Authors

Discovery is not just making great strides, but looking far beyond its current footprint as it sets its sights on connecting with the next generation, as Anurag Batra discovers in a conversation with Discovery Networks International CEO and President, Mark Hollinger.<br /> <a href=http://www.exchange4media.com/e4m/news/fullstory.asp?Section_id=6&amp;News_id=42148&amp;Tag=34642><b>Satisfying the Curiosity of Young Indians</b></a>

Rishi Vora May 17, 2011 3:22 PM

&nbsp;Today, the international footprint of Discovery is huge. Presence in more than 180 countries, 40 languages and more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers. It makes an interesting story as to how the network still thrives on the same idea that it was launched with, which is to provide new and refreshing content.

Rishi Vora May 17, 2011 9:51 AM

In a recent development, Maxus Global has decided to entrust additional responsibility on Managing Director Ajit Varghese. Varghese will now also run Maxus in the South Asian markets comprising Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, besides running Maxus and Motivator &ndash; the two GroupM brands in India.

Rishi Vora May 10, 2011 1:35 PM

Deciphering consumer behaviour has always been a challenge for markets, but if one were to follow Brain Science, this exercise would lead to many success stories, as Robin Wight, CEO, Engine, explains&hellip;

Rishi Vora Apr 11, 2011 8:58 AM

For Sir John Hegarty, fame and persuasion are important elements in brand building as he stresses on how brands need to be leaders and not mere followers.

Rishi Vora Apr 11, 2011 8:39 AM

Minus scandal, GoaFest 2011 was certainly shiny and happy and the cleaner and greener festival that Festival Chair Lynn de Souza had vouched for. Rules were adhered to, advertising was celebrated and aspirations were created &ndash; a look at all that was noteworthy at GoaFest this year&hellip;

Rishi Vora Apr 11, 2011 8:37 AM

Display ads are set to witness tremendous growth, says Rajan Anandan, Managing Director, Google India, as he lists the factors fueling this growth and where Google fits in.

Rishi Vora Apr 9, 2011 8:56 AM

Deliberating on the future of advertising in light of accelerating growth, Indian ad industry honchos highlight the key challenges and opportunities ahead&hellip;

Rishi Vora Apr 8, 2011 9:07 AM

Marketing has over the years evolved beyond the traditional 4Ps. Delivering the keynote at the Mumbai round of the Pitch CMO Summit 2010 on November 16, Sanjay Behl, CEO, Reliance Big TV, delved upon the more contemporary approach of marketing today and demystified the concept of Marketing 3.0&hellip;

Rishi Vora Nov 17, 2010 7:24 AM

Leo Burnett has been successfully applying its unique &lsquo;HumanKind&rsquo; approach in the process of re-defining the nature of advertising. Highlighting how Leo Burnett puts &lsquo;people&rsquo; in the centre of all that it does is Leo Burnett Chairman and Global CEO Tom Bernadin&rsquo;s book titled &lsquo;Human-Kind&rsquo;, with Chief Creative Officer Mark Tutssel.

Rishi Vora Nov 11, 2010 7:23 AM

Havas Sports, the sports marketing arm of the Havas Group, which is fairly active in India during cricketing events &ndash; particularly IPL, is all geared up to take bigger strides and cash-in on the growth opportunities, not only in cricket, but in other events as well.

Rishi Vora Oct 13, 2010 8:20 AM

Social media has caught on in a big way all over the world, but how can brand managers and advertising agencies cash in on this growing segment? Can it become the centre of digital communications? How does one measure social media? These issues were addressed at a panel discussion on Social Media, which was part of the Knowledge and Learning Seminar on Day 3 at GoaFest 2010.

Rishi Vora Apr 12, 2010 8:44 AM

Much has been said and written about India and China being markets of great importance for global brands and advertising networks, both in terms of size and scope. But where does India exactly stand vis-à-vis China? Tom Doctoroff, CEO, JWT China, gave some interesting insights into the Chines market in his keynote address – ‘Shadow and Light’.

Rishi Vora Apr 9, 2010 8:53 AM

In a recent development, the Board of Directors for BBDO India and RK Swamy BBDO came to a consensus that allows RK Swamy BBDO to exercise a ‘significant minority’ stake in BBDO India. According to sources in the know, it is understood that RK Swamy BBDO will now have about 35 per cent shareholding in BBDO India, up nearly 15 per cent.

Rishi Vora Feb 15, 2010 4:19 AM

‘Do magazines give a better ROI’ saw Ambika Srivastava and Shashi Sinha speak at length on several pertinent issues such as Do magazines help deliver scale? Do they help optimise media plan? The role of creativity in delivering ROI, etc. The two media stalwarts were speaking at the two-day Indian Magazine Congress 2009 that concluded in the Capital on November 6.

Rishi Vora Nov 7, 2009 9:27 AM

Traditionally, television forms a major portion of the advertiser’s media plan. So, how do magazines help reach audiences that advertisers look for, and at the same time ensure ROI? What uniqueness do magazines offer that other mediums don’t? The session on ‘Successful case studies of magazine advertising’ sought to answer these questions on Day two of the Indian Magazine Congress 2009.

Rishi Vora Nov 7, 2009 9:26 AM

‘Content is King and will always remain the king,’ asserted the panelists in one voice at the session on ‘Is content the king even in troubled times?’ at the Indian Magazine Congress (IMC) 2009. Paranjoy Guha Thakurta moderated the session, while the panelists included Ajit Balakrishnan, Tarun Tejpal and Vinod Mehta. <br> <a href=http://www.exchange4media.com/e4m/news/fullstory.asp?section_id=5&news_id=36375&tag=32388&pict=4 target= _blank><b>IMC 2009: Licensing magazine brands in a new world order</b></a> <br> <a href=http://www.exchange4media.com/e4m/news/fullstory.asp?section_id=5&news_id=36377&tag=32392&pict=4 target= _blank><b>IMC 2009: Paving the road ahead for language publications</b></a> <br> <a href=http://www.exchange4media.com/e4m/news/fullstory.asp?section_id=5&news_id=36374&tag=32385&pict=5 target= _blank><b>IMC 2009: Leveraging the digital media</b></a>

Rishi Vora Nov 6, 2009 9:02 AM

Day one of the Indian Magazine Congress (IMC) 2009, being held in Delhi on November 5-6, commenced with a welcome address by Outlook Group’s Maheshwer Peri. His address was followed by a thought-provoking presentation by Nishant Singhal of PricewaterhouseCoopers, who deliberated on the growth aspects of the Indian magazine landscape.

Rishi Vora Nov 6, 2009 7:41 AM

Recession or no-recession, magazines in India will continue to increase in numbers despite many experts having spelled doomsday for print as a medium in the past. This was the point that Chris Llewellyn, President and CEO, FIPP stressed on in his special address at the fifth edition of the Indian Magazine Congress (IMC).

Rishi Vora Nov 6, 2009 7:40 AM

Colors’ ‘Fear Factor Khatron Ke Khiladi Level 2’ has hit the small screen and the channel is leaving no stone unturned to market the reality show, exploring, what the channel claims, the least likely modes of communication to reach out to the viewers. “It’s a round-the-clock marketing campaign,” says Rameet Arora, Head of Marketing, Colors.

Rishi Vora Sep 9, 2009 8:12 AM

“India is surely impacted by the recession. However, at the time when the recession started, the general feeling out here was of optimism that India is resistant or immune to global recessions,” observed Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO, WPP, at a press meet in Mumbai. He is, however, optimistic about 2010 being a promising year for advertising, media and public relations.

Rishi Vora Sep 7, 2009 8:23 AM

Opportunities exist, even in times of slowdown. This is what the distinguished panel at the fourth exchange4media Conclave, held in Mumbai on June 3, emphasised. The panel comprised Vikram Sakhuja, Sam Balsara, Ambika Srivastava, Rajesh Kamat, Chinatamani Rao, Aashish Bagga, and Neeraj Chandra. The day-long Conclave was presented by Star News and powered by Hindustan Times. Yuva was the associate sponsor for the event.

Rishi Vora Jun 4, 2009 9:12 AM

Speaking at the exchange4media Conclave 2009 in Mumbai on June 3, Andrew Rashbass, CEO, The Economist Group, defined ‘Mass Intelligence’ as a key demographic that The Economist targeted. According to him, ‘Mass Intelligence’ as an audience was growing in India, which had led to the magazine’s growth in India.

Rishi Vora Jun 4, 2009 8:55 AM

In a first ever initiative with the Election Commission of India, the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) is examining the possibilities of doing a pro-bono campaign to urge the citizens of India, especially the youth, to step out and vote.

Rishi Vora Mar 10, 2009 8:35 AM

Day two of the Indian Magazine Congress, held in Mumbai on September 23, started off with a keynote address by Dr Torsten-Joern Klein, member of the executive board and President, G+J international. While he was upbeat about the magazine industry in India, he sounded a cautious note while speaking about international trends.

Rishi Vora Sep 24, 2008 9:27 AM

The fourth Indian Magazine Congress got off to a promising start in Mumbai on September 22. Sushma Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, addressed various issues concerning the magazine industry and said that the Government was in process of taking certain decisions that would benefit the industry.

Rishi Vora Sep 23, 2008 10:06 AM

The finalists at the New York Festival 2008 awards have been announced, and India has secured a total of 34 entries in this list. At 21, Leo Burnett has the highest finalists among Indian agencies. Euro RSCG is a distant second with six. The awards ceremony will take place on June 30.

Rishi Vora Jun 2, 2008 8:55 AM

Television as a medium has evolved, and so have the expectations of clients who want better promos that yield results. Day two of the Promax|BDA India 2008 conference at Mumbai saw insightful tips from international experts, who unveiled the secrets, the rules, and the intricacies of the business of communication on television.

Rishi Vora May 30, 2008 8:48 AM

The afternoon sessions of the two-day Promax|BDA India 2008 conference in Mumbai saw experts discussing ‘pro-volution’ in the media industry. The mantra suggested by the experts was to up the creative quotient while embracing newer technologies. The event, which the experts say is a great learning tool for advertisers, agencies and production houses, showcased some of the finest pieces of work produced in the world.

Rishi Vora May 29, 2008 9:30 AM

Cricket and Bollywood are surefire ways to attract attention in India. And tapping into the craze for these two is Zapak Digital Entertainment, part of the Reliance ADA Group. After launching a slew of games based on the ongoing IPL T20 Tournament, Zapak has now launched a multimedia campaign to grab a larger share of online gaming space.

Rishi Vora May 29, 2008 9:00 AM

The current readership survey methodologies in India have raised several eyebrows, with many publishers questioning the authenticity of these surveys. Research is not a subject that everyone agrees on, especially people whose business prosperity depends on the results, but research methodology in India is the same that was around a couple of decades back. Now, that is a problem.

Rishi Vora May 27, 2008 8:03 AM

From a salty-snacky proposition, Monaco has gone nice and naughty with Aamir Khan and his ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ style cool and smart act. Conceptualised by Everest Brand Solutions, the biscuit brand from Parle Product Ltd has associated with Khan in a bid to re-position Monaco with more focus on the consumer.

Rishi Vora May 23, 2008 8:20 AM

Shankar Rao Shinde, Marketing Head of the Indian Express Group, has put in his papers. Shinde could not be contacted at the time of filing this report, but sources close to this development have confirmed the news. Though it couldn’t be ascertained where he is headed next, it is known that he is moving on from the media industry.

Rishi Vora May 22, 2008 8:22 AM

Abhay Desai has joined youth paper Yuva as CEO. Desai moves from DNA, where he was in charge of Sales and Marketing for the northern region. He had also closely worked with Suresh Balakrishnan in launching DNA.

Rishi Vora May 14, 2008 8:43 AM

Sport 18, a division of Network 18 Media and Investments, has been appointed to handle the marketing of Volvo Ocean Race India stopover by the Consortium of the Cochin Port Trust and Kerala Tourism. The agency will market and mange this sport when the race touches the Kochi port in December 2008.

Rishi Vora May 13, 2008 8:30 AM

The Times of India’s Lead India campaign bagged ‘Best of Show’ award, while Mid-Day won first place in the ‘Print Advertising Sales Retention’ category for its initiative titled ‘Media Nights at Hard Rock Café’ at the 73rd Annual INMA Awards. The winners were announced on May 7, 2008 at the INMA World Congress in Beverly Hills.

Rishi Vora May 13, 2008 8:29 AM

Winners of the 11th annual One Show Interactive Awards, which form part of the One Show Festival Week, have been announced. And India has drawn a blank this year, barring a merit award, despite having 31 entries. Sweden tops the list with a total of 12 Pencils, followed by Japan and Germany with 11 and seven Pencils, respectively.

Rishi Vora May 12, 2008 8:25 AM

The winners’ list of the prestigious One Show 2008 awards is finally out. Out of a total of 15 Indian entries in the final round, O&M is the only agency to have won a Pencil. The agency has won a Bronze for its work ‘Stomach’ for client GlaxoSmithKline under the Posters - Campaign category. Other agencies that were in the finals at this year’s One Show awards are Rediffusion DYR, Leo Burnett, JWT and Meridian Communication.

Rishi Vora May 9, 2008 8:41 AM

Zee News has unveiled its new positioning with the focus on ‘bringing life to Hindi journalism on television’. From the earlier tagline of ‘Haqeeqat Jaisi Khabar Vaisi’, the channel has now progressed to a more contemplative mode with ‘Zara Sochiye’. The channels also sports a new look from May 8.

Rishi Vora May 9, 2008 8:30 AM

One Show 2008 finalists have been announced. This year, 15 Indian entries have made it to the finalists’ list of the total 507 entries that India had sent in. O&M leads with five entries, followed by Rediffusion DY&R and Leo Burnett with four entries each. JWT and Meridian Communications have one entry each in the finalists’ list.

Rishi Vora May 7, 2008 7:56 AM

Bhaskar Group is all set to launch its Hindi business daily with Yatish Rajawat, formerly of Businessworld, as Editor. Rajiv Jaitly, President, Ad Sales, Dainik Bhaskar, has confirmed that the Group is in the process of launching a Hindi business daily, but refused to divulge further details. According to industry sources, the paper would be launched soon with an initial print run of 2 lakh copies.

Rishi Vora May 1, 2008 8:14 AM

HPCL has empanelled Leo Burnett, Mudra and JWT to handle its entire communication mix. Earlier this year, HPCL had called for a pitch for which 10 agencies were contacted. Following the pitch, JWT and Mudra were retained, while Leo Burnett replaced O&M among the empanelled agencies.

Rishi Vora Apr 29, 2008 8:06 AM

Wire & Wireless, the a cable television company of Zee Network Enterprise, which currently has its services in Mumbai, Delhi, Lucknow and Ludhiana, has strengthened its presence by recently rolling out their services in Bangalore. Given the expansion plans, Wire & Wireless has felt the need to present its SITI brand in different manner and has embarked on a re-branding exercise.

Rishi Vora Apr 24, 2008 8:06 AM

Sanjay Sipahimalani, popularly known as Sanjay ‘Sippy’ in the industry, has put in his papers at Vyas Giannetti Creative as Executive Creative Director. Confirming the news, Sippy has said that he is joining Bates David Enterprise in a similar capacity.

Rishi Vora Apr 23, 2008 7:46 AM

The inaugural DLF IPL Tournament got off to a spectacular start. Given the huge stakes involved, the League is being keenly observed by advertising and media professionals. In order to better understand the Twenty20 format and IPL, TAM Media Research has come up with some data reflecting the latest trends in viewership pattern of cricket in India.

Rishi Vora Apr 21, 2008 8:05 AM

The One Show 2008 shortlist has been announced. The shortlist is a semi-finalist list. India’s prospects look better this year with 38 entries across 18 categories making it to this semi-finalist list. In all, 11 Indian agencies have made it to the shortlist. Last year at the One Show, though India’s Contract Advertising had won a Pencil, on an overall basis there wasn’t much to cheer about.

Rishi Vora Apr 16, 2008 8:35 AM

Ranjit Rajshekhar, Head of Marketing, Neo Sports, has put in his papers. He had joined Neo Sports in September 2006 and was instrumental in launching the brand. At Neo Sports, he was reporting to Shashi Kalathil, but after Kalathil left the company, Rajshekhar was reporting to Harish Thawani, Chairman of the company.

Rishi Vora Apr 16, 2008 8:16 AM

The Gunn Report for Media has been released and India is placed at a high 5th position after the US, the UK, Germany and Spain. Indian media agencies have fared much better than the creative agencies as per the Gunn Report 2007, which places India at the 14th position.

Rishi Vora Apr 11, 2008 8:10 AM

‘BBC Good Homes’, a UK-based magazine, has been launched in India by Worldwide Media. The Indian edition will target the urban homemaker and would be high on décor and style, with a pulse on home interiors and lifestyle.

Rishi Vora Apr 9, 2008 8:04 AM

Creative ideas have no boundaries, they can strike anytime, and to anybody and at any place. A great idea can give brands the required impetus to explore new heights. This was what Steven Gatfield, CEO, Lowe Worldwide, had to share in his session at GoaFest 2008.

Rishi Vora Apr 7, 2008 8:07 AM

Day three at GoaFest 2008 saw some more international advertising experts share their gyan and gumption. And amid all the fun and frolic, they managed to capture the audience’s attention. On such expert was Shiela Byfield, Global Director-Insights, Mindshare Worldwide, who talked about the ‘Bluring Effect’ of the media landscape as a trend happening across the world.

Rishi Vora Apr 7, 2008 8:05 AM

The first day of GoaFest 2008 saw some fun, frolic along with some insightful thoughts from well-known names from the world of international advertising. One speaker that enthralled who gathering was Kevin Swanepoel, President, One Club, who took the audience through one of the best pieces of work produced for the Internet in both viral and banner advertising.

Rishi Vora Apr 5, 2008 8:45 AM

It’s a common phenomenon in the Indian advertising and media industry that value options are delivered differently at the same time on the same media. Well-known industry names such as Paritosh Joshi of Star India, R Gowthaman of Mindshare, Tarun Katial of Big FM, Pearl Uppal of Yahoo!, and Hemant Malik of ITC constituted the panel that discussed issues regarding costs and measurement metrics.

Rishi Vora Apr 4, 2008 7:58 AM

Brand and the value proposition; quantifying the worth of an idea; and market prioritisation were some of the issues addressed at the Advertising Conclave at GoaFest 2008. Eminent names like Saugata Gupta of Marico, Lowe’s Balki, Sameer Nair of NDTV Imagine, Vikram Sakhuja of GroupM and Madhukar Kamath, President, AAAI deliberated on these issues and more during the session.

Rishi Vora Apr 4, 2008 7:57 AM

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has recently announced new guidelines on advertisement for automotive vehicles. The decision to bring these guidelines has come following the numerous complaints received by the advertising body about ads featuring dangerous and unsafe driving.

Rishi Vora Mar 31, 2008 7:58 AM

Abby Awards at GoaFest 2008 has seen an upsurge in the quality of all entries except for ‘Radio and Radio Craft’ category. Though the exact number of entries in the respective categories could not be ascertained, it is known that out of a total of 3,800 entries, over 1,200 are for ‘Print and Print Category’, and around 1,300 for OOH. There are around 185 entries for ‘Films’ and 380 entries for the Radio category.

Rishi Vora Mar 31, 2008 7:57 AM

IPL. ICL, cricket and some more cricket dominated the session on ‘Sports: The big entertainment options’. First came Kerry Packer’s so-called ‘Pyjama Cricket’, then day and night matches, and now the Twenty20 format. From a serious game, cricket is increasingly assuming an entertainment format. The sparring by Ajay Jadeja and Lalit Modi further enlivened a lively discussion.

Rishi Vora Mar 28, 2008 11:50 AM

IPL. ICL, cricket and some more cricket dominated the session on ‘Sports: The big entertainment options’. First came Kerry Packer’s so-called ‘Pyjama Cricket’, then day and night matches, and now the Twenty20 format. From a serious game, cricket is increasingly assuming an entertainment format. The sparring by Ajay Jadeja and Lalit Modi further enlivened a lively discussion.

Rishi Vora Mar 27, 2008 5:08 PM

What’s holding back the domestic film and entertainment industry from competing with the best in the word when it comes to post-production aspects like visual effects, 3D content, animation, etc? Is it the lack of talent pool or is it the lack of saleable content? Whatever be the reasons, the fact is that post-production is an area that the domestic industry needs some catching up, if it is compete with the West.

Rishi Vora Mar 27, 2008 5:07 PM

When successful Indian filmmakers took the dais at Day 2 of FICCI Frames 2008, several questions were raised on what works the best in filmmaking. The only answer that came up from the overly-heated discussion was that the business of filmmaking is intricate, and that nobody knows what works the best at the Box Office.

Rishi Vora Mar 26, 2008 7:31 PM

‘Freedom is the lifeblood of entertainment and media, it is our breath, and we shall protect it from dying’: the ever-effervescent Mahesh Bhatt with his take on freedom of speech and expression. ‘Media and Entertainment guys must abjure social responsibilities and stick to what they know best, because the decisions that government officials take are often hypocritical’, thus spake Pritish Nandy. And the debate continues.

Rishi Vora Mar 26, 2008 7:30 PM

FICCI Frames 2008 took off on a strong note in Mumbai on March 25. Yash Chopra and Kunal Dasgupta set the tone for the Forum by taking up several issues at the inaugural session. Topping every discussion was the rating system and the menace of piracy as well as the contentious issue of censorship.

Rishi Vora Mar 26, 2008 8:17 AM

There have been several instances in the past when editors of Indian News channels have been stuck between taking a call whether to relay news that lack wisdom but guarantee a high viewership. In their race to be one up, are News channels compromising content with sensationalism?

Rishi Vora Mar 25, 2008 6:26 PM

With AAAI and the Ad Club coming together this year for a single advertising festival, the industry is all agog with excitement over GoaFest 2008. However, Lowe and McCann Erickson have stayed away from GoaFest this year. Would their absence make any difference or would the Festival go ahead with all the gaiety and business of advertising associated with it? exchange4media asks ad honchos.

Rishi Vora Mar 25, 2008 7:58 AM

The Indian Entertainment and Media (E&M) industry, which has been showing a steady growth, is poised for a bigger leap now with digilatisation and convergence being adopted in a big way.

Rishi Vora Mar 24, 2008 4:18 PM

GoaFest 2008 has been providing a platform for young and talented creatives to learn, hone their skills, and interact with industry veterans. The Festival has a special package to attract young talent, and since last year, it has had reasonable success in doing so. But apart from GoaFest, what is the industry doing to motivate and nurture young talent?

Rishi Vora Mar 17, 2008 8:24 AM

The second session of the exchange4media Conclave 2008, held in Mumbai on March 13, saw eminent speakers give insightful views on the role of the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) and the industry expectations from other measurement bodies. The panelists included LV Krishnan of TAM, Paritosh Joshi of Star India, and Dilip Venkatraman, Chief Marketing Officer - IBN Network and COO - IBN Focus. Sam Balsara was the moderator of the session.

Rishi Vora Mar 14, 2008 8:01 AM

With less than a month to go, frenetic preparations are on for GoaFest 2008. Over 3,000 people are expected to attend the festival this year. The Abby Awards have also generated a lot of interest this year following the coming together of AAAI and the Bombay Ad Club. And GoaFest Chairman Jagdip Bakshi has asserted that there was no scope for duplication now with a single advertising award show.

Rishi Vora Mar 11, 2008 8:06 AM

In the recently concluded Ad Review 2008, organized by the Bombay Ad Club, Sonal Dabral, Chairman of Bates David Enterprise India & regional Creative Director Asia Pacific, took on the reins to review some of the finest pieces of television commercials produced in India. Dabral urged Indian advertising leaders to look for best of the resources in the world in order to have an impact globally.

Rishi Vora Mar 10, 2008 7:28 AM

The finalists of the Global International Newspaper Marketing Association Awards (INMA) have been announced, and The Times of India and Mid-Day are the only Indian publications that feature among the finalists. Winners would be announced on May 9, 2008.

Rishi Vora Mar 6, 2008 6:58 AM

World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) and Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA) jointly held the Global Advertiser Conference in Mumbai on March 5, 2008. With the theme of ‘Effective Consumer Engagement’, the Conference had eminent speakers from marketing and advertising fraternity discuss ways to effectively engage the new age consumer.

Rishi Vora Mar 6, 2008 6:53 AM

Product Of The Year (POY), an independent survey into product innovation, has forayed into India. The concept, which is currently running in 28 countries for the last 20 years, seeks to empower consumers towards best in innovation.

Rishi Vora Feb 29, 2008 7:47 AM

The Bombay Ad Club’s annual Advertising Review is all set to kick off on March 7, 2008. Sonal Dabral, Regional Executive Creative Director, Asia Pacific, and India Chairman, Bates David Enterprise, would be taking charge of the event along with a ‘mystery’ speaker. The event would comprise a panel discussion moderated by CNBC TV18’s Anuradha Sengupta.

Rishi Vora Feb 28, 2008 6:58 AM

Atul Hedge, COO, Vyas Giannetti Creative has put in his papers. Even as official comments couldn’t be ascertained at the time of filing the report, sources close to the development informed that the internal announcement on his move was made earlier today.

Rishi Vora Feb 27, 2008 7:22 AM

This news is going to gladden the hearts of many a music lover. ‘Rolling Stone’, the widely-read music magazine from the US, is all set to launch an Indian edition on February 27, 2008. The monthly magazine would be priced at Rs 100 and published by Mumbai-based MW.Com India Pvt Ltd under license from Wenner Media LLC.

Rishi Vora Feb 26, 2008 6:58 AM

There is still time for Goafest 2008 to kick off on April 3, but Contract Advertising, the creative agency handling the Festival account, is losing no time in rolling out a campaign to create the right buzz. Contract had bagged the account following a multi-agency pitch that also involved JWT and Euro RSCG.

Rishi Vora Feb 26, 2008 6:54 AM

The Economist has rolled out a new outdoor and print campaign to boost its circulation in India from the current 17,000 to 50,000 copies. The campaign has an ad spend of around Rs 3 crore and addresses the intelligent quotient of its readers. O&M is the creative agency on the account.

Rishi Vora Feb 21, 2008 6:24 AM

‘Futures trading’ and ‘commodities exchange’ are terms that usually interest traders and not ad agencies. But this changed when MCX (Multi Commodity Exchange of India Ltd) decided to assign its creative duties to Lowe a year back. The commercial, which is already on air, simplifies ‘commodities exchange’ as a category and increases brand saliency for brand MCX.

Rishi Vora Feb 15, 2008 7:01 AM

Leo Burnett’s specialist design cell, which was set up six months ago, already has some big names in its kitty, including Coca-Cola, Heinz and Reliance. The cell, which operates under the Leo Burnett name, has strengthened the agency’s presence in the design and branding space. The design team comprises five designers led by Sachin Bavkar.

Rishi Vora Feb 15, 2008 6:55 AM

Mid-Day Multimedia has revealed its plans to expand its reach and have a national presence. The company has also taken concrete steps to raise funds for this expansion. According to Manajit Ghoshal, Chief Financial Officer, Mid-Day Multimedia, the source of funds would be both domestic and foreign investors.

Rishi Vora Feb 13, 2008 6:55 AM

ITC has forayed into the soaps segment with the launch of Fiama Skinsense Soft green soap in India. The company has appointed Law & Kenneth as the creative agency for the product for which the ad spends are estimated to be around Rs 20 crore. The campaign, for which Deepika Padukone has been signed on as brand ambassador, will be rolled out by the end of this week.

Rishi Vora Feb 6, 2008 6:36 AM

Law & Kenneth has won the creative duties of Bharti Enterprises’ venture into mutual funds. The account size is estimated to be upwards of Rs 15 core. Officials close to the development have confirmed this news and said that a total of four agencies were called for the pitch.

Rishi Vora Feb 5, 2008 6:42 AM

ICICI Prudential’s new tax saving campaign sees its mascot Chintamani in a new avatar – that of a cricketer. ICICI Prudential’s ‘common man’ who had endeared himself to the entire nation while trying to shed his tax burden, this time tries to give his 100 per cent on the field to promote a plan that provides the benefit of 100 per cent premium allocation.

Rishi Vora Jan 31, 2008 7:01 AM

Bhaskar Group has taken the first concrete steps in their plans to tap the market with an IPO. The Group has come out with a prospectus for the IPO, which indicates an issue size of 18,800,000 equity shares all cash for Rs 10 each. The issue will constitute 10.02 per cent of the fully-diluted post issue paid-up capital of the company.

Rishi Vora Jan 29, 2008 6:51 AM

The much awaited Padma Awards for 2008 have been announced. Three well-known media personalities figure in this year’s Padma Shri awardees’ list – Rajdeep Sardesai (GBN), Vinod Dua and Barkha Dutt (both NDTV).

Rishi Vora Jan 26, 2008 6:30 AM

Vogue India has launched its first ever Catwalk Report, a comprehensive fashion report spanning four main fashion capitals of the world – Milan, Paris, New York and London – and two emerging fashion weeks in India – Delhi and Mumbai.

Rishi Vora Jan 23, 2008 7:22 AM

At an event organised by the Indian Market Research Bureau, several eminent speakers from the world of research threw light on the changing behaviour of the Indian consumer, who has different behavioral patterns depending on respective demographics and psychographics.

Rishi Vora Jan 23, 2008 7:16 AM

After going fortnightly with its January 9, 2008 issue, Filmfare now plans to change its content offering as well. The film magazine from Worldwide Media plans to be more newsy and offer more inside view of the glamour and emotions of film stars. With the rollout of the February 2008 issue, Filmfare will see its first German edition.

Rishi Vora Jan 17, 2008 6:41 AM

While there is a lot of hype about the India growth story and the coming of age of Indian advertising, at least on the recognition through international advertising awards, India doesn’t appear to score on many platforms – whether it is One Show, Clio or even the Cannes Lions for that matter. exchange4media.com does a reality check on India’s standing on the world map, and the way forward.

Rishi Vora Jan 17, 2008 6:36 AM

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has released its report for the period July to September 2007 on advertisements that need to modified or withdrawn. A total of 11 ads have been brought under scanner, out of which four have been withdrawn and three have been modified.

Rishi Vora Jan 16, 2008 7:19 AM

The face of the Indian financial sector is changing, which is well reflected in the offerings of banks in the country today. The sector is not only offering core-banking solutions to customers, but is also offering services that act as ‘wealth managers’. Experts believe that it is the cutting-edge technology solutions that are helping bankers and fund managers in making optimum use of available opportunities and resources.

Rishi Vora Jan 10, 2008 6:35 AM

The ongoing India-Australia cricket series has infuriated Indian cricket fans, with Steve Bucknor’s umpiring and the ban (pending an appeal) on Harbhajan Singh drawing much flak. However, media planners feel that the controversy augurs for ESPN-STAR Sports, with more viewers now following the series. It also means good news for advertisers who have already booked their airtime spaces for the series.

Rishi Vora Jan 9, 2008 6:31 AM

With the recent release of the Kurkure Xtreme and Kinetic Flyte commercials, it seems that the trend of spoofs in advertising has taken off again. Several ads in the past have had reasonable success in quickly grabbing consumers’ attention. The industry consensus is that such spoofing strategies usually failed in building brands of quality, and that such commercials communicated the lack of creative ideas.

Rishi Vora Jan 8, 2008 6:40 AM

In a recently held interactive session between the Advertising Standards Council of India, Government officials and Jean Pierre Teyssier, President, European Advertising Standards Alliance, many areas regarding self- and co-regulation in advertising were discussed. The session stressed on the need to have credible juries and comprehensive national codes to ensure no violation of set standards within the advertising industry.

Rishi Vora Jan 7, 2008 6:53 AM

The Advertising Standards Council of India recently organised an interactive session with Jean Pierre Teyssier, President, European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA), along with officials from the I&B Ministry. The panel discussed the importance of self- and co-regulation as a tool for responsible commercial communication.

Rishi Vora Jan 5, 2008 6:42 AM

Thought Blurb, an agency that began its operations in March 2007, has put up a good show during the year. The Mumbai-based agency won a Gold at the Montreal Awards and a Silver for its Baskin Robbins campaign at the International Advertising Awards.

Rishi Vora Dec 29, 2007 6:32 AM

Everest Brand Solutions has bagged the creative duties for the ACC Cement account in a multi-agency pitch. Industry sources close to the development inform that the account size is in the range of Rs 10-12 crore. The incumbent agency is Lowe. OMS remains the media agency for the brand.

Rishi Vora Dec 28, 2007 6:42 AM

After two years of rivalry, AAAI and the Ad Club of Bombay have joined hands for a single award for the advertising industry under Abbys. Following this development, the Abbys would be given away at GoaFest 2008. This time there would Media Abbys on April 4, 2008 and Creative Abbys on April 5, 2008.

Rishi Vora Dec 24, 2007 5:56 AM

Sonal Dabral is back in India to take charge of Bates David Enterprise’s India operations. He will have a dual role as Regional Executive Creative Director Asia Pacific and India Chairman, Bates David Enterprise. Dabral shares with exchange4media his plans to take Bates to the world stage.

Rishi Vora Dec 22, 2007 6:47 AM

The 7th M.AD Quiz, organised by the Advertising Club of Bombay on December 18, saw a dramatic end with Sun Microsystems emerging victorious. It is for the first time since the quiz show was initiated that a client participant won against media and advertising agencies. Sun Microsystems won with 17 points, followed by Leo Burnett, Bates, JWT and IMRB at second, third, fourth and fifth places, respectively.

Rishi Vora Dec 19, 2007 6:06 AM

The Association of Indian Magazines (AIM) recently met in Mumbai to discuss various issues pertaining to the magazine business in India. It is for the first time that AIM organised such an industry meet in Mumbai. AIM members decided to form a committee for readership issues, and have also unveiled plans to appoint a senior level bureaucrat for co-coordinating ministerial activities for non-Delhi based publications.

Rishi Vora Dec 19, 2007 6:03 AM

Throughout the year they have been busy coming up with the best advertising and media solutions for their clients, now Bombay Ad club has another challenge lined up for the advertising and media fraternity with its M.AD Quiz, scheduled to commence on December 18, 2007.

Rishi Vora Dec 18, 2007 6:21 AM

Nexia Technologies has introduced Cellmagix, a new distribution channel via mobile phones. The Cellmagix software enables consumers to receive desired content on their mobile devices via the Bluetooth technology. Cellmagix opens up new vistas of free, fast and user desired content delivery to mobile handsets.

Rishi Vora Dec 17, 2007 6:52 AM

When India was going ga-ga over the next leap in the Internet domain with the advent of Web 2.0, several Net experts were skeptical about the viability of an Indian Web 2.0 business model. Now, with the entry of several Indian websites in the Web 2.0 space, exchange4media does a reality check on the country’s standing in the world, and finds that it hasn’t fared all that poorly.

Rishi Vora Dec 17, 2007 6:40 AM

After a good run in 2007, Times Now looks to grow further in 2008. The channel plans to have an intensive coverage on the India-Australia cricket series, followed by the Union Budget in the first two months of the New Year.

Rishi Vora Dec 17, 2007 6:33 AM

NextGen Publishing will be launching ‘Mother and Baby’, a UK-based parenting magazine from the EMAP Group, by the end of March 2008. The magazine would be priced at Rs 50.

Rishi Vora Dec 15, 2007 6:03 AM

The One Show Exhibition has come to India for the first time and has attracted the who’s who of Indian advertising. Organised by Bindass, exchange4media and advertising, media and communication institute FMCC, the Exhibition that celebrates some of the best works in advertising across the world, got underway in Mumbai on December 11.

Rishi Vora Dec 12, 2007 6:06 AM

Mobile is proving to be a promising device for social networking. With the trend catching up internationally, India is, however, lagging behind due to higher cost of Internet browsing applications, poor network and inadequate bandwidth on mobile phones.

Rishi Vora Dec 11, 2007 6:59 AM

Makaan.com, the online real estate portal from People Group, has launched a Clickpay service, particularly designed keeping in mind the requirements of property brokers in the country.

Rishi Vora Dec 10, 2007 6:25 AM

‘People’ magazine, a Time Inc. product, which is being brought to India by Outlook Group, has roped in Saira Menezes as Editor. Menezes, who has an experience of 17 years in journalism, would be joining in the early part of 2008. Prior to this move, she was Editor of ‘The Emirates Evening Post’, a daily in the UAE.

Rishi Vora Dec 10, 2007 6:14 AM

‘People’ magazine, a Time Inc. product, which is being brought to India by Outlook Group, has roped in Saira Menezes as Editor. Meneze

Rishi Vora Dec 7, 2007 5:10 PM

The India Business Leader Awards 2007, organised by CNBC TV, which will be held in Mumbai later this week, will feature a debate titled ‘SWOT’ that would discuss and draw a complete diagnosis of India as a nation today. K V Kamath, Gurucharan Das, R Seshasayee and Ram Chandra Guha are some of the well-known names that would take part in this debate.

Rishi Vora Dec 6, 2007 6:59 AM

BEI Confluence has roped in Santosh Menon as COO for its Mumbai and Bangalore operations, following the resignation of Kiran Vernekar, who held the same position. Menon will be based in Mumbai and would report to Managing Director Tapas Gupta.

Rishi Vora Dec 5, 2007 6:38 AM

Social networking has been gaining tremendous popularity in India with social networking site Orkut even being declared the Pepsi-MTV youth icon for 2007. However, despite growing number of users, advertising spends on social networking sites in India remain low. But experts see this scenario changing in time.

Rishi Vora Dec 3, 2007 6:31 AM

The first ever India Gaming Summit on November 28 in Mumbai brought together Indian and international stalwarts to discuss the dynamics of booming gaming industry in India. The Summit was organised by Zapak Digital Entertainment Ltd, and Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).

Rishi Vora Nov 29, 2007 6:21 AM

‘The Economist’ has roped in O&M as its creative agency for its upcoming campaign to be launched by March 2008. The account size is estimated to be around Rs 3-5 crore. The magazine’s move to roll out a campaign in India has come with its plan to increase its circulation from 17,000 to 50,000 over a period of two years.

Rishi Vora Nov 29, 2007 6:19 AM

Peter Eustace, TV Editor-Economics and Business Centre, BBC World, and Karishma Vaswani, Presenter, ‘India Business Report’, and Mumbai Business Correspondent for BBC World, shared their views on India as an emerging nation and its impact on global economy, in a round table conference with media representatives in Mumbai. The conference was conducted in reference to BBC World’s India-specific programme ‘India Business Report’ that was launched in August this year.

Rishi Vora Nov 28, 2007 6:15 AM

Piracy, lower distribution in smaller cities and towns, decreasing business revenues in home entertainment and films were some of the issues that dominated the concluding day of the two-day Big Picture Conference 2007, held at Goa.

Rishi Vora Nov 24, 2007 6:13 AM

At the Big Picture Conference 2007, the journey of the entertainment business in India to the era of digitalisation, where interactivity in cinema has gained significant importance, was discussed at length. The two-day conference in Goa, which commenced on November 22, has been organised by the Confederation of India Industries (CII).

Rishi Vora Nov 23, 2007 6:37 AM

Digital Signage Asia 2007, the first expo and convention for the digitalised media industry, kicked off in Mumbai on November 21, with eminent professionals from India and abroad sharing their views on the future of the medium.

Rishi Vora Nov 22, 2007 6:18 AM

The two-day The Big Picture Conference 2007, which gets underway on November 22, has some big names to liven up the sessions. The Conference, organised by CII, will see the participation of the likes of Piyush Pandey of O&M, film director and producer Shekhar Kapur, and Ramesh Sippy, Director, RS Enterprise.

Rishi Vora Nov 20, 2007 6:18 AM

The ninth annual edition of the Gunn Report has been announced. TBWAChiatDay New York/ TBWA Media Arts Los Angeles has won the first place as the most awarded agency category in the Gunn Report with a total of 33 points. Nike, Volkswagen and Sony took the top three spots as the most awarded advertisers.

Rishi Vora Nov 16, 2007 6:30 AM

India has achieved its best ever score of 39 points in the Gunn Report for 2007, securing the 14th place as the world’s most awarded country in the world. McCann Erickson’s TV commercial on Happy Dent Gum is the 10th most awarded commercial, while O&M’s print campaign for Indian Association For Adoption took the 12th place as the awarded print ad in the world.

Rishi Vora Nov 15, 2007 6:46 AM

With the Government finally having announced the entry of 3G services in India, Indian telecom marketers are all set to embrace mobile TV as a medium to deliver news and entertainment to customers on the move. The market looks promising for telecom operators, especially CDMA operators like Reliance Communications and Tata Teleservices.

Rishi Vora Nov 14, 2007 6:26 AM

The India Today Group has announced the launch of Mail Today, a newspaper venture in collaboration with Associated Newspapers (ANL), the publishers of Daily Mail. Mail Today is expected to hit the Delhi market by the end of this week, and the Group plan’s are to gradually increase editions for a nationwide presence. Officials from the newspaper have confirmed that the content of the paper would differentiate itself from the current newspapers.

Rishi Vora Nov 13, 2007 7:02 AM

Weblo.com, a website that allows content creators on networking sites to monetise content, is now eying the Indian market, after its success in the US. The website is a virtual copy of the real world, where people are encouraged to deal in buying and selling of cities, and celebrities, and make money out of the content they share and upload online.

Rishi Vora Nov 7, 2007 7:00 AM

Reliance Communications and Mindshare Interaction India are the finalists at the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) 2007 Global Award, in the same category of ‘The Best use of Mobile Marketing-Direct Response’. The awards will be presented at the MMA Annual Global Awards’ ceremony on November 14 in Los Angeles, following the conclusion of the MMA’s Mobile Marketing Forum.

Rishi Vora Nov 7, 2007 6:59 AM

Techmela Expereince, an event organised by Microsoft, had eminent faces from the media fraternity discuss on the digital world and the way forward. Steve Ballmer, CEO, Microsoft, gave the keynote address, wherein he explained the importance of creating user-friendly softwares and applications.

Rishi Vora Nov 6, 2007 6:38 AM

‘Om Shanti Om’, which has been in the news for various reasons ranging from lead actor Shah Rukh Khan’s six packs to debutant Deepika Padukone, has tied up with several brands such as Shopper’s Stop, Kodak and MTV Lycra Awards. The movie has also got media support with Mid-Day inviting SRK to be the guest editor.

Rishi Vora Nov 3, 2007 8:00 AM

Everest Brand Solutions has launched a new TVC for Parle’s Kachcha Mango Bite, one of its latest offerings from the company’s confectionery unit. The insight for the TVC has been taken from the fact that children love to irritate others by imitating others.

Rishi Vora Oct 29, 2007 8:50 AM

After its campaign titled ‘Taking India to the World’ for the Aditya Birla Group (ABG) last year, Vyas Giannetti Creative Communications (VGC) has now created three TVCs highlighting the Group’s policy of empowering its employees. The TVCs follow close on the heels of ABG being voted the Best Employer in India by the Hewitt-Economic Times Survey.

Rishi Vora Oct 27, 2007 8:14 AM

Quadrant, part of the Interpublic Group, has re-branded Automart, which is in the business of secondhand cars, as ‘First Choice’. Automart is a joint venture of Mahindra & Mahindra, HDFC and Shah and Sanghvi. The agency has launched TVCs and press ads to create better awareness and recall for the brand.

Rishi Vora Oct 25, 2007 8:15 AM

Carving Dreams Entertainment, a company dealing with celebrity management, has forayed into film production. The company has signed a $100 million deal with US-based Hollywood International Studios for producing five films over the next 3-4 years. Branded entertainment consultancy is another area that the company has recently forayed into.

Rishi Vora Oct 22, 2007 8:17 AM

As per the IRS 2007 Round 2 findings, the readership for the magazines on an overall basis has gone down, indicating a declining trend of readership across languages in India. English magazine readership has declined by 8 per cent, while Hindi magazines have slipped by 5 per cent.

Rishi Vora Oct 19, 2007 8:01 AM

Round 2 of IRS 2007 indicate that DNA has grown its readership base in Mumbai. Among the arch rivals in the Delhi market, it is seen that The Times of India continues to lead with a growth rate of 4 per cent contrary to Hindustan Times’ 1 per cent. While among the business dailies, The Economic Times continue to rule in both Delhi and Mumbai markets, Mid-Day makes it the fourth most-read paper in Mumbai after DNA.

Rishi Vora Oct 18, 2007 8:26 AM

O&M bagged the Agency of the Year Award at the Effie Awards 2007, which was held in Mumbai on October 12. Lowe, McCann Erickson and JWT were among other agencies that got top honours.

Rishi Vora Oct 15, 2007 8:07 AM

With the case study presentations over at the Effie Awards 2007, the stage is now set for ‘judgement day’. Agencies are eager to know who all emerge as winners at the Effies this year. The winners would be announced at a grand ceremony in Mumbai on October 12.

Rishi Vora Oct 12, 2007 8:31 AM

At the case study presentations for the Effie Awards 2007 that took place in Mumbai, Lowe, O&M, McCann Erickson, JWT, FCB Ulka, Leo Burnet, Contract, Ambience, David Bates Enterprise and Multimedia Aquarius presented their case studies under various categories.

Rishi Vora Oct 11, 2007 8:18 AM

Day two of the Indian Magazine Congress 2007, underway in Mumbai, saw discussions on issues ranging from changing business models to the use of digitalised content where frequency of publication becomes irrelevant.

Rishi Vora Oct 10, 2007 7:54 AM

Financial Express has announced the re-launch of its supplement ‘Brandwagon’, which will be distributed with The Financial Express newspaper every Tuesday. Marketing plans includes ads on the Internet as well as direct marketing activities.

Rishi Vora Oct 10, 2007 7:52 AM

The opening day of the Indian Magazine Congress (IMC) 2007 explored the Indian magazine journey till 2020, the strategies to engage readers, and gauged the current rapid growth of business with magazines raining all around the marketplace.

Rishi Vora Oct 9, 2007 7:53 AM

Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Priyaranjan Dasmunsi has assured all publishers that his Ministry would implement media policy reforms by January 2008. The Minister gave this assurance at the opening day of the Indian Magazine Congress 2007, which commenced in Mumbai on October 8.

Rishi Vora Oct 9, 2007 7:51 AM

‘Dare’, the magazine on entrepreneurs brought out by CyberMedia, hit the newsstands on October 1. The magazine caters to specific class of people who want to shape their careers building big enterprises of value. Eminent names that feature in the magazines’ list of Board of Advisors include Narayana Murthy, Kiran Majumdar and C K Prahalad.

Rishi Vora Oct 8, 2007 8:32 AM

The case study presentations for the Effie Awards 2007 will commence on October 10, 2007 in Mumbai. A total of 22 case studies would be presented across various categories. There will be eight case studies under the category of Consumer Products, which has the highest number of entries.

Rishi Vora Oct 6, 2007 8:06 AM

Mid-Day Multimedia has terminated all operations pertaining to Mid-Day Metro in a bid to prioritise its business operations towards the mother brand, and focus on the new business strategy of targetting the ‘Yumpi’. The company is looking at a complete revamp of its website within a fortnight.

Rishi Vora Oct 4, 2007 8:14 AM

The Indian Magazine Congress 2007, organised by the Association of Indian Magazines (AIM), will take place in Mumbai on October 8 and 9. Eminent speakers from around the world will give their views on various aspects of the magazine business in India and the world over.

Rishi Vora Oct 3, 2007 9:23 AM

The Asian Federation of Advertising Association (AFAA) will present an honorary award to Goutam Rakshit, Founder and Managing Director, Advertising Avenues, for his outstanding contribution to the advertising industry in India. The award would be presented on October 22 at the opening ceremony of AdAsia 2007 in Jeju Island, Korea.

Rishi Vora Oct 3, 2007 9:20 AM

While Indian economy is growing, it is evident that the readership in the genre of business magazines is also increasing steadily. With a number of niche or specialty magazines making their way in the market, is it important to know the trend and future possibilities.

Rishi Vora Oct 1, 2007 9:01 AM

The Indian Express Group has announced a dedicated Financial Express edition for the Pune market. The business paper had its presence in the city, but was printed and circulated from Mumbai, while lacking in exclusive content for the Pune readers. This special edition would be printed and circulated from Pune.

Rishi Vora Oct 1, 2007 9:00 AM

Simultaneous sessions on creativity, branding and marketing enlivened the post-lunch programme at Asia Brand Congress 2007. The sessions saw some of the best-known names in the media, advertising and marketing fraternities airing their views on various topics that even ignited some minor fireworks.

Rishi Vora Sep 27, 2007 9:03 AM