dubey, vice-president, Arvind Lifestyle about their looks and apparel. Even while going various outings and only change their accessories, Brands, says, “The campaign is largely based on out, boys don’t think much in terms of clothes. if needed. The TVCs end with the tagline, ‘Boys the core theme, ‘I am sexy, when I am me’. The As for girls, they are a lot more thorough and even don’t fake it!’. Two other TVCs show two girls TVCs target the youth and highlight the fact that when they intend to dress down, they do it inten- getting dressed - while one coordinates all her the youth is not pretentious and boys are very dif- tionally. The TVC reflects the insights in a very accessories with the dress worn by her, the other ferent from girls. While boys don’t fake it and are girl intentionally messes her proper look to create not that concerned about their looks, clothes and FRQWLQXHGRQSDJH>>

<< FRQWLQXHGIURPSDJH curious quest for chicken in a coun- try where he would be practically surrounded by them, threw me off It’s a promise... at first.” But in hindsight, an over-the- a consumer research, we found out top approach didn’t seem like a bad that customers are not very sure at thing. Could it have been funnier? the time of booking a hotel online, Probably. Overall, it felt pleasant and what services will be offered eventu- left a smile on the corner of my lips,” ally. In a majority of the cases, what is he adds. promised is eventually not delivered. Bikram Bindra, senior account Therefore, customers now mostly director, planning, BBDO India, rely on the touch-and-feel factor calls the TVC a lighthearted fun in case of booking a hotel. Hence, piece of work that is sure to evoke a we have used a real life analogy to few chuckles. highlight the issue which is most Kalra and Sharma: being a genuine brand He adds, “The elements, in terms common amongst people travelling of execution, the setting, the music to Asia Pacific regions.” smile to the face, in terms of execu- insight alive. Production-wise, the and the brilliant performance by According to Kalra, the campaign tion, it lacks dynamism. setting seemed to be eastern enough the lead, is bang on. The brand aims to increase consumers’ trust for Calling the TVC a funny one, and the music played its part to cue promise of ‘what you see is what online travel solutions brands. Ferzad Variyava, executive creative in the oriental feel. Even the lady in you get’ is not exceptionally unique Sanjay Sharma, group creative director, Publicis Ambience, says, the chicken suit costume seemed like and in fact forms the basis of the director, Draftfcb Ulka, explains, “The nice thing about the commer- a cute touch. The message seemed to current Docomo campaign as well. “The television commercial has been cial was that they tried to bring the come across fairly clear. However, However, what elevates the thought kept fairly simple in order to address ‘you never know if it’s really chick- the rolling, bouncing, slightly-high- in this piece is the fact that it answers the main issue faced by consumers en you’re eating’ travel warning or on-sugar main character, on his a specific consumer dilemma when when they make online hotel reser- it comes to booking lodging online. vations.” Most of us have suffered on this The TVC promotes the newly introduced front and this has led to an inherent FUNNY TOUCH proposition of 100 per cent money back suspicion in booking the stay before ndustry experts opine that while actually checking it out.”„ Ithe TVC is funny and brings a on hotel bookings. [email protected]

16 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2012

1(:6$'9(57,6,1* COPYRIGHT << FRQWLQXHGIURPSDJH ‘Fake’... Stealing Ideas natural way.” The campaign comprises nine TVCs, of Many agencies’ pet peeve is that clients tend to idea shop in the which four feature girls and five are based on boys. Also, the company has launched a name of a pitch. afaqs! Reporter finds out whether this allegation print campaign. The brand has used daily holds true. By Ashwini Gangal newspapers for ads featuring boys and lifestyle magazines to target girls. Also, an out of home campaign has been launched. n incumbent agency on an automobile account claims that its strategic idea pre- TOO STRAIGHT? Asented in a pitch process early this year, was hiveshwar Raj Singh, group creative direc- unceremoniously ‘stolen’ and executed by the new Stor, Draftfcb Ulka, says, “Here’s a brand agency. This is not a sole example. There are other that is desperately trying to connect with the agencies which claim that they, too, have been youth, but hey! - who isn’t nowadays? So the cheated at some point. commercials have to be edgy, naughty and in So, is there a solution to the problem? The com- your face but again, which commercial isn’t, mon grievance is that industry bodies such as the nowadays? If I break down what is being tried Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) blatantly here, the TVCs say that girls are like are doing little to protect the rights of agencies in this, and boys are like that so buy me because this regard. Many believe that if a single agency I know what guys and girls are like. Maybe the acts as a crusader against the system, it could lead youth understood the meaning but I didn’t. to isolation in the fraternity and loss of business Some brands are born cool, while others rise to coolness; and many others, like this one, fall The campaign comprises nine TVCs, of which four feature girls and five are based on boys. FOTOCORP FOTOCORP FOTOCORP SUSHIL KUMAR Patel, Alai, Nair, Sethuraman and Nayyar: stop this theft

opportunities. This is why agency heads are look- partner, Law & Kenneth, says, “There absolutely ing for some intervention from bodies such as the must be a copyright at the pitch level. Most often, AAAI or ISA (Indian Society of Advertisers), that the baseline is what gets stolen in creative pitches.” have the power to stop such practices. Like Nair, many feel that there should be a Bharat Patel, chairman, ISA, says, “Stealing pre-emptive arrangement in the form of a signed ideas and concepts from one agency and selecting document which states that whatever is being pre- Iyer and Dubey: on showcasing two sides another agency to do the job is unethical. If the sented and is not bought, belongs to the agency and AAAI brings this issue to us, we’ll surely look into cannot be used without the consent of the agency. flat in their attempts to be cool.” it.” Clients often make agencies sign NDAs (non- Atika Malik, senior vice-president and exec- Patel recommends that agencies should have disclosure agreements) when the brief is shared. utive planning director, JWT India, remarks, more self-discipline and simply refuse to pitch for The general sense is that a similar non-disclosure “Getting it just right in youth brand communi- brands that are notorious about calling for pitches. or non-usage agreement, that agencies could ask cation is always a bit of a tightrope walk. In this Nagesh Alai, president, AAAI, tells afaqs! clients to sign before presenting their ideas, will be one, what works are execution elements like Reporter, “It’s easy to take potshots at AAAI. a potential deterrent for such unethical behaviour. the deadpan, the matter-of-fact underplayed Agencies need to have the courage of conviction A common complaint is that India is the only vibe, the silence, the scratched sound track. to get into an iron-clad, signed agreement with the country where suggestions and recommendations Even the specific film insights of guys noncha- client at the pitch stage, specifying that the ideas come free of cost, under the pretext of ‘pitching’. lantly exchanging tees, adding a special touch put forward cannot be used without the agency’s Shiv Sethuraman, chief executive officer, for a date and creation of accidental fashion permission or without adequate compensation.” TBWA India, who spent seven years working over- are nice.” If a client breaches this agreement then who will seas, says, “In France, the minute a presentation is According to Malik, what doesn’t work is take him to task? “The concerned agency can just made to a prospective client, all the ideas are put on the ‘Boys don’t fake it ‘and ‘Girls can fake it’ go legal,” Alai answers. According to him, agencies a CD and sent to the copyright bureau. In case of a tagline and what it brings to the party. “The ought to be more unified and refuse to pitch if dispute, you can re-visit that record and prove in a brand’s strategic intent, ‘I am sexy, when I am clients refuse to sign such agreements. court of law that you had originally created a par- me’, is simple and resolves the fit in and stand ticular idea.” No such mechanism exists in India. out dilemma of the youth. And, a fashion COPYRIGHT ON IDEAS? Further, this issue is not one that plagues crea- brand can own it, if it’s encouraging an indi- any agency heads are of the opinion that tive agencies alone; media agencies face this too. vidualistic fashion touch. But why add the boys Ma copyright on an agency’s ideas – as it is Unlike in the case of creative agencies, where it is and girls polarising behaviour of faking or not practiced in several other countries - could be a the baseline or a particular aspect of the creative faking as a layer to the idea? Here, ‘Idea pe idea’ solution to this problem. is not needed,” she adds. „ Anil Nair, chief executive officer and managing FRQWLQXHGRQSDJH>> [email protected]

18 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2012

1(:6$'9(57,6,1* CADBURY GEMS Grown up? So What! The campaign talks about the ‘little child’ in everyone as it expands its target consumer base from kids to grown-ups. By Anushree Bhattacharyya

here is a child in everybody and there are its colour, or someone who loves to lick Gems.” instances or moments when that child UPPING THE ANTE Tcomes out in the open. From the colourful autam Pandit, partner and senior creative Pandas to a set of new customers, Cadbury Gems’ Gdirector, R K Swamy BBDO, says, “The new campaign tries to bring out the little child in idea has captured the core brand value well and everyone as it expands its target consumer base ‘brings out the child in you’, in an entertaining from kids to those who are children at heart. manner. Umarless is an interesting coinage, which The campaign showcases various childish encapsulates what the product stands for, polar- attributes of adults, the reasons for their attrac- ity amongst both the children and adults alike. tion to Gems and further stresses on the idea However, out of the two, my personal favourite is of living an age-less life through the tagline, Raho the ‘Exhibition’ TVC for its setting and execution. Umarless. The idea is simple, yet a gem!” Conceptualised by Ogilvy India, the first com- Vikram Dhaliwal, planning head, Rediffusion- mercial shows a young woman sitting on a bench Y&R, remarks, “On the face of it, it seems that in a park. On the grass, she finds a yellow coloured Cadbury is trying to broaden its consumption Cadbury Gem, picks it, licks it and eats it. To her base and make Gems relevant to a slightly older surprise, a few more Gems in different colours population than it currently addresses. However, pop out. The woman hurriedly eats them. More and more Gems keep popping out and the woman tries her best to eat all. In her effort to hide her discovery and keep the growing heap covered with her body, she is blown into the air. The TVC ends with the message ‘No umar for laalach’. The second TVC shows a man visiting a museum, where he comes across an artist’s work - a sculpture made of Gems. The sculpture, which has green, red and yellow gems, has a blue Gem, Umarless’ appeals to our consumers and encour- too. Unable to resist the colour, he picks it out ages adults to be child-like.” and to his surprise, the whole sculpture falls apart. Abhijit Avasthi, national creative director, Sheepishly, he eats the sugar-coated chocolate Ogilvy, explains, “For years, the overall percep- button as the artist glares at him. The TVC ends tion for Gems was that it is a kids’ brand but Venkatesan and Avasthi: on the new tag line with the message, ‘No umar for favourite colour’. the truth is if I keep a bowl of Gems in front of Both the TVCs promote the brand message, an adult, he or she would equally love it and eat this advertising does not reach the heights that Raho Umarless. it. So we wanted to up the age and show that Dairy Milk does, simply because it doesn’t find Chandramouli Venkatesan, Gems has a potential for a larger section of a way to speak to the reality of adult life. Dairy Milk director, snacking and strategy, target consumers. Therefore we used offered us a new way to look at daily life and find Cadbury India, says, “Insights the concept that even as one grows a celebration, a moment where none previously reveal that Cadbury Gems has up, there is a child inside all of us existed, and in the process made chocolate rel- a strong connect with both kids and that child will do anything to eat evant to us. Gems, however, merely asks us to be and adults. The brand deeply Gems and we depicted this through like kids, without really telling us why. It’s wishful resonates with child-like free- various examples like a person who advertising and not effective advertising.” „ dom. Our new campaign ‘Raho is fascinated with Gems because of [email protected]

SAMSUNG a Smart TV within the same creative. uct feature and enables the user to The creative ties-in with the prod- experience motion control and its advantages digitally. A Peek into Reality Commenting on this innova- tion, Rahul Saigal, chief marketing The campaign aims to highlight the benefits of officer, Samsung India, says, “In keeping with the company’s thrust Samsung’s latest product, Smart TV. News Bureau on innovation, we have created this digital communication to provide ith an aim to communicate through the motion control ban- consumers a complete experience the benefits of the recently ner utilising digital platforms like Users can select of the interactive features of our Wlaunched Smart TV and YouTube and Moneycontrol.com. new 2012 Smart television range. ensure that consumers can engage In its current format, users can content displayed The augmented reality banner gives and experience the Motion Control select content displayed in the ban- consumers an opportunity to experi- features of the set, Samsung and ner with gestures, just like they may in the banner ence Motion Control in a manner Starcom Digital have introduced the do while using a Smart TV, and the first augmented reality banner format selected content plays in the frame of with gestures. FRQWLQXHGRQSDJH>>

20 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2012

35(6(176 &$03$,*175$,/ New campaigns across television, print, out-of-home and digital media. TELEVISION

BHARTI AXA LIFE HAYATE METLIFE Through the new TVC, Bharti Axa talks about the policy’s Salman Khan has returned to his Dabangg avatar for the Through the new TVC, MetLife looks at building awareness proposition ‘‘Aapka insurance policy aapki khushiyon ki launch campaign of Suzuki Hayate. Khan enters the scene as among the 40-plus male audience about the importance of taarikh kyun tay karen?’’ (Why should your insurance Chulbul Pandey announcing that he will catch the escaped early retirement. policy decide the date of your happiness?) criminal with the help of his Hayate. Agency: McCann Erickson Agency: Grey India Agency: RK Swamy BBDO Creative Chief: Ashish Chakravarthy National Creative Directors: Amit Akali, Malvika Creative Team: Ajmer Pratap Singh, Ankur Suman and Creative Directors: Mayur Hola, Sudeepa Ghosh and Mehra Abhishek Dubey Shikha Sud Creative Team: Rohit Malkani, Karan Rawat Production House: IBIS Productions Chairman and CCO, McCann Worldgroup India Films: Manjula Moses and Samir Chadha Producer of the campaign: Harsh Dave and president, South Asia: Prasoon Joshi PRINT ABBOTT BAJAJ HEALTH EXHAUST CARE FANS This is an The print awareness poster campaign for Breast Cancer, suggests that which features Bajaj Exhaust Monalisa, without Fans allow you her smile and to reclaim your without one space from foul breast. odors. In one of the print ads, a bathroom is lined with FEDRIGONI cigarettes. Prism Papyrus, exclusive distributor for Fedrigoni paper, wanted an attention-grabbing idea to promote Fedrigoni’s new range of recycled papers so that offices switch to this greener option and help save trees. National Creative Director: KV Sridhar Executive Creative Director: Nitesh Tiwari Creative Agency: Creative Studio at Abbott Healthcare Creative Director: Vikram Pandey Chief Creative Officer: Sonal Dabral Visualiser and Graphic Designer: Vishakha Potdar Art Director: Brijesh Parmar Creative Director: Prajato Guha Thakurta Copywriter: Prajato Guha Thakurta OOH DIGITAL

INDIAN IDOL IDEA CELLULAR MAHINDRA SHARE YOUR STORY To create buzz around the sixth season of Indian Idol, a The innovative hoarding showcases a large cutout of Auto maker Mahindra has launched an online campaign multi-city outdoor campaign was rolled out. Around 700 to Abhishek Bachchan and Idea 3G Smartfone cutout with to go along with the mainline campaign for XUV 500. The 750 different outdoor sites were used including hoardings, golden wings that are flapping. The wings shown coming website developed as part of the campaign, allows users bus shelters, backlit kiosks and mall medias. out of Smartfone and the Halo effect created around to share their travel stories in the form of a blog. The Abhishek adds to the ‘heavenly’ feel. campaign highlights the tag line of ‘May your life be full of stories!’ Agency: Media Circle Agency: Bates Wallstreet Exposure: 30 Cities across Metros and Mini Metros Exposure: 30 cities in Gujarat Agency: Hungama Digital

Got some great campaign that has been published recently? Upload it on afaqs! for the world to see. Visit: www.afaqs.com/advertising/creative_showcase

22 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2012

1(:6$'9(57,6,1* TATA SKY Direct Selling In its latest product-led, tactical ad campaign, Tata Sky furthers its position as a ‘service brand’. By Ashwini Gangal

n its most recent bout of product-centric com- the wives (who appear munication, DTH (direct to home) player to be housewives) may ITata Sky has rolled out a three-film campaign. appear misleading as far Whether it’s the casting or the objective of the the brand’s target group Both sets of campaign, all three commercials are an evident (TG) is concerned, Nayak extension of the brand’s recent set of ads, also a assures that featuring only films attempt to three-film effort. Both sets of films attempt to the wives in the second leg position brand Tata Sky as an out and out service of the brand’s service com- position brand brand. munication has nothing While the product benefits highlighted in the to do with women being Tata Sky as an previous campaign include the brand’s relocation a special focus this time. out and out services, its call centre services and punctuality, According to him, they the current campaign emphasises offerings such emerged as the protago- service brand. as Tata Sky’s package advisory service, payment nists to continue the story reminder system and the three-day grace period because in the previous Currently, it seems to be forced after the bill payment date. campaign, it was these and staged,” he says. While the earlier campaign featured married women who were having He adds, “Also, jamming it up couples, the current one features only the wives. fun at the expense of their with too much information is a respective other halves. further put off.” Regarding the rather He feels that considering “The personal- plain testimonial-like route how mandatory digitisation is adopted in this campaign, a landmark event in this cat- ity of the three Nayak insists that this was egory, this could have been a female characters a deliberate move on part of great opportunity for the brand has been main- the agency and that it serves to address familiarity and con- to break the monotony dur- venience issues. tained across the ing commercial breaks on Sujit Das, executive crea- campaign.” TV. “This simple look of the tive director, Pickle Lintas SUKESH KUMAR campaign stands out. It was finds the insight too generic. an ‘art direction call’,” he “It didn’t appeal to me much, NAYAK explains. by putting myself in the con- In all, there are eight such sumer’s shoes as well as from films, which are being aired a creative perspective,” he cri- Referring to the TVCs as ads comprising Tata on Channel 100, the Tata tiques. Sky’s ‘service campaign’, Sukesh Kumar Nayak, Sky channel. After blatantly express- group creative director, Ogilvy India (the brand’s ing his perplexity about why creative agency of record), says, “These films are STILL JINGALALA? the films feature only women a continuation of the earlier set of films. The ccording to Vivek this time, Das goes on to add, personality of each of the three ADutta, vice-president, “Talking heads or testimonials female characters has been main- planning, Cheil Worldwide have been in vogue for some tained across the two campaigns. SW Asia, the strategy to time now. A better execution “Apparently, all six films draw use housewives as direct could have lifted the film. inspiration from actual consum- endorsers seems plausible in This ‘vox-pop’ approach (also er behaviour. creating some credibility for known as the ‘voice of the Why are the husbands miss- the brand as a service brand. people’ method) is too plastic ing in this set of ads, anyway? “But the execution could and artificial.” „ Well, while featuring just have been more hard-hitting. [email protected]

<< FRQWLQXHGIURPSDJH more with the advent of smartphones. “Our objective was to However, the Samsung Smart TV A peek... is beyond that and enhances the ensure that the con- television viewing experience with that helps them understand this truly sumers can live the interactive online content, exploring distinctive feature of our Smart TV experience without hav- apps, and much more. Our objective range.” was to ensure that the consumers can Arnab Mitra, national director, ing to visit a store or live this experience without having SMG Digital, explains, “To a lot of buy the TV.” to visit a store or buy the TV, and Indians, Smart TV just stood for a ARNAB MITRA thus actually create awareness about television with a few features which the features. „ does not have a unique space any- [email protected]

24 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2012

1(:6',*,7$/ FACEBOOK A Threat to Instagram? The launch of the photo-sharing app has set off alarm bells about whether Facebook plans to phase out the recently acquired Instagram. By Nisha Menon

little over a month after social networking Facebook to systematically take out competi- giant Facebook announced the acquisition tion, Girish Mahajan, co-founder and director, A of Instagram, a photo-sharing platform, for “Instagram will Webitude, says, “Facebook had been working on $1 billion, it has introduced a specialised photo- do for Facebook the app for a while now, but could not execute sharing app, Camera, for iPhones. it. With Instagram in its kitty, the technology just The new free photo-sharing app allows users to what YouTube gave a boost to the app and hence the release. share multiple photos all at once, crop images, add did for Google.” Buying out Instagram is an excellent move by captions, tag friends and use filters to add effects to SHUBHO SENGUPTA Facebook as not only did it kill competition but the picture. The app offers many features similar also managed to get its hands on technology that to that of Instagram, including several filters and has aided in the release of the camera app.” the ability to share pictures with friends separately from Facebook’s main ecosystem. DEATH OF INSTAGRAM? he launch of the Camera app has set tongues BUYING OUT COMPETITION “Buying out Twagging on whether Facebook is gearing up acebook has been facing flak for the mediocre Instagram is an to phase out Instagram. When the acquisition Fpicture sharing features available on Facebook was announced, many were surprised as it was a for Mobile app. The ability to edit the pictures excellent move by deviation from the manner in which Facebook has using the app and upload them in batches has been Facebook.” functioned over the years - keeping it under one missing in the app. With the Camera app, this has product umbrella. Keeping Instagram as a separate GIRISH MAHAJAN been addressed successfully. product and brand is reminiscent of what Google The social networking platform has, for quite has done with YouTube following its acquisition. some time, worked to develop an application that Digital consultant Shubho Sengupta believes addresses all the issues flagged by users but was that the launch of the Camera app will not mark unable to execute it so far. Instead, it decided to the end of Instagram. He says, “Instagram will bag Instagram, which came with a built-in com- “At the end of the do for Facebook what YouTube did for Google. munity of photographers and photo lovers. A lot Facebook being an extremely dynamic platform, has been said and written about why Facebook day, there’s plenty we will see a lot of apps being launched in the decided to buy Instagram in the first place. The of space for every coming few months.” newly launched Facebook Camera affirms that Zafar Rais, co-founder and CEO, Mindshift the Instagram acquisition was a clever and well- social network.” Interactive believes that this launch and the thought strategy to beat competition. ZAFAR RAIS Calling the acquisition as a strategic move by FRQWLQXHGRQSDJH>>

<< FRQWLQXHGIURPSDJH is officially appointed as the AoR. if the issue of copyright is really rel- with the industry body, feels Khan. evant in this case,” he says. “There should be one unified open CLIENT SPEAK According to Abdul Khan, sen- forum where marketers and agencies Stealing... o find out the clients’ side of the ior vice-president, marketing, Tata can discuss these issues,” he suggests. Tstory as well, afaqs! Reporter Teleservices, any formal agreement presentation that is most likely to get speaks to brand marketers or ‘clients’ at the pitch stage will get stuck at LEGALITY VERSUS stolen, in the case of media agencies in agency parlance. the very definition of ‘idea’. “While MORALITY it is the strategy that is most likely to In the opinion of Tarun Khanna, I understand how important intel- ccording to some, the issue is get picked up. head, marketing, Fiat India, when the lectual property is for an agency, Anot of copyright laws as much client’s brief is a focused one, there creativity is so subjective, that defin- as it is about moral values. “It has PITCH FEE? is bound to be some overlap in the ing the contours of an idea is difficult. more to do with the morality of the n such a scenario, is charging a theft and less to do with the legality,” Ipitch fee the solution because says Meenakshi Menon (Madhvani), doing so will partly compensate the A common complaint is that in India is founder and chairperson, Spatial agency, if it feels that its idea has the only country where suggestions and Access. been stolen or has been the source of If there is better unity among the inspiration? recommendations come free of cost. players in the advertising industry “A pitch fee by its very nature is and if agency professionals come compensation for the time and effort ideas that agencies come up with, and Already there are different interpre- together and decide not to use one put in by the agencies, not so much that within that common ground, the tations, across eco-systems, of what another’s ideas, then they can collec- for their resources, ideas and intel- creative execution could be differ- constitutes an idea. The legal angle tively solve the problem, she insists. lect,” says Anita Nayyar, director, ent. “Everything is derived from the will make things even murkier.” “While legality may be difficult to customer strategy, BCCL. client’s strategy. The agencies aren’t Unless an entire ad done by one implement, a sense of fairness and The general sense is that an presenting a black book or a specific agency is released as another agen- brotherhood is something agen- idea that comes from an agen- proprietary model; they’re present- cy’s work, other smaller disputes cies can work towards,” advises cy is something a client can’t ing creative thought processes based should be treated on a case by case Madhvani. „ put a price on, unless the agency on a client’s briefing. So I don’t know basis, instead of codifying everything [email protected]

26 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2012

7+(3,18302'(/ GOGOL

It is the visual element that makes Pinterest such a hot favourite with web surfers. Are brand marketers making good use of this interest? By Biprorshee Das

ot too long ago, someone thought back in school. It could also be the board in your also grabbed and the creator is duly credited with up Orkut and long-lost friends were office cubicle where you pin up pictures, newspa- the content. reunited. Facebook arrived and took per cut outs and post-it notes. A Pinterest enthusiast and the digital head of the idea further. Twitter made eve- People love collecting pictures and referring JWT India Group, Max Hegerman reveals how Nryone’s opinions compact and more audible on back to them for private leisure viewing. The no- he takes a break from his daily work schedule the internet. Socially, internet is becoming a great brainer is just an online extension of this offline and spends 20-30 minutes on the website every leveller. And where society gathers, can brand behaviour. Users ‘pin’ images and other media day. He also admits how he “gets lost” very easily. marketers be far behind? content that interests them on their categorised “People connect better through images. Pinterest Brands and their marketers kept a close watch quickly communicates your interest through pic- on the changes in the virtual world and attempted tures. It is easy and that is why it has caught on, to make the most of every new opportunity that particularly with people who might not usually emerged, taking social conversations to a level With Pinterest, the visibility connect on social media,” says Hegerman. where ‘nothing is personal, just business’. of the content only rises since Aman Mishra, strategic planner, digital and Amidst the chaos, appeared another kid on the new media, What The Hell?, exclaims, “It is a block called Pinterest. Ever since its arrival just - with all the constant repinning - marvel of ingenuity that rivals Twitter in reach about two years ago, it has been riding a wave. and impact, leapfrogging into the top three social Crossing the 10 million monthly unique users the content is a permanent media platforms in record time. In many ways, it faster than any other platform (according to com- fixture on pinboards. is even more powerful because its ability to inte- Score) and bringing in increasingly more referral grate e-commerce into all the pins and postings is traffic to websites, Pinterest is screaming for atten- exceptional.” tion and probably getting it too. online pinboards. Images can further be ‘repinned’ Consider one simple factor: On Facebook, What is the opportunity that Pinterest is throw- increasing the viral nature of shared content. the newsfeed changes rapidly with every passing ing up for a brand? And have brands, especially What works best for the platform is the simplic- minute. In Twitter, a fresh number of tweets are Indian ones, included it in their social media mix ity in which it operates and the ease with which loaded on the timeline all the time. Miss an update yet? images can be - and are - shared or repinned. and it is lost among the many. With Pinterest, the A simple ‘Pin It’ button installed in the brows- visibility of content only rises as the content is a PINTEREST FOR DUMMIES er, allows one to grab images from any website permanent fixture on pinboards with all the ‘con- interest is nothing more than an online version and add it to pinboards. Copyright issues are also stant repinning’. Does that make Pinterest more Pof the scrapbook that most of us maintained tackled with the simple fact that the source link is interesting than FB or Twitter?

30 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2012 &29(56725<

THE ‘INDIA’ CONNECTION In India, however, the same is done for the brand’s “Women have forever maintained scrapbooks and interest touched the 20 million unique visitors loyalty programme, Diesel Cult. “When it comes are extremely social. They tend to collect things, Pmark in April 2012 – up from just five million to marketing online, pictures appeal. Pinterest maybe much more than men. Pinterest combines in May 2011. Of this, 4.5 per cent are from India. is just the platform for that. You are not forcing the idea of personal collection and the art of scrap- This seems paltry, compared to Facebook’s 46 anyone to like your product but the medium is booking, making it very interesting for them.” million users in India and 900 million globally. the message. Pins and repins help the brand a lot. There are other aspects of Pinterest that also Probe a bit deeper and one realises that Facebook’s If we use it wisely, I am sure it will turn into a are a tad underutilised. Videos, for example. user base in India is also close to five per cent of forum,” says Barman. Pinterest provides for sharing videos as well, along the global user base. Another interesting and well-known charac- with images that also open up immense opportu- Facebook has done its own bit to contribute to Pinterest’s growth. Interestingly, the number of Pinterest users rose sharply by late 2011 – this was roughly around the same time that Pinterest ),9(7+,1*67+$7%27,&&$/($517217+(-2% integrated Facebook Open Graph and the new Application Programming Interface (API) that VS. allowed Pinterest to scale up the ‘shareability quo- oticca is a London-based tient’ of its content. 1 PINTEREST 86(56 SPEND MORE 7+$1 Bjewellery and fashion Preetham Venkky, business head, KRDS (the 7:,&($608&+$67: FACEBOOK 86(56 accessories retailer. Chief Facebook Marketing Agency that also develops applications) says Pinterest used the Open Graph executive officer Kiyan to its advantage. “Every Facebook activity has a Foroughi reveals that Boticca viral impact; the activity appears on the ticker of has dedicated employees to your friends, it appears on your friends’ news maintain the company and feeds and your own Timeline. Open Graph made INFLUENCED10% brand boards on Pinterest. OF TRANSACTIONSCTIONS it easy for Pinterest to use all three effectively. These are the two factors PINTERESTPINTERE 3LQWHUHVWZDV Your Pinterest activity becomes a permanent one LQYROHGDWWKH SPENDSP ON VDPHSRLQWLQWKH that drive a lot of traffic and USERS AVERAGEAV FXVWRPHU¶VMRXUQH\ INFLUENCEDINFLUENCEDD7% on your Timeline, there for everyone to see and FACEBOOKFACEBOOOK LQRIWKH SPENDS ON 7UDQVDFWLRQV OF TRANSACTIONSACTTIIOONNS sales. Boticca has over 60 experience for themselves,” says Venkky. USERS AVERAGEA boards divided into different He explains that a lot of start-ups ride on the $180 $85 2 PPINTEREST '5,9(6MORE Facebook Open Graph that was created to tap (+10%(+1010%V VS.S.SI SITETE A AVERAGE)VERAGE) (-44%44%% VS.VS. SITE AVERAGE)AVERAGERAGE) SALESS 7+$1FACEBOOK categories and trends. into the large portion of social media users who Recently, the company carried out a Facebook vs 3 PINTERESTP +(/36<28$&48,5(MORE NEW USERS Pinterest survey too (see Pinterest will also need to play its infographic left). ‘‘Pinterest’s recent success is due to its 1(:86(5686% mobile strategy right to garner more user experience and the very users and interest. Currently, only 1(:86(5657% visual nature of the platform. It provides a great tool for available on the iOS, it will surely be internet users to curate the looking at other mobile platforms. web, according to their own tastes and likes, which is not done as easily on other social did not interact much with their newsfeed. Social networks such as Facebook media enthusiast and head maven, Windchimes 4 PINTERESTP 86(56ARE NOT AS ENGAGED $6FACEBOOK 86(56 and Twitter. Pinterest has Communication, Nimesh Shah welcomes the become our biggest social trend and simplifies it. “New players thrive better XVHUVVSHQGV XVHUVYLVLW referrer,’’ says Foroughi. when you have existing key players pushing them. They are not eating up each other’s space but are 65% 70% 44% 52% only helping to grow the market,” says Shah. LESS TIME LESS TIME LESS PAGES LESS PAGES ON SITE VS. ON SITE VS. ON SITE VS. ON SITE VS. ARE MARKETERS LISTENING? SITE AVERAGE SITE AVERAGE Note: Based on a sample of 50,000 visi- tors from Pinterest and 50,000 visitors icture this. A brand might not even have used from Facebook (March 15-April 15, 2012) PPinterest to showcase its products. However, 5 a user might have pinned a picture of a product PINTEREST HURTS <285CONVERSION RATES Boticca.com is the online destination for he uses and endorses. A conversation has already jewellery and fashion items from over started without any effort from the brand’s end. KDV 260 independent designers in 40 coun- tries. The site is a specially curated and Now, it depends on how much a brand can steer highly editorialized online marketplace that conversation in its favour. 51% 73% where customers can buy directly from

Most people agree that a platform such as LOWER LOWER the designers and contact them person- this lends itself excellently to businesses such CONVERSION VS. CONVERSION VS. ally. as retail, lifestyle, clothing, ecommerce that can SITE AVERAGE visually showcase its various offerings. Consider Source: Boticca.com the example of the high-end clothing and apparel brand, Diesel. Pallavi Barman, marketing and communications manager, Diesel Fashion India teristic of Pinterest is the favour it finds with the nities for marketers. Yet another feature is how Reliance says that Pinterest works very well for fairer sex. This must certainly appeal to lifestyle Pinterest allows the user to change the embedded the brand. and clothing brands, and the categories where link of any image and video. With most content The social strategy of Diesel is controlled inter- women influence the buying decisions. on Pinterest being repinned, this feature enables nationally and the brand is present on Pinterest, Venkky, who safely puts the ratio to be at 80:20 a brand to keep the image the same and yet route showcasing its catalogue across different boards. in favour of women, explains the idea saying, users to a new campaign, if required.

afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2012 31 MCDONALD’S Spicing Up Life This Summer Milestone Brandcom creates an innovative marketing blitzkrieg for the new fast food range. News Bureau

ndians use a variety of spices in their in April across 200 touch points. Besides palate on a daily basis and that is Day 1 creating impact with large format bill- Iwhy McDonald’s, came up with a boards and gantries at key junctions and unique way of acknowledging spices and arterial roads, the campaign reached out their importance in the Indian cuisine, to the targeted audience in an effective without which our food would be bland way along various high-reach media like and boring. With a dash of fun and bus shelters, railway foot-over bridges excitement this summer, McDonald’s and utilities. gave Indians something to celebrate by “While one could see a heat wave in launching the Spice Fest from April 1st the summers in India, we further built to June 2012, introducing four new vari- on the spicy offering with an innova- ants to its McSpicy range of products: tive execution around the hot and spicy Mexican Spice Chicken, Mexican Spice burger burning up a billboard on every Veg, Asian Hot Garlic Dip and African bite or using the fire extinguishers to Peri Peri Shake Shake. put out the fire as a result of savouring The launch was actively supported by a hot and sizzling McSpicy delight,” a 360 degree marketing campaign which said Hanoz Patel, founder member and debuted with a mix of television com- Day 4 managing partner, Milestone Brandcom. mercials, print, outdoor and in-store promotions. Milestone Brandcom, got The Burning Billboard the spicy flavour and fun on the streets ight in the heart of Mumbai, at for spreading the aromas of Mexican, RMahim causeway – an area that wit- African and Asian spices and flavours, nesses more than 2.5 lakh passenger cars tickling everyone’s taste buds all through pass by daily, the innovative concept of this summer. revealing the product was carried out on Rameet Arora, senior director market- a billboard of the size 40ft by 20ft for a ing, McDonald’s India (West and South) period of seven days and included five said, “We have come up with a campaign flex changes. that embodies the fun, freshness and On the first day, audiences saw an festivities of Spice Fest to extend our entire burger with the McDonald’s logo. ‘I’m Lovin It’ experience to our custom- Thereafter, every alternate day for the ers. We have tried to communicate the next five days; the burger was bitten up varieties of Spice in a fun way, whilst Day 6 reducing in size with the area around the showcasing our ‘freshness’ and ‘quality’ bitten part surrounded by flames which products. We, at McDonald’s aim to be emitted real smoke. our customer’s first choice and we are On the last day of this innovation, taking brand McDonald’s to the next audiences saw a billboard with a hole in level by providing our customers with the shape of the burger, still flaming hot. products and campaigns that are new, The innovation was a sure shot traffic fresh and innovative.” stopper and caught nearly every pas- A range so spicy called for a blazing serby’s attention. hype and buzz in the market to create The campaign spiced up the awareness and conversations around the summer of 2012 with multiple innova- spicy delights, making people talk about tive communication at relevant touch and get tempted to walk into to the points and exciting engagements to drive McDonald outlet to try it. the hot and sizzling summer delights The Out of Home (OOH) campaign from McDonald’s. „ was executed across nine markets starting The billboard as it appeared: sizzling and hot [email protected]

Stories featured on this page highlight innovative marketing techniques using various media vehicles like print, digital and out-of-home.

&29(56725<

MORE TALK Sattar confesses that he doesn’t know how many interest has its fair bit of championing done :+$7¶6213,17(5(67" Indian brands are successfully using Pinterest as a Pby communication experts as well. Identifying medium. And it has nothing to do with the num- the potential, they stress on active engagement on bers - whether it is page views or unique visitors the medium. - being touted around. But won’t brands want to Says Navin Kansal, group creative director, go where their audience is? “I can see Pinterest Grey Digital, “Brands that allow a peek into them- growing slowly in India. We could see a huge dif- selves resonate well on this medium. But they TRAVEL CARS FILM HUMOUR ference in the next 12 months maybe?” he signs off must put consumers at the centre of engagement. with a question. A token presence will not suffice. If users retain images about the brand, they must be offered THE ROAD AHEAD exclusive content. Interesting contests must be run interest is still an invite-only platform. How on a regular basis.” much it can grow further depends on how HOME DESIGN SPORTS FASHION ART P According to him, the timing for Pinterest has soon it chooses to open up, spread itself across been spot-on, as the virtual world became increas- platforms and become more engaging. ingly visual. Technology, too, is making it easier The key lies in reinvention and innovations. for users to click, post and share better quality The social sphere is one, where the fatigue factor images online. And the simple interface makes the Many Indian brands settles in rather quickly. It is anybody’s guess how interaction even easier. long people would enjoy just putting up images. Karl Gomes, co-founder, AgencyDigi says, feel that the awareness “If innovations (a la Facebook and Twitter) do “Unlike Flikr (an image and video-hosting web- levels in India are not that not happen, sites like these will enter what I call site), not everybody creates content on Pinterest. the ‘floopy zone’. You cannot just pull the plug. That is where it works. A lot of people just repin. high to warrant a full-fledged And if you have to be a serious social player, you Any or every brand can be present on Pinterest.” have to look at 100 million-plus active users,” He opines that it is not just about selling products Pinterest strategy. says Venkky. but engaging with a ready consumer base that is already present on a platform. “The good thing is that people are pinning 7+(5,6($1'5,6( things they like, irrespective of a brand’s presence. The more people use it, the bigger the idea will 20 get. Today, you need evangelists of the brand. Unique Visitors 15 Not all brands can fight their own battles. They in Million will need the consumer to shape perspectives,” 10 explains Gomes. 5 JWT’s Hegerman affirms that Pinterest, although new and fresh, cannot be dismissed as a Apr. May June July Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. Source: flash in the pan. “You take a Facebook strategy to 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2012 2011 2012 2012 www.compete.com clients and they might roll their eyes asking, ‘What is new that you have got?’. We are taking Pinterest unconventional activity to encourage women in “We must create and curate content such that to them and keeping ideas fresh. This is like a Israel to talk about the product and rethink their it becomes more male-female neutral. This will visual Google search,” he says. habits and attitudes towards a brand that is consid- help both, brands and Pinterest,” adds Hegerman. Independent digital consultant Shubho ered to be the underdog in the feminine category There will be an explicit need for Pinterest to Sengupta minces no words when he says that in Israel. become a ‘platform’ and develop an API where Pinterest does not interest him much as he does “Pinners were found to be the best candidates developers are allowed to integrate content. not find it too user friendly and even “slightly when we were looking for an innovative social Twitter, for example, sees a lot of user access clumsy”. “My main interest in Pinterest is its platform for women to express themselves freely. from third party applications and very few Twitter ability to push up the brand on search rankings. The idea to create unique and personal gift boxes regulars actually tweet via Twitter.com. This has Personally, I am struggling. I have limited time came from the insight that in order to be relevant worked rather well for Twitter. and with so many platforms, I might get a bit con- for the consumers, you have to create true value Pinterest will also need to play its mobile fused. It has been proved how you are sorted if you for them and personalisation is a great way to do strategy right to garner more users and interest. have Facebook, Twitter and Google+, as a part of it,” he says. Currently, only available on the iOS (Apple), it your strategy. Currently, in India, internet con- Internationally, there are brands like Fab.com, will surely be looking at other mobile platforms. nections and Facebook accounts are rising at the Etsy (furniture and houseware retailers) and Monetisation also is a concern on people’s same pace,” Sengupta says although he is quick to west elm (a US-based food supermarket chain) minds. While venture capitalists have not turned a add that it might not be a very wise move to ignore that have used the platform well. Among Indian blind eye towards Pinterest, stress on returns must Pinterest in its entirety. brands, Mumbai-based Fashion and You and be dealt with patience. “Facebook and Twitter Chennai-based Basics Life (Hasbro Clothing) have passed the baton to marketers wherein brands TESTIMONY have used Pinterest as bulletin boards. However, are pushing the platforms with campaigns and t is still very early days for Pinterest in India. there has been nothing beyond this. Moreover, engaging content. The same thing needs to be IBrands are merely testing the waters. However, many Indian brands that afaqs!Reporter spoke done by players such as Pinterest. There must there are enough case studies of foreign brands to feel that the awareness levels in India are not be investment to get the marketers excited about using the medium innovately and effectively. that high to warrant a full-fledged Pinterest you,” says Shah of Windchimes. It is a bit of a A popular example is that of Kotex’s ‘Woman’s strategy. chicken-and-egg situation at the moment. But Inspiration Day’ campaign in Israel. Fifty ‘influen- This is what Suhail Sattar, director of Hasbro there is a lot of enthusiasm. tial’ Pinterest users were identified and handcrafted Clothing has to say. “We are yet to see the potential Pinterest could also think of solutions that gifts were made for them based on their Pinterest in it compared with Facebook as a social market- Facebook (with its Sponsored Stories) and Twitter boards. With surprised users pinning images of the ing tool . The content on pinterest is the same as (with Sponsored Tweets) have come up with, gifts across social networking sites, the campaign as Facebook.” although it must take care to not become intrusive fetched 694,853 impressions for Kotex. He agrees that it is a great “personal tool but or spoil the user experience. What’s really impor- Yael Linen Zuchman, owner and chief execu- I don’t know whether it will be as effective for tant is that the Pinterests of the world must con- tive officer of Smoyz, the agency that designed brands as Facebook has been. Much like Twitter I tinue experimenting lest things stagnate. „ the campaign says that they chose the unique and think its great for individuals.” [email protected]

34 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2012

The Globetrotter and flavour of the food in Paris, especially the salads which really are colourful and nutritious too, a very important factor for me.

What and where has been your best bazaar bargain so far? One of my better bargains was on a recent visit to Cape Town where I bought a pair of authentic African tribal masks (male and female) after some hectic negotiations and now are a part of the wall hangings as a memory of my visit to Africa.

Which has been the most unique destination that you ever visited. When and why? My visit to Thekkady in Kerala a few years ago was a very unique and different one because of a night safari on foot which was a fantastic experience for me.

Tell us how have you managed to make a journey fun. My family and myself are fond of bird watching and on any journey it is really a competition in the family as to who spots a different species (local and migratory) and identifies it first. On P Balakrishna, COO, Allied Media a recent visit to Gir forest, home to the Asiatic lion we spent more time trying to sight birds as sighting a lion became a tough If there is one place you can keep going back to for a holiday, where task given the heat. It was a lot of fun as we suddenly realized would it be? that there were a lot of bird species (Serpent Eagle, Owls, Paradise Flycatchers etc.) which we would not have noticed if Wild life sanctuaries across India. we had not been looking for it. Tell us three good things about travelling. A gourmet gaffe that you would like to share. Travelling is a great stress buster for me and brings out the On a recent visit to Europe when we were in Cologne, we took adventurous spirit in me. I love exploring new sights and experiencing the culture, the local meal option on the recommendation of the local tour food and tradition of the local people. It gives me exclusive time with my family and guide who strongly recommended it. We realized the gaffe helps me also forge a deeper bonding with them which is a rare opportunity when when the meal arrived and we found it was a gourmet of non you are in a daily routine. vegetarian fare which was unpalatable to us as we are pure When you travel, what is a must carry for you? vegetarians. The staff was quite flummoxed as in spite of their best efforts they could not figure how to make a pure vegetarian My training shoes and my exercise bands to help me exercise wherever... meal at such a short notice and eventually we had to settle for some bread and butter as the best option. When and where did your best holiday happen? Last year, when I was all over Europe for three weeks and the view on top of What is the best souvenir you ever bought for anyone? Mount Titlis was breathtaking. A painted original Ostrich egg from Cape Town which could double as an ornamental piece in the travel trophy Have you ever been surprised by the taste of food, outside India? Where? cabinet or as a table lamp as it had detachable wooden I am not really a foodie at heart but was pleasantly surprised with the variety base for the electrical socket. 1(:6',*,7$/ IDEA DEMOCRACY << FRQWLQXHGIURPSDJH Kharbanda, social media head, Ignitee Digital believes that for Facebook, mobile is the way of A threat... the future. He says, “Facebook Crowdsourcing acquisition of Instagram pro- will be looking at mobile as a vide Facebook with an excellent crucial component of revenue chance to tap into more users. growth and generation. It has The online platform by Rohit Misra, in partnership with He says, “While Facebook comes been constantly working towards Chetan Mangat, looks to throw open the creative with its history of providing establishing FB Credits as a pay- new features and letting users ment mechanism. Facebook process to everybody with ideas. By Biprorshee Das adapt and then get addicted to can monetise this app in two them, Instagram comes with a n idea can come from anywhere challenges,” adds Mangat. base of loyalists to help it hold The new free and anybody,” says ad veteran Misra, in his last role, was president, its ground, provided it looks at ARohit Misra. And, with the very India and Sri Lanka, Rediffusion-Y&R. new features and building the photo-sharing logic, Misra announces IdeaDemocracy, He quit Rediffusion in 2009. Backed by network in a healthy manner. his entrepreneurial venture in partner- more than 20 years of experience, he has At the end of the day, there’s app allows users ship with New York-based creative worked at agencies such as Ogilvy, JWT, plenty of space for every social director and user experience designer, Euro RSCG and Y&R in India. network, provided you’re able to share multiple Chetan Mangat. Mangat, on the other hand, runs to make your mark and cater to photo. What is unique about IdeaDemocracy a digital agency, Blank & Co. based your audiences. What would be as an agency is the fact that it brings in New York and New Delhi, and the ideal situation though, is for ways - one by coming up with to India the concept of crowdsourcing an art network called Collection with Facebook Camera and Instagram a paid version of the app, which ideas. The idea is simple - the creativity Howie Chen in New York. Through to merge strengths.” offers more value in terms of process will be thrown open to every- his career, he has worked extensively functionalities and secondly, it body at large, with everyone getting an on e-commerce and digital projects for STRENGTHENING can monetise the end product, opportunity to contribute with a crea- brands such as Fendi, Calvin Klein, MOBILE which will depend on what the tive idea. Levi’s Vintage Clothing and others. obile has been the Achilles user decides to do with the pic- The online platform claims to be IdeaDemocracy will focus on both Mheel for Facebook. With ture. For example, printing it, India’s first when it comes to design large advertisers and SMEs and while an IPO that many are calling a framing, sending it as a gift are the partners will look after business debacle, the need for Facebook just a few options it may experi- development, the creative ideas of to strengthen its mobile inter- ment with.” course will be outsourced. face becomes imperative. It had Rais sums up, “I feel Beginning with the basic idea at the recently launched App Center, Facebook’s mobile-focused very fundamental level, IdeaDemocracy seen by many as baby steps to strategy is towards the larg- is crowdsourcing its own design. A con- develop the mobile medium. er picture of gaining a strong test on the platform’s website currently The new Camera app launch is foothold within the mobile mar- invites people to design a logo for the also indicative of the fact that ket, securing a pleasant space company and then vote for the most Facebook has started divert- for the future and then tap- ing its technological expertise ping the monetary aspect of it. toward mobile. Monetisation is important, as is With the launch of this app, for every successful business to Facebook has once again shown keep the attention of stakehold- the importance it gives to the ers, and Facebook has moved and communication crowdsourcing and medium owing to its mon- consistently in that direction.„ will offer brand solutions in the spheres etistion opportunities. Nikhil [email protected] of graphic design, web and mobile app development, film and video, social media and product design. “Creative people are everywhere. << FRQWLQXHGIURPSDJH said that, it’s well produced, no Some are fortunate enough to make it matter the sepia tone taking one a profession. Others might not be. Our Misra and Mangat: all ideas welcome back to another cricketing saga challenge is how to harness the talent Reliving.. that made the common man available. While this concept exists over- popular design. This will also extend to the hero, Lagaan. Strategically, seas, the focus often is on the delivery other facets of the site’s development, According to Karnik, to show it seems right and works - using medium. At IdeaDemocracy, we start where the design of the home page, snippets of a game just the way the analogy of happiness of the with the creative process. We want to intro videos, social media strategy and it’s played by millions of Indians game and the core of Coke - see what are the challenges faced by the a mobile app will be crowdsourced as since their childhood, across the ‘Happiness’. Lastly, a refreshing brand and then how we can best har- well. nooks and corners of several (if not entirely new) take in the ness the available talent pool,” Misra Mangat says, “People are now ready streets, is a let-down. “Having midst of sport-related ads full of tells afaqs!. to connect directly with one another. said this, the voiceover is quite stadia and sport stars - the piece According to him, the need of the They have stronger creative opinions nicely written. The music is nice, nicely bringing the sport on hour is democratisation of the creative and most importantly, thanks to the too. Together, they do justice to the street and with the people - process by harnessing talent and ideas web, it is easy to give direction and the idea of ‘Open Happiness’. which is where it truly belongs.” from wherever they exist. provide inspiration. We can all leverage Beyond this, nothing,” he adds. “The story has been executed “Rohit (Misra) brought an idea that our imagination and be creative direc- Amit Kekre, planning head, well, with a good cast, which was well thought out because it allows tors. From a technical perspective, we Mudra West, remarks, “It’s not further makes it entertaining. businesses to seek talent and find solu- are going to make a collaborative tool, the first time for Coke and gully Overall, the idea works and is a tions to problems. I was immediately which utilises the power of the social cricket. This ad is very reminis- welcome departure from the last excited by the collaborative thinking web in an extremely innovative and cent of the kitschy Dum Mast ‘wannabe commercial’ Jaldi kya aspect of this project and how we could unique manner.” „ Kalandar Coke ad done with hai,” he adds. „ use our social graph to solve creative [email protected] Tarsem Singh in the ’90s. Having [email protected]

afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2012 39 1(:63(23/( '(),1,1*020(176

MUMBAI CALLING PRASOON JOSHI n late 1997, Piyush Pandey offered me a trans- CHAIRMAN AND CEO, MCCANN WORLDGROUP INDIA AND Ifer to Mumbai since Sonal Dabral was moving PRESIDENT, SOUTH ASIA to Malaysia. After coming here, I was approached by film directors to write songs and suddenly a new stream opened up for me. Happy Accidents Mumbai also offered me an opportunity to work on brands such as Cadbury,Cadbur Asian Paints, PParle,arle, Hutch and Tata Safari. rasoon Joshi, chairman and CCO, McCann What thrilledhrilled me aboutabout adver-adver- Worldgroup India and president, South Asia tising was that I gotgot paid for MCCANNMCCANN ERICKSONERICK Phas spent around 20 years in the biggest ‘acci- writing. I got into OgilvOgilvyy nother turning point ini my life came dent’ of his life: advertising. Delhi as a juniorjunior copywriter. Awhen I joined McCannMcCan Erickson in Since childhood, I have not been fixated Logically, I should have gone 22002.002. At that pointpoint in time,time McCann did about what I wanted to do in life. My ambitions into clientt servicing or mar-mar- nnotot have a creative reputareputation.t I was told changed almost everyday - doctor, scientist or keting, butt my heart told me tthathat Coke did not go beybeyondo Bollywood, engineer. to be in creative.eative. ssongong andand dancedance themes.themes. Coming from small-town Almora in WitWithinhin a few years we cchangedhan McCann’s Uttarakhand, talking careers was not as aggres- THEHE MMENTORENTOR rreputationeputation and it started ggettinget known as sive a discussion as it is in families today. The met Sureshresh Mallik at OgilvyOgilvy a creative powerhouse. WWe also changed only thing that I recall was that I saw a lot of I India. HeHe had created Mile Sur CCokeoke from a ssong-and-dance music in my family since both my parents are Mera Tumharamhara, the famous ddrivenriven comcommunicatorm to a musicians-vocalists in Hindustani classical. musical odede to India’s storyteller with ‘Thanda I gradually developed a liking for music and unity in diversity.iversity. He MMatlabatlab CCocao Cola’. In the writing. I would circulate handwritten magazines was a greatat teacteacher,her, seconsecondd yyear of my join- in school, write short stories, jokes, satire and eccentric anandd a iing,ng, we won two golds poems. My childhood was full of inspirations maverick. He tootookk aatt CCannes.ann and a sense of freedom. This freedom was the an immensense lik-lik- key to my growth and I never allowed myself to ing for mmee and MANAGINGMA be imprisoned by a certain mindset or an image we connectednected n 2006, I became of myself. because ofof Itheth CEO when music. Hee used SSantoshan Desai left. EARLY DAYS to say: “WriteWrite I kknew taking this s I grew up, the pressure to go for science a script likeike a up would take Aand mathematics increased. I completed writer andd not awayaw my free- BSc in Physics from Meerut College and went a film direc-rec- domdo as a creative for an MBA from the Institute of Management tor. Writerite individual.in But if Technology. But I meandered. I had no clarity the way yourour I had to build a on what to do with my life. grandmotherther creativec culture, I used to write a lot of poetry, primarily in would tell you I had to take Hindi and Urdu. My first book was published a story.” thist chance. My when I was 17. But my father told me to do I learntnt ththee managementman back- something that would earn me a living. That was nuances ooff stosto-- groundgroun helped me. the time that I discovered advertising. I found rytelling from I have always advertising very interesting and started going him. Hee also believedbelieve in integrity, from door to door to find jobs at agencies. encourageded me honestyhonesty and consist- While studying for my MBA, I joined Trikaya to composeose mmyy ency.ency. I am not scared Grey (in 1990) as summer trainee in the servicing own jinglesles anandd of exposingexposin myself. As a team. In spite of that, I used to visit creative team sing my oownwn jinjin-- writerwriter you have to be hon- very often. By the time I finished, I had decided gles. He helpedhelped me est.est. MyMy writingwrit comes from that advertising is where I want to be, and that I direct my talent in the realreal life experiences.expe „ wanted to be in creative. right direction.tion. AsAs toldtold to Shibani Gharat

FOTOCORP

32,1762)9,(: Are We Ready to Pay for the Online Content? The debate continues. More publishers are experimenting with paid content models. Has the time to go pay arrived? By Sumantha Rathore

9,9(..+$11$ 68.,57,*837$ 9$5*+(6(&+$1'< Business Head, Mint CEO, MMI Online (JPL) Senior General Manager, Malayala Manorama SUSHIL KUMAR READERS ARE ALWAYS WILLING WE BELIEVE THAT IT IS STILL WHEN WEBSITES GAVE AWAY TO PAY FOR INTERESTING, TOO EARLY FOR INDIANS TO CONTENT FOR FREE – IN THE INSIGHTFUL AND EXCLUSIVE PAY FOR ONLINE CONTENT ON INITIAL DAYS OF THE DOTCOM CONTENT THAT THEY WANT, BUT THE WEB. AGE - THE PLAN WAS TO SUPPORT ARE UNABLE TO GET IT FREE. THE CONCEPT OF MICRO THE BUSINESS WITH The real challenge for publishers is payment - subscription money - is not there advertising revenue. not about changing the reader mindset on the online medium. We don’t have enough However, once the ad budgets dried but more about creating truly differenti- readers to pay for language content and the up, digital publishers who tried charg- ated content and delivering it seamlessly present subscription system does not yield ing for content found few takers. Users across all platforms. returns. would just go to another free website. At Mint, we are strongly committed Things can only change if we implement Since everything was given away for free to providing our readers with a clear and subscription on e-papers as an industry and in the beginning, the perception among comprehensive analysis of key local and not at an individual level. So, even if the top 10 users was that publishers themselves global issues that matter. Having estab- publishers come together it will serve the pur- don’t value their content and was not lished our print offering, we are now pose to a large extent. That’s the only way the worth paying for. The feeling continues putting a lot of emphasis on expanding problem can be tackled effectively. However, to linger. The truth is that creating and our digital portfolio. in mobile phones, the ecosystem is robust and publishing original content is expensive, In addition to our website, Livemint. the model for paid content is viable. be it online or on traditional media. com, we have launched apps for iPhone Most of the larger Indian publishers are This cost can’t be offset by advertis- and iPad, and we are always looking for ready with their digital strategy, whether it is ing alone. Many publishers have been more relevant initiatives. Since our read- for paid content or advertising supported sites experimenting with paywalls and combo ers value the uniqueness of our content, for the mobile phones. subscription packages, with varying we have started experimenting with paid degrees of success. More experimenta- content models - and our e-paper has tion may be required, and what works already gone paid. for a mainstream publication may not Overall, I believe publishers must work for a niche one. The key is to find continue to focus on content differen- the right balance between advertising tiation, invest in latest technology and and subscription revenue, as has been provide readers with content that they the case with most print publications and value. even cable TV.

42 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2012

1(:6',*,7$/ MTV Updating the Journey ‘Nano Drive with MTV’ is a reality show that captures the journey of four teams on a road trip on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. By Nisha Menon

TV, in association with Tata Nano, has launched M‘Nano Drive with MTV’, India’s first social streaming show featuring four teams on a 21-day road trip across the country. The show, which is in the form of a tweaked travelogue, will see each member of the winning team being awarded a Tata Nano. The show started on May 28. The show captures the journey of four teams from North, South, West and East on video that is streamed online primarily on social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The content is created by the contestants while on the trip in the form of blogs, videos, photo- graphs and even status updates and tweets, which they publish on their (clockwise) Duggirala, Bhattacharya, own profile pages using a tweaked Drive with MTV’s website and face- book page snapshots version of a phone application called Gotcubed. The app tracks and col- lates the conversation happening on various social com/watch?v=Mby6EhtBZvA, http://www.you- media platforms on to MTV’s official website and tube.com/watch?v=1qiI8DiOT8A). Facebook page. To make the show social in the true sense of the The winners will be decided on the basis of word, the teams have to travel on their respective the social engagement scores accumulated by each routes around India and complete the fun activi- team. The points are calculated on the basis of the ties set up for them. They have a fixed budget of social media engagement a team manages to gath- `4,000 per day, in which they have to figure out er. For example, one Like on Facebook will earn their food, stay and petrol. The format of the show a team one point. Ten comments on Facebook allows teams to reach out to friends, acquaintances convert into one point and one mention on micro- or even people who they have just met to help blogging site Twitter will get two points. them with lodging and other requirements, thus At the time of filing this report, all the teams creating a social connect not only limited to online had gathered more than 1,000 points each, media but spreads to every city that they visit. with the South team at over 1,800 points. The Commenting on the reason for choosing digital Facebook page for the property is also doing well, as a medium to execute and promote the show, The idea is to bring in reality in terms of people, touching 75,000 fans within two days of launch. Ekalavya Bhattacharya, head, digital, MTV, says, places, time, their relationship and movement. Videos of the teams’ journey, too, are available “The concept of a reality travel show goes beyond on Facebook and YouTube (http://www.youtube. just involving real people in a travel show format. FRQWLQXHGRQSDJH>>

352),/( _1(:6 BCCL ARIJIT RAY I CEO I DENTSU COMMUNICATION ([SORULQJ Team Player %HQJDO fessional account management - the Tentatively titled importance of client meeting reports, the values of responsiveness and expe- Amaar Shomaay (My rience of launching a brand.” Being a Times), the daily will be part of a start up team meant that each one shouldered more responsibility launched later this year. than usual. By Sumantha Rathore Rediffusion was about belonging and empowerment. “I started realiz- ennett Coleman and Co ing that I had the potential to do good (BCCL) is gearing up to things. At a time when there was tre- Blaunch a Bengali newspaper mendous churn, I stayed on for more from West Bengal. The daily, ten- than six years at a stretch.” tatively titled Amaar Shomaay (My In 1999, Ray moved to McCann Times), is expected to be launched Erickson, Delhi as an associate in September, as per the sources. account director. He led the Nescafe The sources also informed that business that launched the “Taste that gets you started out” communi- cation, integrating it into Nescafe’s then global communication platform ‘Open up’. He moved back to Rediffusion Delhi as account director in 2000. “As I was known as the cigarette guy, BCCL will resort to they called me back because at that point in time, they had won Four price slash strategy Square and it was the biggest brand of and come up with a GPI.” One day, he got a call from the head office and he was asked whether low priced variant. he would like to move to Kolkata, because Rediffusion’s Kolkata office the company plans to introduce the needed leadership. In 2001, he finally new daily only from Kolkata, as of decided to take the plunge and move now. Though there is no official con- to Kolkata as branch head. firmation about this, it is known that FOTOCORP In two-and-a-half years, Ray the new entrant will be launched to By Shibani Gharat turned the business from a one- compete with Anandabazar Patrika client operation to a stable 7-client (ABP), the leading daily of the state. rijit Ray loves the warmth operation, which included three big It is expected that BCCL will of the people in Kolkata, has “You have ‘Kolkata’ brands (Tata Steel, Keo resort to price slash strategy and Agreat friends in Delhi and to build Karpin hair oil and Birla Cement). “I come up with a low priced variant. has learned to adjust to the demand- got fantastic support from the team,” It is believed that the paper will be ing life in Mumbai. Ray finished his organisations says Ray. “That was when I under- priced somewhere between `2 and schooling from Bandel (a town 60 stood the power of building teams `3, similar to that of Aaj Kal and km from Kolkata) and the family with people. more than building offices.” Pratidin, as against ABP’s cover price moved to Delhi. “I did my B.Com Ray was also toying with the idea of `5 per copy. Honours from Bhagat Singh College. They are of going to Mumbai. In early 2004, Amaar Shomaay will be an all- My brother-in-law was at Contract he joined Ogilvy Mumbai as vice colour newspaper, whose content Advertising,” he says, referring to everything.” president and head of its Specialist mix will be on the lines of The how he got acquainted with advertis- Auto Practice Group, leading work Times of India, different from ABP’s ing as a career option. on brands Bajaj Pulsar and CEAT approach - which has a tilt towards Ray’s career began with the Delhi-based Alfred Tyres. He also led the team that launched one of the opinion-based coverage. Allan Advertising in the early ‘90s. “I wanted a summer most successful bikes, the Discover, where he led the As per the sources, “The latest job.” The manager liked Ray’s work and offered him a negotiation for Jackie Chan to endorse the brand. entrant will aim to give Kolkata a full time job, after he finished his summer training. “I He then moved to Saatchi & Saatchi in January new experience in the newspaper was hesitant as I was still studying,” recalls Ray. In 1992, 2005, as business head, Mumbai Operations. “At industry. There is a lot of scope for Triton Communications was being launched in Delhi. Saatchi, I had the privilege of working on roles I had the loyalty of the readers to be chal- “I joined their start-up team here.” He managed brands not done before. The role of telecom knowledge leader lenged in this market.” such as Geep Batteries, Salora TVs and Fax Machines helped me sharpen my brand stewardship skills.” This is not the first time that and Flury’s Tea and Confectionery Products. In 1993, Three years later, Ray joined Mudra as executive VP & TOI has launched a local language he moved to Rediffusion DY&R, working on brands head, Mudra West. “We had six-seven businesses when offering in West Bengal; the group such as Godfrey Phillips, Rothman’s, United Airlines, I joined. The brief that Madhukar Kamath gave me was already has two Bengali magazines Ericsson Mobiles, Canon Copiers and Singer Sewing clear: take this office to the next level.” He got several titled Aamar Somoy, a general inter- Machines. “My love was Godfrey Philips. I became the businesses like Lavassa and Economic Times - Power est magazine and Ami Udita, a key pioneer of cigarettes, although I never smoked.” of Ideas propelling Mudra to greater heights. „ women’s monthly magazine. „ At Triton, he picked up the “fundamentals of pro- [email protected] [email protected]

46 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2012

1(:60(',$ IPL FINAL Still a Force The fifth season of the tourney has averaged at 3.45 TVR, which is lower than the earlier four seasons. Despite the fluctuations, experts believe that IPL has still not lost its sheen. By Anindita Sarkar

here is no doubt that, this time, the Indian Premier League (IPL 5) sashayed with the “The popularity Tcontroversy crown. And yet, the predica- of both the teams ment that the controversy could further mar the cash-rich tourney’s finale viewership seems to - CSK and KKR, have worked otherwise. along with the According to TAM Sports (C&S 4+, All SRK star quotient India), the final match that took place between the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Kolkata Knight has helped.” Riders (KKR) on May 27, scored a TVR of 8.92. Indranil Das Blah Yes, the tourney may not have stirred the cricket-hungry nation’s zest with the same vigour versus Mumbai Indians) that took the cake with as it had done during its first three seasons, but the highest TVR of 10.48. when compared to the fourth, the game finale has But despite the fluctuations, media experts are surely fared well. The final match that took place “The finale of the view that IPL has still not lost its sheen. between the CSK and Royal Challenge Bangalore viewership of A top media executive who does not wish to be (RCB) on May 28, 2011 scored a TVR of 6.44. named says, “With this season, the IPL viewership Indranil Das Blah, chief operating officer, IPL 5 was has finally stabilised. There will not be any doubts KWAN, says, “While overall the fifth edition has chiefly driven by about IPL anymore and clients will be quite clear not performed as well as the previous ones, the Kolkata.” on what kind of ROIs are to be expected.” Compared to the earlier seasons, IPL 5 has NAVIN KHEMKA IPL 5 has earned the averaged at a lower rating of 3.45 TVR. In 2011, it had scored 3.51 TVR, while in 2010 and 2009, the highest reach among all SUSHIL KUMAR average stood at 4.65 TVR and 4.17 TVR, respec- was also a lot of star power presence on the field, tively. In the debut season, it rated 4.81 TVR. seasons. which helped drive up the final ratings,” he says. However, in terms of reach, IPL 5 has earned build up to the finals this season had been very Not to forget, when compared to the first three the highest numbers among the five seasons. As exciting. Add to it, the popularity of both the seasons, the final match score of IPL 5 is still at a per TAM Sports, DLF IPL 2012 has garnered a teams - CSK and KKR, along with the SRK star low. Consider this - in season 1 (2008), the tour- consolidated reach of 1,62,934,000 viewers. quotient, the audience viewership impact went on ney’s final match between CSK and Rajasthan During Season 1, IPL had reached out to to become quite positive.” Royals (RR) had scored 9.81 TVR, while during 1,02,414,000 viewers while in Season 2, it was Navin Khemka, managing partner, its second edition, the final match between Deccan 1,22,746,000. In Season 3, the tourney’s viewer- ZenithOptimedia, meanwhile, notes that the finale Chargers Hyderabad (DC) and RCB garnered ship reach was 1,43,692,000, while in Season 4 it viewership of IPL 5 was chiefly driven by Kolkata. 9.29 TVR. was 1,62,276,000. „ “The quality of the match was good and there Meanwhile, it was the third season finals (CSK [email protected]

SAMACHAR PLUS Atul Aggarwal, executive editor, Best News Company, confirms the development to afaqs! Reporter. The television network is being headed by More in the Pipeline Umesh Kumar, company director and editor-in- Best News Company plans to become a seven-channel network chief. Amitabh Agnihotry is the managing editor of Best News Company. by the end of 2013, this will include Hindi news channels and one religious channel. By Anindita Sarkar On June 15, the first chan- nel was launched under the est News Company, which plans to become a seven-channel network by the end of name, ‘Samachar Plus’. B2013, launched its first channel under the brand name Samachar Plus on June 15. The test It is pertinent to note here that Kumar is also signals for the channel were up from June 7. the managing editor of News Network of India While the first channel launch is targeted at (NNI), which runs as a separate independent news the Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal markets, the agency that provides news to leading newspapers following launches will be targeted at Rajasthan, and channels. Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, However, both Best News Company and NNI Punjab, Haryana, and the Delhi and NCR region. include six Hindi news channels and one religious will run as different entities. „ For the record, the seven-channel network will channel. [email protected]

48 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2012 1(:60(',$ GAON CONNECTION Rural Approach Being started as a pilot project, the Hindi newspaper will be initially introduced from Lucknow, Barabanki and Sitapur in Uttar Pradesh. By Sumantha Rathore

he rural population of Uttar Pradesh is all centres, and train computer teachers in the will have three set to get a newspaper made for them, by rural areas. The newspaper will be made main sections Tthem. Titled Gaon Connection, the Hindi available across the villages of the three - Gaon via weekly will be launched initially from the villages districts. It will also be distributed to Pradesh that will of three districts of the state, including Lucknow, marketing heads of have stories and Barabanki and Sitapur, in August. the companies, and columns of NRIs The weekly will be introduced as a pilot project mainstream media with a rural touch; with an initial print run of 50,000 copies and will for rural news ser- Gaon via Shehar have a cover price of `5 per copy. vice. that will talk about The 12-page broadsheet will be circulated in Explaining a lit- city dwellers who villages and will target the “rural readers who tle more about the have some connec- otherwise have no voice as well as those compa- project, Misra says, tion with the village nies which are interested to invest in these areas,” “The idea is to take life; and a Village says Neelesh Misra, editorial director, Gaon out the first issue our- Special section that Connection. While four pages of the newspaper selves, create a model, will cover interesting will be coloured, the rest will be black and white. and then scale it up. developments at the Gaon Connection will have a mix of employees We want to bridge the village level. from villages as well as urban areas. The news- rural-rural divide so vil- The media house conducted a survey last year across 3,000 homes in the villages of UP, where it “We want to bridge the found that villagers are willing to spend money, provided they are rural-rural divide so excited about the product. Gaon Connection’s Print Campaign villages can share best To promote the newspaper practices, knowledge and among the advertisers and general lages can share best public, the newspaper has launched an online information across rural practices, knowl- crowd sourcing campaign, where it asks people to communities.” edge and information send `500 a month or `6,000 a year to the com- NEELESH MISRA across rural commu- pany to help a rural reporter do a story. nities.” The newspaper plans to undertake a unique The newspaper distribution strategy to sell the physical version of the newspaper in the rural areas, that oth- paper will have a three-pronged strategy - while erwise do not have a very robust distribution there will be a physical version of the newspaper, The media house network. According to its plan, the organisa- there will also be a news wire service that will tion will tie up with pan shops, fertiliser shops, supply news stories from the villages to the main- conducted a survey schools and cart pullers to stock the newspaper. stream newspapers across the country. last year across Alsos, there will also be a travelling library, a The new venture is run by a 40-year-old jeep converted into a library, which will travel organisation called Bharitya Gramin Vidyalaya 3,000 homes in the on fixed routes, allowing people to read and buy Society and is a part of the Gaon Connection pro- the newspaper. „ ject that will have a newspaper, rural information villages of UP. [email protected]

<< FRQWLQXHGIURPSDJH The Nano Drive with MTV is pro- duced by The Glitch. Commenting on the concept, Varun Duggirala, co- Updating... founder and left brain, The Glitch, tells afaqs! Reporter, “We’ve always For this purpose, the show output in believed in having a strong social the form of a weekly episode or even aspect to digital content. There have a daily episode is redundant, as the been many travel blogs and shows content is old by the time it is seen but no one has tried to make the by the viewers. To bring real-time content and experience truly social. updates to the viewers from the trip So when MTV approached us to and have them consume this content, produce ‘Nano Drive with MTV’ we it is important to plug into a medium jumped at it. How often do you get which the viewer is plugged into all the opportunity to take something the time as well. This medium is groundbreaking and help push it a the internet, more specifically social notch higher?” „ media.” [email protected]

afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2012 49 1(:622+ BERKSHIRE INSURANCE Simple Solutions With more than 30 outdoor sites, the OOH campaign aims to promote the company’s service in Bengaluru. By Jhumur Nandi

erkshire Insurance, which offers online motor, travel and health insurance services, Blaunched its operations in Bengaluru for the first time. To create buzz around its services, the online insurance company rolled out an out -of-home (OOH) campaign in Bengaluru at over more than 30 outdoor sites. The creatives of the OOH campaign were sim- ple but done in an interesting way, using different colours along with funny messages that compare easy things with buying online insurance from Berkshire. Some of the messages read - ‘Easier than worshipping film stars like gods’, ‘Easier than hearing about a new scam every other day’, ‘Easier that seeing more software parks than public parks’ and many more.

group, allotting specific creative communication The creatives were simple but done interestingly using to be put up on that medium,” says Anil Vohra, managing director, Media Circle. different colours and funny messages. Siddharth Prasad, vice president - creative, Metal Communications, says, “We wanted to keep The creatives have been done by Metal was a launch campaign in the Bengaluru market, the feel of the communication light-hearted with Communications while the OOH campaign was our team, along with the client, had done a cou- a view to reinforce the message that insurance executed by Media Circle. The outdoor sites were ple of recces to understand the market and chose strategically placed at in high traffic areas. “As it strategically located media as per the defined target FRQWLQXHGRQSDJH>>

NICKELODEO N AND SONIC Rangers Ahoy! To bring the show close to the kids, the channel organised van and mall activations in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Mumbai. By Jhumur Nandi

ickelodeon and Sonic, the kid’s entertainment chan- Nnels from the Viacom18 stable, have brought in the red, blue streets of various JJune 9 at Infinity and green Power Ranger heroes to cities. Promoters MMall, Mumbai India to meet their fans in person. on the van organ-n- anand June 16 and 17 To promote the latest season ised contests and games at MGF Metropolitan of ‘Power Rangers Samurai’, high to engage the audiences. The van Mall, Saket, New Delhi. The red, decibel on-ground initiatives were travelled to cities such as Ghaziabad, blue and green Power Rangers were launched that included van and Meerut, Hapur, Sambhal, present at both the malls during mall activations. The van activation Moradabad, Bareilly, Aligarh, Agra, the activations. The rangers met kicked off from June 1 across 15 Farrukhabad, Allahabad, Varanasi, and engaged the audience, espe- cities in Uttar Pradesh, in which a Lucknow, Kanpur and Gorakhpur. cially kids, with various games and van branded with Power Rangers The mall activations, on the Samurai creatives traversed the Jaipuria: meet your heroes other hand, were scheduled on FRQWLQXHGRQSDJH>>

50 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2012 1(:63(23/(

A round up of some major people movements >> MOVEMENTS/APPOINTMENTS<< in the last fortnight

MAINLINE MEDIA he last fortnight was a bit quiet for the he media industry bustled with changes Tadvertising fraternity as there was not much Tin position in various companies. The movement. To start with, BMB India appointed first and the foremost being the appoint- Raj Nair as chief creative officer wherein he will ment of Deepak Lamba as president at Times create communication solutions for the brands Group. Lamba was the business head at to make them famous, regardless of the medium BloombergUTV for twenty eight months. used. Nair moved in from Contract Advertising Lamba will drive businesses for the new ven- where he was regional creative director. tures that the company plans to announce Anindya Banerjee was promoted as branch soon. head at Scarecrow, Delhi from his previous posi- In another development, Endemol India tion of executive creative director and creative appointed Abhishek Rege as chief operating RAJ NAIR DEEPAK LAMBA head of the Delhi office. Banerjee joined the officer (COO), television and Doris Dey as agency in April, 2011 from Law & Kenneth. fiction head. Both Rege and Dey will be based Meanwhile at Saatchi & Saatchi, Kavita Kailas in Mumbai. While Rege will report to Deepak Dhar, CEO, Endemol quit as vice president (VP), planning to start her India, Dey will report to Rege. As a part of Rege’s new mandate, own outfit. Kailas had joined the agency in June, he will be responsible for 2011. strategic operations specific Media agency Mindshare Asia Pacific has gone to the production of new in for a global as well as local re-structuring with shows across the coun- a new leadership team. Ashutosh Srivastava, chief try. Dey, meanwhile, will executive officer (CEO) Asia Pacific, Mindshare, drive the fiction proper- was promoted as chairman and chief executive ties and concepts. Earlier, officer for global emerging markets. He will also Rege was director, business be Mindshare’s new global leader for products ANINDYA BANERJEE operations, international business, Viacom18 Media. ABHISHEK REGE (L) AND DORIS DEY Dey moves in from Balaji Telefilms, where she had scripted shows like ‘Bade Achhe Lagte Hai’, ‘Kya Hua Tera Waada’, ‘Parichay’ and ‘Pavitra Rishta’. Meanwhile, Rajmohan Nair has joined India TV as president, network development. He will report to Ritu Dhawan, managing director and CEO, India TV. Earlier, Nair was vice- president, distribution, TV Today group. In his new role, Nair will take care of the distribution of the channel in the domestic market. He will ASHUTOSH SRIVASTAVA R GOWTHAMAN JAMES GREET also be responsible for all the international launches and expansion of the channel, and will or services and talent development. Srivastava will continue to be based in look after network development for India TV Singapore and will focus on emerging markets such as Russia, in addition and forthcoming group channels. RAJMOHAN NAIR to APAC. R Gowthaman, chief client officer at Meanwhile Ashish Sehgal had taken over the agency, has taken the role of CEO for South a new role as chief sales officer for the entire and Southeast Asia. He, too, will be based in bouquet of channels including Ten Sports. Singapore. While James Greet, CEO, Australia, Though there are no major changes in his has added Japan, Korea and New Zealand to responsibilities, Sehgal will now take care of his responsibilities, and will also be the APAC all the sales related activities in the domestic regional leader for talent. market for all the channels of the network, Nirvana Films’ Ram Subramanian joined apart from Zee News. Native Films as director and partner. Here, he Moreover Writemen Media’s Kannada partners with Prithvi Lutharia. He began his channel, Public TV has taken on board C K career in ad film direction at Nirvana Films. „ Harish Kumar as vice-president, sales and marketing. Earlier, Kumar was working with RAM SUBRAMANIAN C K HARISH KUMAR Suvarna News as associate vice-president. At Public TV, he will report to H R Ranganath, DIGITAL chairman and managing director. Kumar will be responsible for handling the expansion of WT has strengthened its digital arm by mak- the new projects. Jing several senior level appointments. The Network18’s Zubin Driver has put in his agency has roped in Sushobhan Chowdhury papers to start up his own theatre company. as vice-president, digital strategy, while Rahul Driver was chief executive officer, Cell18 and Kaul has joined as vice-president, digital tech- group creative director, Network18 for the nology. Prior to joining JWT, Chowdhury was past 11 years. Along with the theatre company employed with Leo Burnett East Africa as vice- Driver will also set up a separate production president and general manger. While Kaul was house for creative content that will cater to all with Sulekha.com. „ platforms including TV and films. „ ZUBIN DRIVER RAHUL KAUL

afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2012 51 1(:622+ CLUB MAHINDRA Fun-filled Holidays Club Mahindra brought Alex the Lion from the movie Madagascar 3 to interact with consumers by playing cricket with them. By Jhumur Nandi

holiday is all about exploring new things, Various games and contests were also organ- enjoying and relaxing with family and ised at the venue and participants were gifted Afriends. Madagascar branded goodies, Club Mahindra, a part of Mahindra Holidays & while the winners of the con- Resorts India, took the holiday experience close to tests recieved preview tickets of its consumers by engaging them with a fun-filled the movie. on-ground activation organised at malls. The mall activation started

The activation, organised in association with “The whole idea on May 26 and continued till the release of the the upcoming animated movie Madagascar 3, movie that was June 8. The on-ground activation involved a Madagascar zone created at malls. was to bring the was carried out at various malls in Delhi, Mumbai Character cut-outs were placed near the zone so holiday experi- and Bengaluru over the weekends. that the people visiting the zone can get their pic- Sarita Srikanth, head, marketing, Mahindra tures clicked with their favourite characters from ence on-ground Holidays & Resorts India, says, “The whole idea the movie. The highlight of the activation was to the is to bring the holiday experience offered by Club Alex the Lion, from the movie Madagascar 3, who consumers.” Mahindra on-ground to its consumers in a fun interacted with the people at the mall and played way. That is why we thought of doing it differ- cricket with the kids and their families. SARITA SRIKANTH FRQWLQXHGRQSDJH>>

<< FRQWLQXHGIURPSDJH Speaking on the initiative, Nina site on nickindia.com, as well Elavia Jaipuria, executive vice-presi- as on sonicgang.com for fans to enjoy Rangers... dent and general manager, Sonic and exclusive Power Rangers games Nickelodeon India, says, “We want- and downloadables and interactive also teach them some of their stunts. ed to make this summer vacation contests with prizes to be won as The kids were given Power Ranger memorable by getting the kids to well. goodies such as branded T-shirts and meet their heroes in person. For this, The campaign started on June 1 caps, and also got themselves clicked we have started a contest in which and will continue for four weeks. with the Samurai heroes. the winners can meet and spend However, the promos of the contest The channel also initiated a con- The contest was time with their favourite heroes. We are being aired on television chan- test for those who want to meet had promoted the contest through nels and on more than 100 screens the heroes personally. The contest, supported by 360 a wholesome marketing campaign, at McDonald’s outlets across North begun on May 20, was supported by wherein the on-ground activation India. Apart from meeting with the a 360 degree marketing campaign, degree campaign helped to engage the audience more super heroes, the contest winners ‘The Power Ranger’ Tour, which that included with the show.” also won other prizes like BlackBerry included television, radio, on-ground In addition, Power Rangers phones, iPads and PSPs. „ activations and digital platforms. all media. Samurai has a dedicated micro- [email protected]

52 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2012 1(:6%22.6

5HDGLQJ5RRP BIG CBS LOVE GAURAV GANDHI COO, Indiacast Setting the Box urrently, I am reading two books, Csimultaneously - Jim Morrison by The one-month long out of home campaign is Stephen Davis and Too Big To Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin. spread across 60 outdoor sites in Delhi, Mumbai Jim Morrison is a fascinating book for and Bengaluru. By Jhumur Nandi any Doors fan. The author is primarily a music journalist who began his career around the time when the band was gain- ing popularity. Too Big to Fail gives an in-the-room account of the men and women who led some of most powerful organiza- tions in the US and how the Wall Street meltdown of 2008 affected their lives. Sorkin is a news-breaking New York Times journalist. His sources and an ability to dig through facts provide insights into what went on behind the scenes. Of late, I have realized that books focusing on the hearts and souls that form the core leadership of large media and entertainment conglomerates catch my fancy more often. I have two absolute favourites when it comes to books, Disney War by James B. Stewart and Plan of Attack by Bob Woodward. The former is an absolutely brilliant tale of the battle of control of one of America’s leading media and entertainment companies. Disney is the company that made mice and ducks household names way before they made fairytales famous. Plan of Attack is a blow-by-blow account of the build-up to the Iraq war - after 9/11. One book aking advantage of the digiti- that I have been waiting to read is Sweet sation drive, Big CBS Love, Revenge - The Intimate Life of Simon Ta joint venture between Cowell by Tom Bower. I love to read Reliance Broadcast Network and about the characters that are the heroes or CBS Studios International, has villains in a story. There is no particular rolled out an out of home campaign, author that I am really fond of. At the end ‘Subscribe to Love on Your Set Top of the day, what matters to me is the build Box’, urging people to buy set top up to the story. „ boxes (STBs). As told to Raushni Bhagia The campaign creatives feature celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Priyanka Chopra, Tyra Banks, “We want to empower Carrie Bradshaw and many more, consumers with << FRQWLQXHGIURPSDJH for using Alex the Lion, Srikanth with a message ‘Don’t miss the information about says, “The movie is for the fam- divas!’. The pictures and the content ily and so are we. We are a product urge the audience to subscribe to a digitisation.” Fun-filled... that is enjoyed by the entire family. digital STB to see these divas. VISHAL RALLY ently from the regular activations Therefore, we tried to relate the fun About 60 outdoor sites have been and brought in Alex the Lion from part from the movie with our brand. used to spread the communication the movie Madagascar 3 to increase In the movie, Alex and his friends go message over different outdoor for- brand equity.” engagement with the consumers.” to different destinations and explore mats such as gantries, bus shelters, “We also use the platform to The objective of the activation places. Club Mahindra also provides pole kiosks, and Metro rail in Delhi. highlight our partners who are rid- was to position Club Mahindra as a offers to explore different places and Vishal Rally, business head, Big ing with us through this campaign. fun-brand that offers holiday experi- enjoy with their loved ones.” „ CBS Networks, says, “The cam- They include DTH players like ence in a fun way. Stating the reason [email protected] paign was launched on the back DEN, Reliance Digital TV, Airtel, of Reliance Broadcast Network’s Dish TV, Hathway, Sun Direct, successful campaign, ‘Choose Your Digicable and others,” Rally adds. Set-Top-Box wisely’ with a similar The campaign started on May << FRQWLQXHGIURPSDJH Bengaluru as there are mature online aim, which is to increase aware- 28 and will continue for one buyers. Therefore the objective was ness about digitisation and empower month across Delhi, Mumbai and Simple... to create awareness and build com- consumers with information, while Bengaluru. „ munication with the clients about enabling operators to build their [email protected] does not have to be a serious matter. the services offered by the company. That’s why we have designed the By executing the OOH campaign, creatives in an illustrative style using we focused to drive the TG which humour.” travels internationally due to person- To create high impact, large for- al or business purposes and people mat billboards and bus lit shelters who own cars, to visit our website were chosen. And more than 30 through our communication.” outdoor sites have been used for the The OOH campaign kicked off campaign. Arun Balakrishnan, chief on June 2 in Bengaluru and will con- executive officer (CEO), Berkshire tinue for 21 days. „ Insurance, says, “We targeted [email protected]

afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2012 53 -2%6:,7&+ JOBSWITCH Post: New Business Development Email: [email protected] account development & key account Manager / Executive (M/F) ...... management. Company: Thirsty Crows Advertising Post: Key Account Manager Exp: 3-8 Profile: Excellent grasp of business & Company: Matrix Direct Location: Mumbai negotiation skills. Should be in the Communication Pvt Ltd Email: [email protected] potential to walk-in with business in Profile: The main role is to create ...... hand. Acumen in preparing brief & and maintain relationship between Post: Brand Manager strategy for the creative & planning the agency and its clients. Prior Company: Bigshoebazaar India Pvt. team. Ability in closing deals in least experiance in an advertisement Ltd. attempts. Excellent communication agency or any media house is Profile: Accountable for branding & presentation skills. Ideally mandatory. of all the private labels-converting Candidates having great contacts Exp: 5-10 private labels into national and network. Responsible for Location: Kolkata Brands and closely dealing with branch sales & targets. Email: [email protected] merchandisers. Exp: 5 to 8 years of experience in ...... Exp: 2-7 advertising agency Post: Project Manager Location: Gurgaon Location: Hyderabad Company: Finedge India Pvt Ltd Email: [email protected] Email: shyam.thirstycrows@gmail. Profile: Applicant having experience ...... com in FMCG/ Promotions/ BTL Post: International Business ...... activities/ Logistics desired. Development Manager Post: Art Director/ Sr. Art Director Exp: 5-7 Company: CommissionEmpire LLC Company: Ray Adcomm Pvt Ltd Location: Delhi/NCR Profile: Will be responsible for Profile: 1. Meeting with the account Email: info@finedgeindia.com creating business with our existing management team to discuss the ...... US clients as well as will be looking client requirements Post: Business Development for new avenues of advertising. 2. Gaining an understanding of the Manager Exp: 2-6 target audience and business that Company: Sensations Marcom Pvt. Location: Delhi/NCR the advert is aimed at. Ltd. Email: Exp: Minimum 4-8 years Profile: Should have experience in [email protected] Location: Mumbai Event management company having ...... Email: [email protected] complete end to end knowledge of Post: Social Media Marketing ...... managing big events. Manager Post: Visualisers, Sr. Client Servicing Exp: 5-7 Company: HGS Interactive Executives, Copywriters Location: Delhi Profile: Experience in the social Company: Flowing ink Email: [email protected] media marketing domain should Communications Pvt Ltd ...... have strong expertise in various Profile: Visualisers, Sr. Client Post: Account Director social media marketing techniques. Servicing Executives, Copywriters Company: Candid Marketing Exp: 2-6 Exp: 2yrs Profile: Responsible for Client Location: Mumbai Location: Mumbai Relationship Management by Email: Email: resume@flowingink.net proposing customized brand [email protected] ...... activation solutions to client...... Post: Sr.Client Servicing Manager Exp: 4-9 Post: Manager - Client Service Company: Flags Communications Location: Mumbai Company: Collective Heads Pvt Ltd Email: [email protected] Profile: Events and communication Profile: Should be passionate about ...... professional with relevant advertising having an in-depth Post: Sr.Project Manager experience in handling events and understanding of ATL/BTL Company: United Business Media BTL projects should have worked communication. Profile: Any Graduate, MBA with large brand. TO ADVERTISE, CONTACT: Exp: 7-10 preferred will be responsible Exp: 2-6 Tejal Kantharia Location: Delhi for strategizing, developing and Location: Mumbai (Mumbai) Email: careers@ executing marketing activities to Email: [email protected] Ph: 09619442284 flagscommunications.com drive space selling for conference/ ...... Email: [email protected] ...... exhibition. Post: Asst.Sales Manager - Media Sidharth Chittur Post: Account Director- Sales & Exp: 3-8 Solutions (Bangalore) Marketing Location: Delhi Company: GETIT Infoservices Ltd. Ph: 09964091407 Email: [email protected] Company: RC&M Pvt Ltd Email: [email protected] Profile: Experience in sales Profile: Responsible for new ...... management should have strong [email protected] Business development with a good Post: Business Development understanding of customer and To view other jobs in Marketing, understanding of the Advertising or Manager- Exibitions market dynamics. Media and Advertising, log on to: BTL agency and generate new ideas/ Company: Craft World Events Pvt Exp: 2-6 http://jobs.afaqs.com services for the client. Ltd Location: Chennai Join us on : facebook.com/jobswitch Exp: 6-9 Profile: Will be responsible for Email: [email protected] Location: Mumbai Revenue generation through new ......

54 afaqs! Reporter, June 16-30, 2012

Why do 14 of the 15 leading travel-related companies advertise with Deccan Herald?

Because Deccan Herald readers make smart buying decisions.

Bangalore’s own newspaper Advertising and marketing budgets are becoming increasingly limited and more media buyers today are finding truth in the old adage ‘it’s not about counting how many you reach, but how many of those you reach, count.’ The affluent Deccan Herald readers (71% belong to SEC A&B) have demonstrated time and again that they are intelligent, responsive and the right target to help make your brand a household name throughout Karnataka. *Featured here are advertisements released in Deccan Herald. Integrating Media. Engaging Consumers.

;V \USVJR [OL WV^LY VM [OPZ NYV\W JHSS! :\KPW 5HN .4 (K]LY[PZLTLU[    )HUNHSVYL!4HUQ\SH4LUVU  5HNLZO/9     (UHU[OH 2YPZOUHU     +LSOP! +LLWHR 4LUVU     2VSRH[H! 7YHIHS +LI    *OLUUHP! ( = =PUVK )HI\     /`KLYHIHK! 9HTHJOHUKYH 9HV     4\TIHP! =PKPZOH 7O\RHU    www.deccanherald.com www.deccanheraldepaper.com ,THPS!HKZ'KLJJHUOLYHSKJVPU CDC Water