Rs 40 THE SPECIAL REPORT An analysis of the June 1-15, 2008 The fortnightly from afaqs! mobile marketing business in India 16 PROFILE Mohit Anand Making the transition from software to Channel [V]. 22 SPRITE Being Upfront How a consistent message worked like magic. 24 DEFINING MOMENTS Gullu Sen Anything can change your life, feels this adman. TV SHOWS The Power of Stars 12 WEBSITES Are details really everything? A report At Home 14 on whether execution in Indian PARLE MONACO advertising matches the idea. The Lighter Side 38 28 STAR COMIC BOOKS Animated in Print 38 The fortnightly from agencyfaqs! This fortnight... Volume III, Issue 21 he subject of this issue’s cover story has been provoked by the impending Cannes festival EDITOR T– but is not really about it. In the course of covering international awards, we have found Sreekant Khandekar that the quality of execution in Indian advertising keeps cropping up. The issue generally gets sidelined because the natural focus is the idea behind a campaign. PUBLISHER Prasanna Singh Craft and execution are not a pre-requisite for awards alone. It is the stuff of everyday advertising life, the very thing that can enhance the impact of an idea dramatically – EXECUTIVE EDITOR or wreck it, quite as easily. Happydent, Fevicol and Nike are three examples of the M Venkatesh delightful consequence when great idea meets great execution. CREATIVE CONSULTANTS We talk to creative directors, film makers and to clients to find out what the prob- PealiDezine lem is when it comes to execution. Is it about time? Money? Or simply about an LAYOUT Indian way of doing things? You may not like all that you read but it will make you Vinay Dominic look at an old issue afresh. LOGISTICS his issue also contains the first of many Special Reports that you will find in the Rajesh Kanwal magazine. The 24-page Special this time is on Mobile Marketing. With the T ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES mobile becoming ubiquitous, marketers have been slavering at the thought of reaching Hansika Koli millions of individual consumers through the small screen in their pocket. Noida: (0120) 4077834 However, just because everyone has a mobile does not mean that they want to hear 4077837 from marketers. In this, the personal nature of the mobile – its most attractive feature Gaurav Prabhu – is what gets in the way, raising rightful concerns about privacy. So, then, how can Mumbai: (022) 40429702-5 [email protected] marketers get mobile users to ask for their communication? The survey seeks to answer that by examining the array of options available. Marketing Office This issue will be also be available at ‘Mobile Conversations’, a day-long conference organ- B-3, First floor, Sector-4, ised by afaqs! where The Brand Reporter is a media partner. The event will be held on June Noida-201301. 13, 2008 at the ITC Sheraton, Saket, New Delhi. If you are interested, do log on to Tel: (0120) 4077800. www.afaqs.com and register. Mumbai 39, A to Z (Industrial) Premises Co-op Soc Ltd, Lower Parel, Mumbai - 400013. Tel: (022) 40429701-5. Sreekant Khandekar Subscription Enquiries Sakshi Kohli Tel: (0120) 4077837 Fan Following [email protected] The TVC story about Havells ES- Registered Office 50 fans, in a way, tries to highlight the $0;$0(6)$35 866' problem of high electricity bills faced $0'$-,0,0&.$8(.$-0$0'$(9 The Rat Race by people. And this TVC promises to (.+, < $0;$0 The article on entertainment ensure electricity saving by using (6)$35 866'$..4,*+654(5(48(' channels fighting it out for the top Havells Fans in a very comic style - 6+417*+1766+(914.'!(241'7&6,10,0 three positions made for an interest- saying that the fans are not only $0;/$00(49,6+1762(4/,55,10,5241 ing read. It shows how close the fight soothing but also save power. It’s an +,%,6(' 4,06('$0'27%.,5+('%; is and how much is at stake in attract- intelligent ad promoting the idea of "4((-$06+$0'(-$410%(+$.)1) ing eyeballs for the serials. At least energy saving along with marketing stiff competition forces the GECs to the product. $0;$0(6)$35 866'$6 think hard and come up with engag- Harris +!$6$0",0*+1/2.(:$9$.$ ing and entertaining fare. Though Mumbai (4,$4-(6 $5&+,/#,+$4 the questions of originality and qual- (9(.+, ity of the content still remain. Power of One 4,06('$6 $4$5))5(6 866' Because even a cursory look at these The article on single TV sets is one of No Help $4$,0$0'7564,$.4($ channels proves that more or less all the most innovative yet serious sub- The article ‘Learning to Win’ (The +$5((9(.+, Brand Reporter of them are dishing out content jects I have come across lately. You , May 16-31) about :&.75,8(',564,%76145,00',$ have indeed researched well to get packaged attractively, offering glitz the publicity campaign of Paanchvi Pass 0',$11-175( 866' the opinions of the experts. It gives a and glamour to the viewers. show was surprising. The publicist (9(.+, But things have started looking different insight into my kind of busi- has tried his best but the loose format 7/%$, different with exciting fare being ness - mobile marketing. The issue of of the show is the reason the show has 1.-$6$ dished out by channels like NDTV single handset in the same family failed, so what if SRK is the host. $0*$.14( Imagine and 9X. Hopefully, the entry rarely arises, so, marketers can selec- Radhika +(00$, of new players such as Colors will tively position brands adopting a Mumbai further heat up the GEC genre. Multi targeting approach. Chestha Arvind Mishra Cover Illustration via email Sr. Manager - Ad Sales (Mobile), Mauj Mobile Gogol The Brand Reporter, June 1-15, 2008 5 LEE COOPER ABN Amro> The bank has tied up with PayMate, mobile commerce company, to enable 4.6 lakh customers to enable s the English denim company, the expedition’s first destination mobile banking facilities to its customers. This alliance celebrates its centenary year would be Nice in France and the last provides all ABN AMRO India clients to experience ‘easy- A in August, it is sending 10 of London in UK, the home town of convenient-secure’ mode of making utility and online bill its consumers on a two-week world Lee Cooper. Backpackers will get an payments via mobile phones through a simple SMS. backpacking expedition - opportunity to shop at Lee Cooper Backpacking the Lee Cooper stores in The company is Videocon> The Expedition. London and Paris, visit electronics major is Shoppers, who make the landmark locations also planning its planning a major consumer a purchase of minimum like Champs Elysees and foray in the electronics retail foray across West Asia, Europe, Africa and of Rs 2,999 from any Lee the Eiffel Tower in Paris, mobile device Latin America under the brand name ‘‘VC’’ to raise global Cooper outlet would be run with bulls in market. revenue shares to 50 per cent by 2011. The foray is expected eligible for the Pamplona in Spain, to materialise in six months. Videocon already has acquired expedition through a attend the Bread and brands like Nordmende in the European markets. lucky draw. Butter Festival in The denim company Barcelona (Spain) and be DIAGEO> The Indian subsidiary of the liquor maker, is has tied up with The the first to enjoy the targeting sales of over Rs 4,155 crore in three years. The Backpackers Co which Panchal: enthusiastic Lee Cooper Centenary company expects most of its sales to come from premium specialises in taking year celebrations there, brands in the scotch, whiskey and malts segment. Two of its travellers on informal, laze around at the San strongest brands in India are Johnnie Walker and Smirnoff, low cost, informative Sebastian beaches which have nearly 90 per cent share in the premium scotch MARKETING and fun trips around the The (Spain), visit beautiful and vodka market. According to an official release, last year, world. Cannes, chill out with a Diageo India's sales rose 40 per cent. The activity will expedition is beer at Hard Rock Café finally culminate into in Paris, London and The shoes can be Crocs> The manufacturer of Lee Cooper’s comfort footwear has opened its the formation of the Barcelona. returned to the first concept store in India at Lee Cooper Backpackers way of The backpackers will store within 48 Phoenix Mills, Mumbai. Eight new Club - a clan of Lee celebrating be able to share their designs for Spring Summer 2008 Cooper loyalists and experiences of the trip hours if the its centennial customer is not and new summer colours in the backpacking enthusiasts. through interactive blogs classic five Crocs styles were Ameet Panchal, CEO, year. and videos. Lee Cooper satisfied with the introduced. The company has also launched a promotional 48- Lee Cooper (India), says, is keen on creating key quality. hour test drive campaign till June 16, 2008, which allows “We believe that this is a “Passion Groups” customers to try out all Crocs styles at the store for 48 hours great way to express the around three basic without obligation. virtues of Lee Cooper to tenets: Music, Sports and everyone. It will take Fashion. NOKIA> The leading mobile communications company in our proposition to a These “Passion India, has tied up with WWF-India, a wildlife conservation whole new level of Groups” will be organisation, to be involved in WWF-India’s Tiger conservation adventure and enthusiasm.” instrumental in creating the Lee programme.