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February 16-29, 2016
Volume 4, Issue 17 ` 100
PRATAP BOSE
FOUNDING PARTNER AND CHAIRMAN | THE SOCIAL STREETF
“If you think the
space I am in is
not sexy, wait
and watch”
Pratap Bose’s The Social
Street doesn’t make TV
ads at present. Why not?
16
6 PLUS
21
DENTSU AEGIS NETWORK
Empowering Women
13
MERCEDES BENZ
Homecoming
18
BAJAJ V
PROFILE
BRITISH AIRWAYS
The ex-Ogilvy duo on launching The Womb and enjoying
the spoils of startup-hood.
An endearing tale of love and
warmth.
Navin Talreja & Kawal Shoor
Winning Hearts
Owning History
20
COLORS TV
Going Offshore
24
editorial
This fortnight...
T
February 16-29, 2016
Volume 4, Issue 17 ` 100
PRATAP BOSE
FOUNDING PARTNER AND CHAIRMAN | THE SOCIAL STREETF
“If you think the
space I am in is
not sexy, wait
and watch”
Pratap Bose’s The Social
Street doesn’t make TV
ads at present. Why not?
16
6 PLUS
21
DENTSU AEGIS NETWORK
Empowering Women
13
MERCEDES BENZ
Homecoming
18
BAJAJ V
PROFILE
Navin Talreja & Kawal Shoor
The ex-Ogilvy duo on launching The Womb and enjoying
the spoils of startup-hood.
BRITISH AIRWAYS
Winning Hearts
An endearing tale of love and
warmth.
Owning History
20
COLORS TV
Going Offshore
24
Volume 4, Issue 17
EDITOR
he last time I was in Pratap Bose’s cabin for an in-depth interview, it was after
the top job at DDB Mudra evaded him, disappointingly so. “I’m leaving with
a sense of accomplishment. There’s no bad blood. I am looking forward to my third
innings,” he said to me at the time, referencing his long stints at Mudra and before
that, Ogilvy. This was in April 2014.
Few days back, as I sat in Pratap’s cabin a second time – this time, in his own
agency, The Social Street – waiting to begin this interview, I kept thinking back to
something else he categorically mentioned during the previous one: “I am not a ‘BTL
guy’.”
Which is ironic, because he spent the better part of the hour telling me why he’s not
interested in the ‘mainline advertising’ business – which includes ATL or TV ads –
and why the so-called peripheral channels of communication like promo, activation,
in-store marketing and retail, are the mainstay of his 130-member-strong ship, one
he’s still struggling to find a descriptor for.
His partner Mandeep Malhotra, former head of DDB Mudra Max, articulates
it rather well. “We’ve put in all our investments upfront. Therefore, we’re trying to
get to the lower hanging fruit first,” he says. After all, the part of the business they’re
in has profit margins of up to 30 per cent, Bose tells us. And it’s the part that clients
care about most, they insist.
While the agency may get into the business of making TV commercials in the
future, it may not necessarily build all the capabilities required for the job, in-house.
Instead, The Social Street is busy looking at potential partner alliances for such
things.
Speaking of which, the team recently entered into a strategic alliance with
Rediffusion-Y&R, an advertising agency led by Dhunji Wadia. The peers of Pratap
and Dhunji call this move shrewd on the part of the former and gutsy on the part of
the latter.
Is it?
Sreekant Khandekar
PUBLISHER
Prasanna Singh
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
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SENIOR LAYOUT ARTIST
Vinay Dominic
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Cover Photograph
Fotocorp
CONTENTS
14
8
IDEA CELLULAR
Surging Ahead
The mobile network operator adopted
a radio and digital heavy approach for
its campaign.
14
OBITUARY
AG Krishnamurthy
22
24
Sandeep Vij sums up the
middle-class Indian.
POV
Startup Bug
Present day creative
entrepreneurs on how
different is their startup.
12
AXIS BANK
PRACTO
APPLE
Targetting the forever busy
Indian businessman.
Fighting Cancer with
awareness and education.
With the iPhone 6s around
who needs a cam?
On-the-go
Health Capsule
Stunning Visuals
afaqs! Reporter, February 16-29, 2 0 1 6
5
advertising
BRITISH AIRWAYS
Winning Hearts
British Airways’ latest long-format digital film is about the bond
that develops between an elderly passenger and a young flight
attendant. The campaign is titled ‘Fuelled By Love’. By Snehojit Khan
experiences of our cabin crew members serving
customers on our India routes. Many of them have
shared stories of how care and thought that goes
into every part of their journey have helped them
connect with our customers and provide a more
personal service.”
This is not the first time the company has taken
this particular route of emotional connect for its
advertisements. In the past, similar campaigns
dwelling on this particular concept such as A
Ticket to Visit Mum, Go Further To Get Closer, and
The Welcome of Home were launched by British
Airways.
To improve its customer experience, the
company has invested more than £5 billion
in its products and services. Customers have
received services in the form of new aircrafts,
new world traveller economy and world traveller
I
ndians love emotions. The mushier, the better.
Working on these lines, airline brand British
Airways, which is no stranger to emotion-laden
campaigns, has released its new campaign titled
Fuelled by Love.
The campaign showcases a real-life experience
of a British Airways’ cabin crew who garners a
once-in-a-lifetime experience in India during her
first flight to the country. The film depicts that
while service is driven by purpose and efficiency,
true care is only fuelled by love.
Created by SapientNitro, the video is the
story of a UK-based cabin crew member who
is flying to India for the first time. On her
maiden trip, she meets a passenger on board with
whom she develops a special bond. She later
visits the passenger in India and is amazed by
the hospitality she receives there, thus creating
beautiful memories for her.
With the campaign, the airline company
announced a special three-day offer for its
customers from India to London with all-inclusive
fares starting at `53,542 and `1,45,517 in world
traveller (economy class) and club world (business
class) respectively. The offer is valid for outbound
travel period until June 30.
The film unravels India to a western audience
and corrects a lot of perceptions, such as safety of
women travellers in the country, and shows the
cultural differences, and the hospitality extended
by Indians towards foreigners.
Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, director of
the Hindi film Masaan, the video went live on
British Airways’ official website on February 2. It
will be leveraged on the company’s social media
channels including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn,
YouTube and Google+, and will be run alongside
print, digital, outdoor and social media campaigns
6
afaqs! Reporter, February 16-29, 2016
in three phases until the end of the month.
Amplification on social media will involve reallife, British Airways’ crew stories through short
videos and photo essays.
Commenting on the campaign, Moran Birger,
regional commercial manager, South Asia, British
Airways, says, “India is British Airways’ second
largest market outside the UK and after the US.
We are proud of our rich heritage of over 90
years in India and our deep understanding of
this wonderful country. Through this film and
the brand campaign, we want to show the actual
“India is British
Airways’ second
largest market
outside the UK and
after the US.”
MORAN BIRGER
plus premium economy cabins, a revamped First
cabin, and better lounges around British Airways’
network.”
SIMPLE, YET BRILLIANT
ccording to Senthil Kumar, chief creative
officer, J Walter Thompson India, the video
is good, but not great. “The good thing about this
ad is it does not seem fake. Strangely, it seems and
sounds like the true story that has inspired it, and
will appeal to every Indian who misses his/her
grandmother’s cooking,” says Kumar.
He feels the realism and simple story-telling
makes the execution believable and will help build
empathy. “In the recent spate of long-format
content aiming to capture the online audience,
this one is just another story that’s striking the
emotional chord and is well told. However, I
am missing the mind blowing, big flight pathbreaking idea here for British Airways or is that
just me?” he asks.
Commenting on the length of the video, Kumar
A
continued on page 26 >>
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advertising
IDEA CELLULAR
A Step Ahead
The mobile network operator adopted a radio and
digital heavy approach for the second phase of
the Easy Share campaign. By Ashee Sharma
Mindshare and Affinity Network.
As part of this initiative, people
were asked to select a cause which
they would like to address using
Twitter polls. The next step was
to share the data with an NGO
that works for the chosen cause.
This was made interesting by means
of an innovation (conceptualised
by Mindshare) which gamified the
activity.
Idea joined hands with 92.7
Big FM to create interest among
consumers around the ‘new way of
sharing internet’ through the ‘India
Sharing Season’ campaign. The theme
‘The New Way of Sharing’, was
integrated with popular shows such
as ‘Suhana Safar with Annu Kapoor’
and interstitials such as ‘Aktor Calling
Aktor’ and ‘Chutki aur Shopkeepaa’.
The brand created a shareable
website along with the radio station
lazy extensions of their television
counterparts. Commenting on what
prompted the brand to create a
separate and full-fledged campaign
for this medium, Sashi Shankar,
chief marketing officer, Idea Cellular,
says, “Radio is considered to be one
of the most effective mediums of
communicating with the consumers
as it has mass reach. The medium
gave our campaign a much-needed
boost at the ground level. With radio
jockeys directly speaking to listeners,
there was a high level of engagement
on a personal level which fit in
well with the overall theme of our
campaign.”
In order to create more awareness,
the initiative was also promoted
through on-ground activations and
events across the country. As per the
data from 92.7 Big FM, the campaign
garnered a total of 36,000 tweets and
and invited people from 41 cities
across the country to pledge data
over a RJ marathon that lasted for
over 92 hours and seven minutes.
Idea will donate the total quantum
of data pledged by people during this
marathon to an NGO working for
child education, which was the most
preferred cause.
Usually, radio campaigns are
2,48,293 calls during the four-day
marathon.
Idea Cellular claims to be the
India’s third largest national mobile
operator, with over 165 million
subscribers. It operates in 36
countries, and is anchored by more
than 1,20,000 employees belonging
to 42 nationalities. n
W
ith the aim to develop the
mobile internet category,
brand Idea came up with
the concept of sharing internet
through its Easy Share campaign
riding on the broader theme of ‘India
Share Karega, India Care Karega’.
The campaign kicked off with a
series of TVCs that highlighted the
reality of people’s busy lives and their
belief that, today, they can make a
contribution to society only by way
of sharing.
In the second phase, the campaign
took a digital and radio-heavy
approach. Idea leveraged the digital
connect with its audience base and
devised a digital amplification strategy
with the #IndiaSharesIndiaCares
initiative in collaboration with
8
afaqs! Reporter, February 16-29, 2016
“Radio gave our
campaign a muchneeded boost at ground
level.”
SASHI SHANKAR
ashee.sharma@afaqs.com
DID YOU KNOW?
Rapidly Growing
Plant : Bamboo
Rapidly Growing
Newspaper : Amar Ujala
Give your brand the edge it deserves
Amar Ujala Grows by 28%
Source : 24.90 lac copies (JJ 2015) over 19.53 lac copies (JJ 2014)
Audit Bureau of Circulation
Agra : 207624, Meerut : 212872, Bareilly : 163428, Moradabad : 140661, Aligarh : 74812, Allahabad : 121664, Kanpur : 198903, Lucknow : 252246, Jhansi : 48270,
Gorakhpur : 129345, Varanasi : 236896, Chandigarh : 134008, Jammu : 51085, Dharamshala : 66490, New Delhi : 195179, Nainital : 103603, Dehradun : 153553
presents
campaigntrail
New campaigns across television, print, out-of-home and digital media.
VIDEOS
CADBURY DAIRY MILK SILK
Set against the popular ‘Kiss Me’ soundtrack, the ad
shows how the chocolate craving of two young puppeteers,
a girl and boy, takes over their performance. As they
indulge in the Dairy Milk Silk, their erratic hand movements
lead to uncanny moves of the puppets on-stage.
Creative Agency: Ogilvy & Mather
MAHINDRA BLAZO
The brand’s ‘Mileage Guarantee’ ad starring film actor,
Ajay Devgn, talks about offering better mileage than other
trucks as a result of its Fuel Smart Switch feature.
PNG JEWELLERS
The jewellery brand, in its latest ad campaign, ‘Parampara
Achchai ki’ starring Hindi film actor Salman Khan, talks
about the faith and brand loyalty shown by its customers.
ICICI PRUDENTIAL ASSET
MANAGEMENT COMPANY
To promote long-term investments in equity mutual funds,
the brand’s investor education campaign #StayInvested
draws parallels between marriage and long-term
investments.
Creative Agency: LinEngage
Creative Agency: J. Walter Thompson
KOTAK LIFE INSURANCE
TVS JUPITER
Creative Agency: J. Walter Thompson
Creative Agency: Dentsu Communications
OPPO F1
MOTHER’S PRIDE
Creative Agency: Hakuhodo Percept
Creative Agency: Out of the Box
The ‘Koi Hai...Hamesha’ campaign portrays the brand as a
partner for life. Through a conversation between a group
of young friends, the ad reiterates the importance of early
planning.
The ‘Zyada Ka Fayda’ TVC, featuring Hindi film actor,
Amitabh Bachchan, talks about people who go the
extra mile to ensure ‘zyada’ in real life situations while
elaborating on the two wheelers’ features.
PRINT
JAGUAR
XJ
The automobile
brand’s
latest print
ad campaign,
‘The Art Of
Performance’,
talks about
the Adaptive
Dynamics
feature of the
model along
with its Electric
Power Assisted
Steering(EPAS).
The selfie-focused smartphone has come up with a print
creative ‘Selfie Expert’ featuring Hindi film actor Hritik
Roshan. The ad talks about the features of the smartphone
which is priced at `15,990.
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
10
afaqs! Reporter, February 16-29, 2016
The pre-school chain has come up with interesting print
creatives for its ‘Admission open for cute offenders’
campaign. The ads depict how every child is an achiever in
his/her own way.
pointsofview
What Makes Your Creative
Startup Different?
We got some present day creative entrepreneurs to answer this question... By Ashee Sharma
SAtbir Singh
Founder and CCO,
Thinkstr
THE TOPIC
REMINDS ME A BIT
OF BOLLYWOOD
LADIES AND GENTS
WHO SAY THEIR
FILM IS A LOVE
STORY, ALBEIT A
‘different’ one. With a
couple of decades in the
advertising/storytelling/
brand building industry,
we cannot claim to be
setting out to build
rockets and missiles. We
may, of course, use them
if we feel they are the
best medium to take our
brands’ messages to their
target consumers.
We are lining up digital
and interactive training
and workshops to
connect with the digital
world, and also investing
in in-house content
productions to expedite
the creative process. But,
the most important thing
that sets us apart from
others is that we are just
50 metres away from
Khan Chacha’s rolls and
biryani!
12
Sudhir nAir
S YeSudAS
Amit AkAli
Arijit rAY
Co-founder and CEO,
21N78E
MD and Co-founder,
triggerbridge, the unagency
Managing Partner and Creative
Head, What’s Your Problem
Co-founder and Managing
Partner, Paperboat Brandworks
WE OPERATE ON A
VERY DIFFERENT
PRINCIPLE.
WE CREATED
OUR OWN
PROPRIETARY
BRAND PLANNING
AGENCY BUSINESS
HAS TRADITIONALLY
BEEN ABOUT
HELPING BRAND
OWNERS ‘SELL’ TO
CONSUMERS SHORT
TERM, LARGELY
MOST NEW AGENCIES SPEAK
ABOUT PROBLEM
SOLVING. WE’VE
INCLUDED IT IN
OUR NAME! WE’RE
NEITHER A
GREAT CREATIVE
WORK HAPPENS
WHEN KNOWLEDGE,
CREATIVITY AND
COMMON SENSE
INTERSECT. WE
OPERATE FROM
‘Aether’. This tool takes into
account the varied dynamics
of the brand and the
consumer’s decision making
process. The outcome is a
set of insights that help in
arriving at ‘communication
levers’, that could be
consumer-in or brand-out.
Our philosophy is built
around operating within an
ecosystem that exists in a
consumer’s mind-set. When
the right brain takes over,
the team has a definite
idea of the canvas that
exists. The products that
we are working on are also
a result of mapping certain
ecosystems for consumer
segments, and the vacuums
therein. This is all creatively
conceptualised but wellresearched logic.
afaqs! Reporter, February 16-29, 2 0 1 6
tactical actions.
But agencies aren’t
accountable as advertising
can finally only do
that much. We believe
a brand has to first
discover its core purpose
and align like-minded
consumers to it. Then,
the universe grows. We
use three interventions
to deliver this – content,
tech and data. Some of
our clients continue to
engage their agencies.
We add another layer and
deliver cost-effectiveness.
Results are measured
on share of vision and
empathy scales. We
believe genuine purpose
will ‘True Vertex’ brands.
Rest will keep advertising
and spending more.
mainline agency nor just
a digital agency; we’re
an agency for the digital
world. We’re a full-service
digital agency, offering web
development, SEO, SEM,
social media, analytics,
mobile, content, digital
and video. We bring
the same ideas alive on
mainline mediums and BTL.
Understanding brands is our
starting point – we offer
brand building services such
as market consultancy and
visual identity.
We want to be the only
agency a client needs. And
that’s what has happened
with most of our clients.
While we started out as a
social and digital agency for
Bharat Matrimony and Pico,
today we do their outdoor,
TVCs... everything.
the stand-point that
the more the world
fragments, the more
we need to draw on
our fundamental
understanding of the
brand world. What
the brand needs, and
the consumer context,
should always be at
the core. This is what
informs all our thinking
and creative solutions
– whether it is for
stand-alone initiatives
or through-the-line,
integrated mandates.
With a fusion of
strategic, creative and
business acumen, we
arrive at simple, media
and platform-agnostic,
visually brilliant and
relevant solutions.
advertising
Women Power
Launched on February 2, the DAN Women’s Council will be chaired
by Rajni Menon. By News Bureau
I
n order to recognise its women workforce,
Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN), a global
media Group which specialises in the domains
of media, digital and creative communications
services, has announced the launch of DAN
Women’s Council.
The DAN Women’s Council will help the
agency’s female employees on a pan-India basis
to grow and realise their potential based on merit,
within the senior organisational hierarchy, through
a structured mentoring process which would be
safe as well as equal.
The Council will be chaired by Rajni
Menon, executive vice-president, Carat India,
while the advisory committee comprises of the
following as its key members: Nipun Kapur, chief
operating officer, WATConsult, Divya Karani,
chief executive officer, Dentsu Media, Sunita
Prakash, senior vice-president, Dentsu Marcom,
Neha Mayekar, vice-president, finance, Dentsu
Aegis Network, Dimple Maheshwari, director,
Bhasin and Menon: Empowering
human resources, Dentsu Media, Harsha Joshi,
executive vice-president, group trading, Dentsu
Aegis Network, Komal Verma, associate vicepresident, human resources and administration,
Fountainhead-MKTG, and Simi Sabhaney, chief
executive officer, Dentsu Communications.
A physical interaction among the Council’s
members will take place every quarter, while a
conference for the same will be organised every
fortnight, both of which will be held depending
on the requirements, says the company. It further
says in a press note, “This is for the first time that
a Council of such stature has been envisaged and
crafted by any marketing communications agency
in India.”
Chairperson Menon says, “Though at an overall
level the DAN numbers are significantly healthier
than the industry average, we felt it was time to
take a proactive step as leaders of the marketing
communications industry to ensure that in a
growing network, the environment and policies
are conducive to grow the women numbers.”
Ashish Bhasin, chairman and chief executive
officer, South Asia, Dentsu Aegis Network, and
chairman, Posterscope and MKTG, Asia-Pacific,
feels that women leaders and managers will play a
very crucial role in the agency’s growth to become
the second largest marketing communications
agency Group in India by the end of 2017.
“Today, we are already the leading network
when it comes to creating a balanced and uniform
work environment for our women workforce
in India. Now, our ambition is to surpass global
standards and make DAN the gold standard for
encouraging the women talent force. I believe
our women managers are second to none,” says
Bhasin.n
feedback@afaqs.com
ADVT.
DENTSU AEGIS NETWORK
afaqs! Reporter, February 16-29, 2016
13
advertising
AXIS BANK
Busy Bee
The film revolves around the idea
of holistic business banking
solutions for businessmen
on-the-go. By News Bureau
A
xis Bank has launched its new campaign
titled Always On, with the aim to project
itself as a financial institution which is
always active for its customers. The film, which
had a digital release initially, was soon followed
by a TVC. Conceptualised and executed by Lowe
Lintas Mumbai, the campaign is based on the idea
of holistic business banking solutions for always
active businessmen.
The TVC shows
businessmen
as
people
who
are
never disconnected
from their business,
irrespective of where
they are and what
they are doing. The
mobility solutions
offered by Axis
The mobility solutions
enable businesses to offer a
various payment solutions.
Bank enable businesses to offer various payment
solutions.
The bank has created a differentiated business
banking solution which is backed by mobility
and analytical technology solutions for any size
of businesses across segments. Currently, mobile
penetration in India is at its best with the number
of users expected to exceed 200 million by 2016.
Mobile technology for banking transactions has
been gaining popularity in India. With the rapid
growth in users and expansion in coverage of
mobile phone networks, this platform has been
recognised as an increasingly important medium
to reach the end-users.
Speaking on the campaign, Rajiv Anand, group
executive, retail banking, Axis Bank, says, “Digital
is no longer an option or an alternative. It is a
way of life these days. At Axis Bank, we have
invested extensively in expanding our digital suite
of products and services for every consumer
strata, which includes the businessman who rarely
has the luxury of free time. With our range of
mobile business banking solutions, the ‘alwayson’ businessman can transact seamlessly and
effortlessly.”
Arun Iyer, chief creative officer, Lowe Lintas,
says, “We had to introduce the offering in a
manner which is compelling while staying true
to the brand idea of ‘Progress without Pause’.
‘Banking on the go’ while relevant, sounds like a
continued on page 22 >>
OBITUARY
AG Krishnamurthy
B
efore
I
met
AG
Krishnamurthy, I was barely aware of his existence.
Looking back, I probably saw myself
as this young, hot agency executive
working in this cool international ad
agency called Clarion Advertising,
one of the top three ad agencies in
India. It was 1988.
I’d got a call from Mudra
Communications in Ahmedabad
for a possible job. With the typical
arrogance of the young, I thought I
was too good for this little-known
small-town agency which had been
set up fairly recently, in 1980. I went
across for a lark, presumably for the
joy of saying ‘no’.
I was interviewed by an exceptionally intelligent senior manager,
Dr J Ramachandran (later a professor at IIM Bangalore), who totally
blew my conceit away. Still men-
14
afaqs! Reporter, February 16-29, 2016
tally tottering, I was taken to meet
AGK - this apparently mild, unassuming man who startled me with
his simplicity and a clarity of mind
that shone through. I wanted to say
‘no’ to the job, but found myself
saying ‘yes’.
The advertising business of that
time was westernised, hip, conceited
and very very South Bombay. The
right English accent was mandatory; lunches were long and boozy.
Delhi was a wannabe to Bombay’s
absolute supremacy. No other town
counted, certainly not style-deficient Ahmedabad.
In this environment, AG
Krishnamurthy chose to underline
in every way that he was different.
Instead of trying to join the ruling advertising cabal, he chose to
stand out. AGK was the epitome
of the middle-class Indian at least a
FOTOCORP
AG Krishnamurthy, Mudra’s founder, passed away
on February 5. Sandeep Vij, a long-time Mudra
hand, sums up this extraordinary man who created
India’s first national-level ad agency as well as
MICA. By Sandeep Vij
1942-2016
full decade before that class began
to get feted. The incongruity of a
Guntur boy starting an ad agency
in Ahmedabad which would puzzle
the ruling hierarchy of Bombay was
delicious. Other agencies couldn’t
figure how marketers were moving their business to Mudra which
made it a point of being unsexy and
not-with-it.
People meeting AGK for the first
time were thrown by his strong
Telugu accent. When five-star binges on the company account were
the norm, a meal with AGK would
likely be idli-dosa at Sagar Ratna.
AGK was raw, rooted, unadulterated, zero style and all substance.
By the time AGK quit in 2003,
he had built Mudra into a large
organisation employing perhaps
1,500 people. But that middle class
distinctiveness remained. Let no
one mistake the fact that however
large, this was a family of which AG
Krishnamurthy was the head. He
imposed his will to create and then
sustain what was clearly a distinct
‘Mudra culture’. His shadow over
the organisation was long and he
could reprimand or cajole people as
the head of a family would.
I have been often asked why I
stayed so long in Mudra. Let me
tell you a story from 1990. I’d been
with the agency for just two years
and I was still a punk in my 20s,
when direct marketing emerged as
a potentially terrific growth area. I
told AGK this. He turned around
and asked, ‘Why don’t you start a
new division?’ Just like that. And
mind you, he didn’t know me very
well. I went on to set up offices in
Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru for
Mudra Direct. How many companies - then or even now - would
give an untested executive so much
leeway? That is the reason I stayed:
Mudra allowed me the freedom to
fly and the freedom to fail, as long
as I worked hard.
(Sandeep Vij was a director on the
board of Mudra Group and is a cofounder of afaqs! and Kulzy).n
sandeep.vij@afaqs.com
National Media Award
conferred upon
dW³Qe ÃFZÂF I F ³FÔ.1 AJ¶FFS
*
Source : IRS 2014 * Delhi, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh & Uttarakhand
Recognition to
honest & unbiased journalism
A
INTERVIEW
round eight months
back, Pratap Bose, 52,
former Mudra hand,
announced the launch
of his advertising
conglomerate, The Social Street.
Ever since, all our articles around
his firm have fared markedly well.
Clearly, interest around this agency is
high. While there’s curiosity around
other creative startups as well, it’s
never as sustained as it has been
around Bose’s firm, which stands out
for two reasons.
One, it started out with over 100
employees scattered across offices
in three cities. Two, it’s an agency
that is not in the business of making
television commercials. The firm,
ironically enough, is very much in
the business of buying TV spots for
brands.
So you know what the agency
doesn’t do. To know what it does,
read the ‘fact file’ we’ve tossed into
this story.
Recently, The Social Street forged
a strategic alliance with RediffusionY&R. As ‘Rediffusion-The Social
Street’, a newly birthed team will
provide marketing services to the
clients of Rediffusion-Y&R, Everest
Brand Solutions and Rediffusion
Wunderman.
We interviewed Pratap Bose,
founding partner and chairman, The
Social Street. His favourite word –
Scale. A word he hates – Startup.
Edited Excerpts.
Let’s talk about your recently
established strategic alliance
with Rediffusion. What
prompted it?
If you think the space
I am in is not sexy, wait
and watch. — PRATAP BOSE
FOTOCORP
An interview with Pratap Bose, founding partner and
chairman, The Social Street, a communications agency that’s
not in the business of creating TV commercials...
By Ashwini Gangal
16
afaqs! Reporter, February 16-29, 2 0 1 6
For us, this deal is the start of
many things.
For me, it’s about bringing scale.
If you want the large clients, you
have to have scale. You can’t just
say, “I want to ‘startup’, I have three
clients, and I am going to handle
their advertising.” Unless you have
the ability to deliver nationally, no
large client is going to work with
you.
We’ve gone completely against
every rule in the book on how
startups should be. Within four
months, we opened three offices and
hired 130 people... Not like we had
the business to support all of that,
but that’s the point. If you don’t
have scale, clients won’t see you as
a serious player and won’t entertain
you beyond a point.
So, this alliance is a step in that
direction. You’ll hear many more
such. I could align with a Dentsu
tomorrow morning, or an IPG...
During our launch phase, we used
the word ‘conglomerate’ and a lot
of people ‘poo-pooed’ me saying,
‘What is Pratap Bose doing?’ But it
coverstory
PRATAP BOSE
Founding Partner and Chairman,
The Social Street
is going to be a conglomerate, with
many businesses, alliances, JVs and
acquisitions.
some periods of time in the past, but
now they’re making the right moves.
This agency will do well.
How exactly did the
association come about?
Some say the alliance makes
Rediffusion look bad. A large,
networked agency is expected
to have the wherewithal to
offer 360 solutions to its
clients, to begin with...
Dhunji
(Wadia,
president,
Rediffusion-Y&R Group) and I
have a great relationship. We started
working on a couple of clients,
worked on a few pitches that came
to fruition. I thought, ‘We’ve got all
of these offerings... it would be great
to be attached to another agency
and help them out on all their large
clients by offering what they don’t
have.’
Both Dhunji and I take chances.
We’re both are in similar situations.
He’s in a situation of turning the
agency around. I am in a position
where I want to move fast. The
alliance fuels and fulfils my ambition
of growing, and growing quickly.
Rediff has had a rough time over
That’s a misconception.
To be very honest, there aren’t
very many full service agencies
today. Mudra was at one point; not
anymore. There are many agencies
that simply claim to be ‘full service’.
There are many creative groups
today that have no clue about the
other side of the business. They
don’t have specialist skills. They’re
just seen as creative agencies. It’s
unfair to single Rediffusion out. And
I am not saying this in their defense.
This is not a step down for Rediff
at all.
FACT FILE – THE SOCIAL STREET
CLIENTELE:
Birla Sun life Insurance, IDBI Federal Life Insurance, Brigade Enterprises, Telenor,
Discovery Networks, Aegon Religare Life Insurance, Lenovo India, Reebok India,
Adani Township and Real Estate, Samsonite South Asia, Kansai Nerolac Paints,
Kurlon, Apollo Munich Life Insurance, Carnival Films Entertainment, HTC and
Savsol, among others.
TEAM STRENGTH:
130
FOUNDERS:
Pratap Bose (Founding Partner and Chairman), Mandeep Malhotra (Founding
Partner and CEO), Pradeep Uppalapati (Founding Partner and CFO) and Arjun Reddy
(Founding Partner and Vice Chairman)
PLAYING AREA:
Digital (Content, Social Media, Mobile), Media (TV, Print, Radio, Cinema, Digital),
Experiential (Events, Promotions, Activation, Youth Marketing, Cause Marketing),
Out-of-home (Traditional, Ambient, Media Assets), Entertainment (Branded Content,
IP, Talent Management, Sports Marketing), Retail (Shopper Marketing, Signage,
Trade Marketing, Point-of-sale, Consultancy), Semi-Urban/Rural (Research,
Strategic Planning, Consultancy, Creative Solutions, Activation).
PRESENCE:
Footprint in 24 cities, offices in 3 cities (Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru)
Rediffusion-Y&R’s top clients: SBI Mutual Fund, Tata Motors, Videocon, LIC, Amway, ITC,
L&T, Make In India (Maharashtra leg), TVS Tyres, Taj Hotels, Eveready, among others.
The closest anyone comes
to offering what we do today is
GroupM. But the problem with
GroupM is that it is not integrated. It
is a mammoth organisation with so
many things across cities. When they
work on one brief, it’s unlikely that
everyone in the country will come
together for it.
I will get into areas like stocking,
distribution and packaging. I will
ask questions like, ‘Is Snapchat in
your media mix?’, ‘Is Tinder in your
media plan?’... We hedged our bets.
It’s like a Chinese fishing line. When
I meet brands, I rarely go back empty
handed.
Are there digital agencies better
than us? Or media agencies? Or
retail agencies? Of course there are! I
don’t make any tall claims that I am
better than them.
My idea is not to compete with a
Madison in the media business space.
“We have to get our USP
right. We give clients
business solutions through a
communication lens, regardless
of whether an ad film is part of
it. We don’t want to be boxed
by the service offering.”
FOTOCORP
FOTOCORP
“Do I love advertising? Yes.
Will I get into it? The inner
soul says, ‘Yes’. But I don’t
know when. It is much easier
to collaborate with or acquire
somebody who is in the
space.”
If I were Dhunji, I might have
done the deal. I commend Dhunji
for doing it; it takes a lot of guts. And
it works well for the clients; we’re
not doing it just for the revenue.
I have worked at top agencies all
my life. I can tell you that all agencies
today say they have the ability to
deliver 360, but they don’t. When I
was with Mudra, in pitches, when
clients asked, ‘Can you do this’ and
‘Can you do that’, we’d say ‘Yes,
yes...’ but did we really have the
ability to do it? No.
Then the worst thing happens –
you try to provide a solution though
you don’t have the expertise to. And
because you’re a large network, your
ego prevents you from working with
outside parties. Never has Mudra
collaborated with another agency to
do something, or Ogilvy or JWT, for
that matter.
But being an independent agency,
MANDEEP MALHOTRA
Founding Partner and CEO,
The Social Street
if I have, say, a digital brief that
looks too complicated, I’ll just send
the brief out to four digital agencies
and ask them to pitch. It’s a large
business. I have the relationship. I
don’t have the expertise. And I know
the expertise lies outside. Then if X
agency wins that pitch, I’ll present
that idea to the client. If the client
likes it, that agency then runs the
business for me, and we have a
revenue arrangement.
Because I am an independent
agency, I can do this. A large agency
wouldn’t. It’s against their genes.
Therefore, I see this alliance as a
great, bold move for Dhunji to make.
Your agency buys media on
TV but doesn’t create TV ads.
Why so?
When I was on a sabbatical from
Mudra, I spent many, many months
thinking about this. I spent that time
wisely, thinking, ‘Is there space for
an agency that doesn’t exist in the
country?’
I didn’t want to start a ‘digital
agency’; there are two digital agencies
being born every day in this country.
But I am integrated and understand
all of the businesses I am in.
If the client is not increasing his
sales and market share, I have failed.
No agency that will tell a client, ‘I
will take your market share from 10
to 15 per cent.’ Nobody speaks the
sales language. We do.
I don’t care what the client’s
creative and media agencies are.
They could work with Ogilvy,
Lowe, JWT... None of them has the
speciality functions that I offer.
Okay, but what’s the harm in
starting a ‘mainline division’
within The Social Street?
I don’t have the time. I am a man
in a hurry. I can’t wait three years to
start and build an agency. I’d rather
just buy one. When I buy, I gain
three to five years.
I have stayed away from the
advertising business. I consult with
the CEO/owner of the business. And
we don’t talk about ‘the next TVC’.
That’s No. 50 on their priority list,
anyway!
Do I love advertising? Yes. Will I
get into it? The inner soul says, ‘Yes’.
afaqs! Reporter, February 16-29, 2 0 1 6
17
coverstory
But I don’t know when. Therefore,
it is much easier to collaborate with,
buy or acquire somebody who is in
the space.
Right now, advertising is not part
of my offering. I think advertising is
dead, anyway. It is not a profitable
business. Except for of course, the big,
top agencies like Ogilvy, McCann,
Lowe, etc.... they’ve hit a point where
they are profitable. Even if they lose
some, it doesn’t matter. They’ll stay
profitable. They’ve hit that scalable
point. The rest are struggling.
What then of all the creative
shops that are coming up?
Which surprises me. It really
surprises me.
“I’m glad people refer to this
alliance as ‘gutsy’. It has been
created keeping clients at the
forefront. The aim is to give a
unified offering to marketers,
who typically have multiple
partners across disciplines.”
DHUNJI WADIA
President,
Rediffusion-Y&R Group
I wish them all well. But I do
believe a lot of them don’t understand
finance.
My view is eight out of ten
startups don’t succeed. And I don’t
know what the differentiator is. Take
20 mainline agencies – what’s the
differentiator for each? That worries
me. I am worried for them.
A lot of them need a lot of advice.
“We have a vision to do
end-to-end retail for clients.
We are infusing technology
into our mix. Our alliance
with Rediffusion is like
an Airbnb model in this
industry!”
Founding Partner and CFO,
The Social Street
MERCEDES-BENZ
FOTOCORP
PRADEEP UPPALAPATI
There’s no denying that the
mediums you are present in
are perceived as the ‘nonsexy’ ones....
... but it’s the most profitable side
of the business, with margins of up
to 30 per cent! I find it extremely
sexy. The media doesn’t. The media
is only interested in TV spots and
creative people.
And who says I can’t do sexy
A look at ‘Mercedes-Benz Project X’, an ad
with no creative agency on its credits list.
By Ashee Sharma
management, Mercedes-Benz India,
informs, “The video is targeted at
young and progressive first-time
buyers. The brand has successfully
transcend the perception of being
an old-man’s car, thanks to growing
consumerism,
contemporary
designs and fresh communication
to target youngsters.”
great ad? Well, chances are
that the names of some of
the top creative agencies will
pop up. But, that is not the case with
the latest ad released by MercedesBenz India. The ‘Mercedes Benz
Project X’, as it is called, has been
put together by the brand’s media
agency MEC India, in collaboration
with Qyuki, an online broadcast
network for youth co-founded
by filmmaker Shekhar Kapur, AR
Rahman and Samir Bangara.
Project X, conceptualised by
music composer and singer Ranjit
Barot and Qyuki (which is also the
producer), has India’s top music
maestros, AR Rahman, Salim
Merchant, Shubha Mudgal, and
Amit Trivedi lend their voice to
the track Khushnuma. Khushnuma
is the story of a young man who
leaves home in search of his dreams,
YOUNG AND INDULGENT
iscussing the luxury car market
in India, auto expert Ranojoy
Mukerji says, “The growth of the
luxury segment in India is quite
recent, with most of it happening
in the last six-seven years. Earlier,
there weren’t many luxury brands
available, nor could people afford
them. Since the older generation
had seen some tough times, they
Gen Y
A
18
afaqs! Reporter, February 16-29, 2 0 1 6
and having realised them against
all odds, returns victorious in his
Mercedes.
The track, composed by Ranjit
Barot and Salim Merchant, was
released at the 13th Auto Expo,
where the company also unveiled
the global SUV, GLC and the
S-Class Cabriolet.
Amit Thete, general manager,
marketing and customer relationship
D
work? Promo and activation is more
sexy than any TV commercial.
I am an awards guy, clearly. I
will hit it big at the awards. If you’re
saying the space I am in is not sexy,
wait and watch.
For a retail client, I am working
on all the stores in India. It includes
customer profiling, managing the
stores, lighting-display, building
apps for them and end-to-end
retail solutions that are critical for
their business. It’ll move into data,
analytics... You may not find that
sexy. I find this very sexy. Agencies
just don’t understand this.
The future is not advertising. The
future is communication.
In fact, a lot of creative people
are now sick and tired of doing TV
commercials. They want to do more
meaningful work.
I work with a lot of top NCDs
today.
So they’re cheating on their
agencies?
No. I come to them with a ‘cause’,
not a ‘client’. I ask them to think with
me on a specific brief.
So, you pay them for their
thoughts?
In most cases, no.
That’s the advantage and power of
being an independent agency. n
ashwini.gangal@afaqs.com
preferred saving/investing money.
But today there is vast choice and
the younger lot is able to afford
luxury much earlier in life.”
Mercedes has, in the past two
years, launched a slew of youngerlooking, jazzy and fun-to-ride
cars. According to Mukerji, the
market has responded well. More
and more young people are buying
the A, B Class and the CLA and
GLA. These models fall in the
affordable luxury segment, almost
98 per cent of which is between
`20-40/45 lakh. This range suits
first-time buyers who are growing
in number every day. Hence, this
segment drives volumes for the
luxury car makers.
Another trend has been the
surging popularity of the small
luxury SUVs, a trend which is both
image and need-driven. “People like
the feeling of owning a big vehicle,
sitting high and making eye-contact
with the taller vehicle driver.
SUVs are popular among women
because they give them a feeling of
authority. Their popularity can also
be attributed to the fact that SUVs
give one the flexibility to take on
bad roads,” Mukerji explains. n
ashee.sharma@afaqs.com
advertising
BAJAJ V
A Piece of History
Leo Burnett has created a minute-long ad film for Bajaj V, a bike
that has part of Indian aircraft carrier INS Vikrant in it.
By Suraj Ramnath
Narang, Varma & Das: Owning the past
we are targeting a set of customers which is not
just seeking a practical mileage bike, nor a sporty
looking bike, but a vehicle which is solid and
imposing. An executive segment would want a
product which has attributes of a solid form and
a commanding presence. The target group will be
NCCS AB 25-35 Male.”
When asked about what gave him
sleepless nights, Saurabh Varma, chief
executive officer - South Asia, Leo
Burnett, says, “What kept us up in the
night was that this idea remains a secret.
The confidentiality is important as it is the
biggest launch after the Pulsar in
2001.”
When asked about how
different was the brief,
RajDeepak Das, chief
creative officer, Leo
Burnett, says, “It wasn’t
a regular kind of brief.
The brief happened at
the design studio. Bajaj
VIRAL NOW: BUDWEISER
At Odds
The ad features Helen Mirren lashing out against
drunk driving. By Saumya Tewari
T
he Super Bowl season is fun,
and so are its commercials.
But, Budweiser has taken a
risk with its latest ad spot featuring
Oscar-winning actor Helen Mirren.
Moving away from lost dogs and
Clydesdale horses this Super Bowl
season, the American beer brand has
a strong message to deliver.
In this latest ad, Mirren is shown
20
afaqs! Reporter, February 16-29, 2016
showed us the bike in
the design studio and
said this is the brief. We
wanted to make it look
big, invincible.”
Sharing his views
about the strategy by
Bajaj Auto, K V Sridhar
(Pops), chief creative
officer, Sapient Nitro,
says, “What a brilliant
idea! It’s a beautiful
product idea because
everybody wants a
piece of history and nation. He went and bought
this metal which was going in scrap and instead
of someone making a frying pan out of it, he
bought it and put it into the bike. You can’t do
anything more than that. The idea is inbuilt into
the product. If you don’t have a marketing idea
then you need advertising idea. When you have
the product, what else do you need? Absolutely
nothing.”
Pops further adds, “Everybody wants to feel
patriotic. It is not one of the fancy things. It is
manhood, it is patriotism. It is like making the
bike out of a 1971 tank which invaded Pakistan
-who doesn’t want a piece of that?
Arun Iyer, chief creative officer, Lowe Lintas,
says, “My first reaction was whoa! Now, that’s a
big idea, and I was completely blown away. Using
a marketing idea to make a product, I think it’s a
huge idea.”
As for the production, Narang informs, “It is
to start this month.”The cost of the bike will be
between `60,000-70,000. n
chilling out in a restaurant with a
cold Budweiser and a hamburger. A
perfect setting for a Super Bowl spot.
The video begins with the
witty actor introducing herself as a
“notoriously frank and uncensored
British lady”. Mirren then goes on
to talk about drunk driving through
FOTOCORP
FOTOCORP
B
ajaj Auto recently launched its new bike V.
The design of the bike is such that the fuel
tank is made of the steel of aircraft carrier
INS Vikrant, the ship that won India the 1971
battle against Pakistan.
The video that was launched on January 26,
was shown in cinemas along with the screening of
the movie Airlift. Keroscene Films has produced
this particular video.
Speaking about how he saw an opportunity
in using the scrap of INS Vikrant in an actual
product range, Sumeet Narang, senior vicepresident, marketing, motorcycles, Bajaj Auto,
says, “It was a marketing idea that got an artistic
fold to it. We were working on a new brand, a
new bike, which was to be strong, and stood tall
and proud. So, there was perfect synergy
between the two.”
Talking about the target audience
for Bajaj V, Narang says, “We are
targeting the ‘executive segment’
which could well be urban, in small
towns, even a bit in rural, and
suraj.ramnath@afaqs.com
a powerful and satirical monologue
against the subject.
Staring right into the camera, she
says, “If you drive drunk, you, simply
put, are a short-sighted, utterly
useless, oxygen-wasting, human
form of pollution-a Darwin award
deserving, selfish coward. If your
brain is donated to science, science
would return it.”
Her advice is to drive safe and
lead a good life, with a ‘nice and cold’
Budweiser as your companion.
The ad is part of Budweiser’s
larger initiative #GiveaDamn which
promotes safe driving. Posted on
YouTube on February 2, the ad has
garnered over five million views. n
saumya.tewari @afaqs.com
profile
NAVIN TALREJA & KAWAL SHOOR|FOUNDING PARTNERS|THE WOMB
The only people
we’re answerable
to are our wives
FOTOCORP
Navin Talreja and Kawal Shoor
By Suraj Ramnath
C
learly, the ex-Ogilvy duo is enjoying the spoils of
startup-hood...
We should’ve been up by around four crore
in revenue by now,” says a confident Navin
Talreja, former president, Ogilvy Mumbai and
Kolkata, and present day founding partner, The
Womb, an agency he runs with Kawal Shoor,
former national planning director, Ogilvy India.
The biggest advantage of running their own
shop – which is also why they missed out on the
aforementioned revenue – is the power to say no
to clients.
The duo boasts a ‘combined Ogilvy experience’ of 40 years (Talreja – 18, Shoor – 22).
The Womb, that has a staff-strength of 21 (of
which around seven comprise the creative team),
has three components: Brand advertising, entertainment (say, a travel show, hinged on branded
content) and serial ideation (the business of ‘selling ideas’).
Sure, their bread and butter will come from
the advertising business, given their equity in
this space, but, they’re quick to say, “In five
years, if more than 50 per cent of our revenue
is coming from advertising, then we’ll say we
haven’t done a good job.” By then, they hope,
80 per cent of their revenue will come from
non-advertising work. Such as? “We are open to
anything,” says Talerja, “Kawal has a great idea
for a movie; I have been forcing him to it put
down on paper.”
For now, though, they’re focused on growing their clients’ business. Take, for instance,
their recent ‘Kya chal raha hai? Fogg chal raha
hai’ campaign. “People are creating
videos and Whatsapp jokes around
it – none of it has been triggered by
us. It is not paid for. In eight weeks
of advertising the brand grew by 40
per cent,” says Shoor.
Another client, online share trading platform Indian Trading League
(ITL), has gained over two lakh
registrations in about six months.
That’s how long The Womb has
been in business. “We’ve already
broken even and will be profitable by the end of
our first year,” they say.
Looking back, Shoor says, “We had the
time of our working lives at Ogilvy. But
every large organisation goes through this
problem where people have bigger ambitions
and want to work in smaller groups. We too
wanted deep engagement with clients.” In
a nutshell – he felt he was being spread too
thin at Ogilvy.
Some of their popular campaigns during
their Ogilvy days include – ‘Tayyari Jeet Ki’ for
Bournvita, ‘Kuch Meetha Ho Jaye’ for Cadbury and
several campaigns for Tata Sky.
Says Talreja, “Ogilvy is also a ‘top heavy’
organisation – there aren’t enough challenges
being offered to good professionals.”
Today, the biggest benefit their clients have
is – “Our time and personal attention.”
Employees of The Womb, in fact, have around
ten years of work exprience, each. “We have told
clients, ‘You will have uncomfortable meetings
with us because we will be very candid about
what we think is right for the brand’,” Talreja
adds with candour.
“If you were to look at all the agencies
launched in last ten years,” says Shoor about the
absence of a creative head at The Womb, “I don’t
remember seeing a planner and an account servicing person starting one. There’s always been
a creative person on board. So, our origin itself
provides our differentiation.”
Ask them what kind of clients they have on
their wishlist, and he says, “We see a lot of VC
money being spent very irresponsibly!” His team
is keen on helping startups allocate their funds
more prudently. They already claim to have
brought ITL’s media budget down from `25
crore to `5 crore.
Talreja scowls, “Flipkart is wasting money.
Amazon still seems to have a plan,
but Flipkart is blowing up money.
Even Housing.com.”
In sum, they’re basking in the
freedom of running their own
outfit.
“After so many years of being
in a large agency, we’re now
enjoying our lives. Now, the only
people we’re answerable to are
our wives,” they sign off. n
“We too
wanted deep
engagement
with
clients”
suraj.ramnath@afaqs.com
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digital
PRACTO
<< continued from page 14
Health Talk
Busy Bee
The doctor discovery portal executed #AskAboutCancer campaign
offering free online consultation on World Cancer Day observed on
February 4. By Saumya Tewari
I
gnorance continues to be
one of the main reasons that
prevent cancer patients from
getting help at the right time. On
the occasion of World Cancer Day,
which was observed on February 4,
the doctor discovery portal Practo,
joined hands with HDFC Life and
cancer survivor Lisa Ray, to spread
awareness about the deadly disease.
Practo Consult, a platform that is
dedicated to resolve medical queries,
offered free medical consultation
for cancer patients, survivors and
individuals who wanted the right
answers to their questions on
cancer. This was done by creating
buzz through a Facebook campaign
executed internally called Ask About
Cancer.
The campaign invited people
to ask their questions on Practo
Consult. It also announced the
launch of the Practo Consult Live
session #AskAboutCancer through
which one could ask questions
about cancer, what causes it, get
in-depth information about specific
types of cancer, their risk factors,
its early detection, diagnosis, and
treatment options.
Dr Ajai Kumar, founder,
chairman and CEO, HCG, and
who has over 35 years of experience
in the field of Oncology, answered
questions at a live session aired
on Practo’s social media pages
Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Speaking about the initiative,
Shashank ND, founder and
CEO, Practo, says that there is a
22
afaqs! Reporter, February 16-29, 2016
benefit which I have seen and heard
before. To create an impact we needed to
set it up in a context which is fresh and
relevant. So, just like the businessmen
who are ‘always-on’, ‘a business banking
solution that is always-on’ is how we
pitched it.”
Shantanu Sapre, executive director,
Lowe Lintas, says, “If you see today,
business dynamics have changed
drastically. A businessman can illafford to switch off from his business
whatever be the occasion or location.
Hence, it becomes important for banks
to keep up with the pace and demands
of businessmen. That’s why the idea
of ‘an always-on bank for the always-
The campaign
reached out to over
five million people.
“We wanted to
educate consumers
that the first step
towards beating
cancer is awareness.”
SHASHANK ND
Mobile banking
technology is gaining
popularity in India.
tremendous amount of information
available on health issues and it can
be hard for consumers to figure out
the difference between truth and
conjecture.
“Practo Consult wanted to
educate consumers that the first
step towards beating cancer is
awareness and early detection. In
order to do this, we hosted our first
live session via Practo Consult and
invited people on social media, with
the help of this campaign, to ask
their questions,” he explains.
The company claims to have
received
participation
with
tens of thousands of consumers
interacting via various channels.
The #AskAboutCancer Facebook
album reached out to over 1.75
million consumers and was shared
by nearly 1700 people.
The overall #AskAboutCancer
campaign created over 5,000
conversations, reached out to over
five million people, and had 46
million impressions on Twitter.
According to the World Health
Organisation, 8.2 million people
die of cancer every year. The first
step to find a solution is to create
awareness, detect the symptoms
well in time, and find the right
doctor or hospital. n
on businessmen’ fit perfectly for us to
communicate the same.”
Axis Bank, a private sector bank
in India, offers services to customer
segments such as large and midcorporates, SMEs, agriculture, and retail
businesses. Axis Bank is spread across
1,796 cities and towns in India. It has
overseas offices in the UK, Singapore,
Hong Kong, Shanghai, Colombo, Dubai,
and Abu Dhabi.
Lowe Lintas, part of Mullen Lowe
Lintas Group, is a creative agency
headquartered in Mumbai.
Some of its key clients include
HUL (for which the agency handles
21 brands), Axis Bank, Tata Global
Beverages, Idea Cellular, Tanishq,
FreeCharge and Firstcry.com among
others. It has its operating divisions
in advertising (Lowe Lintas, Mullen
Lintas), activation (LinEngage),
design (dCell), digital (LinTeractive),
brand consulting (LinConsult), video
content (LinProductions), healthcare
marketing (LinHealth) and PR
(GolinOpinion) managing over 300
clients globally. n
saumya.tewari@afaqs.com
feedback@afaqs.com
MY FM
RADIO A GAME CHANGER
IntervIew
ARUN IYER
CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER,
LOWE LINTAS
always attracted marketers
towards it. Any other
benefits that marketers
targeting these areas can
look at leveraging through
radio advertising?
Currently the Chief
Creative Officer of Lowe
Lintas, one of India’s top
advertising agencies. He
has spent close to 15 years
in advertising. He handled
brands like BPL Mobile,
CNBC India, Foster’s beer,
Indian Oil Corporation.
Most recently he worked
on the Idea Cellular
‘Ullu Banaoing’ and `IIN’
campaigns which featured
amongst the top 10
campaigns in India.
So, I think that’s part of the problem
where its considered as a medium
to which people move to while
targeting the smaller towns. Radio is
as prevalent in the bigger cities as it
is in the smaller towns. I feel, for a
marketer every rupee spent should
lead to something of value rather
than being a lip service to any thing.
The fact of the matter is, if the Radio
monies are maximized, I think it will
only help brands. But doing a Radio
campaign thinking that we should also
be present on Radio as well, won’t
help. I think this attitude of brands has
to change.
Tell us about your favorite
campaign? What mediums
were used to execute it?
How does your approach
change when creating
advertisements for Radio in
a particular campaign?
That’s difficult to answer! It will just
always be the current one, which is
not fair to the lot of campaigns. It
is extremely hard to point one down
but in terms of medium I think the
fact of the matter is that TV has been
the lead medium, when it comes to
advertising for a while now and all
of us remember a lot more of the TV
than everything else that we have
seen.
Which medium do you
consider the easiest to
devise campaigns for?
Which one is the toughest?
I don’t think there is easy and tough
because devising a good campaign is
as difficult for whatever medium you
decide to do it in. Each medium comes
with its own sets of challenges, for
example, in Print the copy has to be
crisp and hard hitting so that you can
make sure that people read it. In TV,
you have to ensure that you are able
stand out among the clutter and get
noticed. With Radio again, there is so
much of clutter and only sound, how
do you ensure you stick out and your
thoughts gets noticed. So, I won’t
say that its easy to devise a "good"
campaign for any medium, however
its easy to come up with a mediocre
one.
Please tell us about a
campaign where you used
Radio as a medium.
The most recent one that I remember,
is what we have done for Idea Delhi 3G
900 campaign, where Radio is a very
critical part of the campaign. More
so, because it is geography-specific
to Delhi NCR region. Hence, ofcourse
we have used Radio extensively and it
has been extremely successful.
How do you analyse
the success of a Radio
Campaign?
Radio as a
medium is
growing
tremendous rate
with time.
campaign successful?
I think a great idea coupled with a
great script makes all the difference.
I think you analyse the success of
the Radio campaign like you analyse
the success of any other campaigns.
Yes, there are measurements and
metrics, which can be quantified but
beyond a point I personally feel that
the success of a campaign in today’s
day and age has become word of the
mouth. I mean if people have noticed
your work and they are talking about
it then I think the campaign had
made its mark. So, that’s the kind of
measure that I personally look for.
How can a marketer leverage
radio as a medium to reach
out to his target market?
According to you, how
important is a good
script in making a radio
Its effectiveness and ability
to reach out to the masses
in tier II and III cities have
I think Radio as a medium is
underestimated by a lot of people. In
my opinion it has got great reach and
has been consistent for a long time
now. People’s listening habits are quiet
interesting and are also evolving. So,
I guess it is a slightly under utilized
medium because there is not as much
focus being given to Radio compared to
the other mediums.
More than anything else, I think it is
important to understand the medium.
Campaign creaters must think about
the mindset of the people or what
mood they are in while listening to the
Radio. You have to really understand
the temperament of the listeners and
then craft a campaign. In my opinion
there is very unique use of each
medium and people’s habits when it
comes to that particular medium. If
only one can understand what people
are expecting from that medium and
make the campaign an interesting
experience for listeners rather than
just a radio spot, then hopefully it will
click with the masses.
How do you see the growth
of Radio industry in India?
Radio is evolving in a fantastic way,
I think from just one FM channel
that government used to run to now
when there are significant number of
channels, which offer a broad range
of choices to the listeners. People can
now choose what to listen, for example
there is one channel which has taken
a very clear cut route of nostalgia and
then there are channels, which only
play latest Bollywood numbers. So, I
guess the fact of the matter is that
Radio as a medium is growing at a
tremendous rate with time. l
media
APPLE
carry the Vodafone logo and Airtel
in Delhi.
On its web page, team Apple
says, “The world’s most popular
camera is better than ever. Each
photo and video...is the original
taken with iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s
Plus - without filters, adjustments
or retouching. Imagine what you
can do with a camera this advanced,
along with the powerful editing
tools built into your iPhone.”
Meanwhile, Israeli photographer
Sephi Bergerson shot an entire
Indian wedding on his iPhone
6s Plus. In the video, which was
published on YouTube last month,
he mentions, “It is not going to
replace the DSLRs... but enables a
different range of shooting.”
The
difference
between
traditional cameras and an iPhone,
he explains in his film, is that
the latter allows him to maintain
eye contact with the subject being
photographed or filmed, something
that can’t be done when shooting
on a DSLR camera. The postproduction editing can also be done
on the iPhone 6s Plus, he says.
Wondering whether the video is
a piece of branded content released
by Apple, surfers have left several
comments on the YouTube page.
Bergerson’s response reads: “Why
can’t someone just do something
because they want to see how it
comes out? I’ve been shooting with
SLR cameras for more than 30 years.
Am I allowed to try something new
without being suspected of making
a PR piece for Apple?” n
Behold...
The outdoor ‘ads’ are
photographs clicked by
users of the iPhone 6s
and 6s Plus.
By Suraj Ramnath
A
round
ten
months
back,
Apple
ran
an
outdoor campaign, using
photographs clicked by users of the
iPhone 6. The campaign fetched ad
agency TBWAMedia Arts Lab an
outdoor Grand Prix at Cannes.
The second leg of the campaign
is out. The brand is running a
similar campaign presently; it
comprises stunning photographs
clicked by users of the iPhone 6s
and iPhone 6s Plus.
This is a global campaign known
in the media as ‘Apple World Gallery’.
Reportedly, this year’s campaign
includes over 50 images clicked
by over 40 photographers (both,
amateur and professional), that are
being displayed in around 85 cities
across over 25 countries. In all,
there are over 10,000 billboards,
across the world, reports Business
Insider.
The copy on the current
billboards reads: ‘Shot on iPhone
6s’. In Mumbai, the billboards
suraj.ramnath@afaqs.com
COLORS TV
Going Offshore
The channel has entered the New Zealand market through a
partnership between IndiaCast and Sky Network. By News Bureau
FOTOCORP
C
olors has added one more region to its
existing portfolio of 135 countries. It
has now extended its presence to New
Zealand. IndiaCast, the multi-platform content
asset monetisation entity, jointly owned by TV18
and Viacom18, has partnered with Sky Network
for the launch. The Colors content library will be
part of Sky’s foreign language subscription channel
line-up.
Raj Nayak, chief operating officer, Colors, says,
“As the channel launches on Sky in New Zealand,
it strengthens our belief that our programming
line-up provides not only Indian viewers, but
Nayak and Gandhi: To the new
The Colors content library will be part of Sky’s foreign
language subscription channel line-up.
24
afaqs! Reporter, February 16-29, 2016
also international audiences with entertainment
avenues in sync with their sensibilities.”
Anuj Gandhi, group chief executive officer,
IndiaCast, adds, “Our association with Sky
enables further strengthen our footprint with
content that engages and entertains.”
Commenting on the association, Megan King,
director of content strategy, Sky, says, “Colors
offers superb Hindi entertainment content, and
its inclusion in our foreign language channel lineup helps bring this culture closer to home here in
New Zealand.”
To create awareness about the development,
IndiaCast will cross-promote the inclusion of its
new feed extensively across its network brands,
on-air and online. n
feedback@afaqs.com
jobswitch
Post:
Business
Development
Manager
Company: Adworth Media Pvt Ltd
Profile: Client Pitching, Giving
Presentation to the clients, Thorough
knowledge of Media.
Exp: 3 to 4 yrs
Location: Rohini (Delhi)
Email: marcom@adworthmedia.org
............................................................
Post: Graphic Designer / Visualizer
Company: Wall Street Outdoor
Solution
Profile: Interpreting the client’s
business needs and developing
a concept to suit their purpose;
Thinking creatively to produce
new ideas and concepts; Good
presentation skills and the confidence
to explain and sell ideas to clients
and colleagues; Time management
skills and the ability to cope with
several projects at a time
Exp: 4 to 3 yrs.
Location: Bangalore
Email: vijay@wallstreetoutdoor.com
............................................................
Post: Advertising Copywriter
Company: Religiate Interactive
Brand Consulting Pvt Ltd
Profile: A smart English copywriter
who can translate a clients’ brief into
effective copy, spin great stories, is
capable of writing both long and
short copy and thinks across media
like print, films, brochures and
brand collaterals. Candidates from
Advertising background would only
be considered.
Exp: 3 to 5 yrs
Location: Kondapur, Hyderabad
Email: ceo@religiate.com
............................................................
Post: Merchandiser
Company: GM Modular Pvt Ltd
Profile: Visit all the stores in the
assigned area as per the daily scheduled
route plan Proper arrangement of
products on fixtures, shelves, bin or
point of display Identify the multiple
locations at stores where products
are displayed Developing relations
with the category persons at the
stores Looking for the stock on the
upper shelves/warehouse under store
executive guidance & placing them
on fixtures or shelves for maximum
display of stocks Wherever possible
request and arrange for additional
display on the stores.
Exp: 1 to 3 yrs
Location: Andheri West. Mumba
Email: hr@gmmodular.com,
veda@gmmodular.com
............................................................
Post: Account Manager / Client
Servicing
Company: Nu Branding
Profile: You will be responsible
for managing and growing existing
client relationships, overseeing client
projects through the studio from
initial brief to final delivery.Working
alongside a team of designers you
will be expected to have a great
understanding of all aspects of
the marketing mix including
digital. You should be extremely
organised, disciplined with excellent
communications skills.
Exp: 3 to 5 yrs.
Location: Hauz Khas, Delhi
Email: ms@changefornu.com
............................................................
Post: Business Head (Retail) /
Manager - Client Services
Company: Brandppulse Marketing
Services Pvt. Ltd.
Profile: Understanding retail
industry, adapting to dynamic
changes in the current market.
Strategize overall business plan
for new business development,
fixing result-oriented meetings
and displaying excellent team
management in getting the work
done.
Exp: 5 to 7 yrs.
Location: Mumbai
Email: hr@brandppulse.com
............................................................
Post: Artist & Key Accounts Manager
Company:
DEU:
Creative
Management
Profile: This vacancy is an important
sales development and artist
management role, responsible for
supporting existing relationships
with clients and
visual artists
managed by the agency and creating
new sales opportunities in order
to achieve monthly/quarterly sales
targets and customer satisfaction
goals.
Exp: 1 to 2 yrs.
Location: Mumbai
Email: alex@deucreatives.com
............................................................
Post: Art Director
Company: 21N78E Pvt Ltd
Profile: Work with all the Marketing
and Client teams to create effective
client communication, develop
innovative products, enabling client
acquisition and customer delight.
Responsible for conceptualizing,
strategizing and visualizing concepts
and designing for a variety of
products.
Exp: 2 to 5 yrs.
Location: Mumbai
Email: talk.to.us@21n78e.com
............................................................
Post:
Business
Development
Manager
Company:
M&M
Connect
Advertising & Promotions Pvt. Ltd
Profile: We are looking for proactive, self-motivated, enthusiastic
and energetic go-getters to handle
Business Development. Should
have a good understanding of both
coventional & the digital media and
how to use it to enhance customer
engagement and drive Clients’
business outcomes. Should have
a proven track record in business
development and Client Relationship
management.
Exp: 5 to 7 yrs.
Location: Bangalore
Email: careers@m-and-m.in
............................................................
Post: Media Executive - Space selling
Company: Diamond Magazines Pvt.
Ltd.
Profile: Candidates with past
experience of space selling and an
existing relation with clients under
any of the below categories should
apply: - FMCG, Retail (Wedding,
Fashion category), Automobile
sector, Kids and Digital. Candidates
with expertise in any of the above
mentioned categories should apply
Exp: 2 to 3 yrs.
Location: New Delhi
Email: manish@dpb.in
............................................................
Post: Creative Manager
Company: Graffiti Collaborative Pvt
Ltd
Profile: With the core of our business
being creative, all our ideas are
visually represented by the quality of
our designs and films. We are on the
lookout for creative visualisers who
can ideate and execute ideas by being
part of an awesome creative team.
Exp: 3 to 5 yrs.
Location: Bangalore
Email: hr@graffitimedia.in
............................................................
Post: Global Design Manager
Company: Greenlight Planet Inc
Profile: Design Advertising &
Promotions for the brand Sun King1.
Advertising & Communication
design for the brand2. Create
merchandising for the brand across
markets
Exp: 3 to 5 yrs.
Location: Mumbai
Email: t archita@greenlightplanet.
com
............................................................
Post: Copywriter
Company: 2 pi communications
Profile:
Conceptualization &
ideation on the brief as provided by
the client servicing teamGenerating
original ideas that answers the
brief, engages the target audience
and pushes the brandUndertaking
research and staying on top of digital
trends in order to continue to create
copy and generate consistently good
ideas for clients
Exp: 2 to 3 yrs.
Location: Mumbai
Email: upendrra28@gmail.com
............................................................
To adverTise, conTacT:
abhilash singh
Ph: 09999989454
Email: abhilash.singh@afaqs.com
aakash Bhatia
Ph: 09650544122
Email: aakash.bhatia@afaqs.com
sumeet chandiramani
(Mumbai)
Ph: 09820590172
Email: sumeet.chandiramani@afaqs.com
jobswitch@afaqs.com
To view other jobs in Marketing,
Media and advertising, log on to:
www.jobswitch.in
Join us on
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afaqs! Reporter, February 16-29, 2 0 1 6
25
>> MOVEMENTS/APPOINTMENTS<<
ADVERTISING
FOTOCORP
ed
Fuse
Communications
has announced the
promotion of Shubha
George as managing
director - Asia. George,
who is currently
CEO India, Red Fuse
Communications, will
in her new role, lead
the development of SHUBHA GEORGE
integrated marketing
communications for Colgate-Palmolive across
Asia.
FCB
Ulka
Advertising
has
announced
the
appointment
of
Swati Bhattacharya as
chief creative officer.
She replaces Satbir
Singh. Bhattacharya
has spent 22 years at
JWT. In 2011 she was
appointed national
SWATI BHATTACHARYA
creative director, JWT
India. In 2015, Bhattacharya set up Dentsu Mama
Lab as principal partner. n
DIGITAL
lobal marketing communications consultancy
Maxus has announced the appointment
of Suraj Nambiar as general manager, Maxus
Digital, South. Nambiar will be responsible for
leading the agency’s digital business in the South,
and for improving the product for all non-paid
digital media services
(creative, social, native,
and influencer). He
will report to Vishal
Jacob, national director,
digital, Maxus.
Craftsvilla.com, the
online shopping store
for ethnic products,
has announced the
appointment of Manish
Kalra as chief business
MANISH KALRA
officer. Kalra was
previously director of
integrated marketing at Amazon India where he
was responsible for overall marketing and building
key brands in the country such as Amazon.in,
Junglee.com, and Kindle.
Urban Ladder, the
online furniture and
home décor company,
has appointed Sanjay
Gupta
as
chief
marketing
officer.
Gupta, who will be
based in Bengaluru,
will lead the company’s
marketing strategies,
including branding,
creative,
content,
SANJAY GUPTA
digital, and product
marketing. Gupta has
12 years of experience
in
branding
and
marketing, and was
previously associated
with Accenture, Purple
Squirrel Consulting
and Marico. He has
been
instrumental
in building brands in
the consumer goods
VISHAL MAHESHWARI
industry across food,
26
afaqs! Reporter, February 16-29, 2 0 1 6
A round up of some major people
movements in the last fortnight
MARKETING
R
G
people
personal care and
automotive sectors in
sales and marketing.
Vuclip, the videoon-demand
(VOD)
service for emerging
markets, has announced
the appointment of
Vishal
Maheshwari
as country manager
in India. He will
PAWAN AGARWAL
spearhead the launch
of the company’s
Over-The-Top (OTT) video streaming service
in the country. Maheshwari has over 15 years
of leadership experience in the telecom and
mobile internet space. His core responsibilities at
Vuclip will include driving consumer adoption,
engagement and monetisation for this service
in India through strategic partnerships, service
innovation and consumer insights.
Pawan Agarwal has quit the Times Internetowned Gaana.com as to join YouTube as head of
music partnerships, India and South Asia. Agarwal
was responsible for business growth and P&L
management as the business head at Gaana.com. n
MEDIA
S
enior journalist
Y P Rajesh has
been
appointed
as the executive
editor of The Print,
the media venture
started by veteran
journalists Shekhar
Gupta and Barkha
Dutt. Rajesh, who
has over 23 years
Y P RAJESH
of experience as a
journalist, was until
recently, the assistant executive editor at India
Today. He has also worked as associate editor at
The Indian Express. Prior to that, he had stints
with India Today, Reuters, Outlook, and The
Week. n
D
elna Avari, marketing head - passenger
vehicles, Tata Motors, has put in her papers
to pursue entrepreneurship. She worked as
marketing head for Tata Motors’ passenger vehicles
vertical. She will hold this position till April.
With over 15 years of
experience, Avari has
been associated with
Tata Motors through
various subsidiaries
including UK and
South East Asia. She has
held several positions
at the group, which
includes
marketing
and communication
services. n
DELNA AVARI
<< continued from page 6
Winning Hearts
says, “This is not old school advertising, but
branded content. And, that’s what the world of
communication is moving towards.”
Talking about the target audience, Kumar
says, “I’m sure this is the first in a series of
films, and hopefully, this issue of segmented
communication to a specific audience will be
sorted. The potential does exist for many stories
to be told in the travel companion, travelogue,
and bank of travel stories kind of space.”
Prathap Suthan, managing partner and chief
creative officer, Bang in the Middle, says that
although the film is lengthy, the content makes
up for the length. He says, “Perhaps, it could
have been trimmed a bit. But, length really isn’t
a problem, when the content holds. In this case,
the syrupy story keeps your mind occupied. Fat
books work. Long films work. Car races work.
Test cricket works.”
Commenting on the concept and execution,
Suthan says, “It’s a differentiated perspective.
And, it gets under the skin of the emotionally
plump Indian mindset. Usually films that come
out from airlines are almost by default shot and
delivered from the eyes of the passenger. But,
this film is from the crew’s point of view and
that changes the regular narrative. It is a soft,
fuzzy, warm India-laden film that gets people
hooked.”
Sonal Narain, chief strategy officer, Cheil
India, feels the ad is beautifully executed, with
great casting and acting. She likes it more than
the previous ones, for its human and intimate
touch. She says, “While emotional connect is a
similar space, this idea feels a lot more intimate
and maybe real because it’s given the brand a
human face as the air hostess. The idea and story
of getting to know a place through connecting
with its people is a lot more nuanced, modest
and believable than the previous version, which
was a bit ‘British Airways helps Indians do
‘Indian things’ in its tone.” n
snehojit.khan@afaqs.com