Tag: Carat

India – Carat, the media agency from dentsu India, has bagged the media mandate for TimesPro, a higher edtech initiative of the Times of India Group. This account will be serviced from the agency’s Mumbai office.

TimesPro offers a variety of created and curated learning programmes across a range of categories, industries, and age groups. They include employment-oriented early career programmes across BFSI, e-commerce, and technology sectors; executive education for working professionals in collaboration with premier educational institutions like IIMs and IITs; and organisational learning and development interventions at the corporate level. 

As part of the mandate, Carat will be handling the omnichannel media services for TimesPro.

Anita Kotwani, CEO of Carat India, commented, “We are pleased to win the media business for TimePro. Carat is committed to creating meaningful end-to-end media solutions through data-driven marketing, and to further accelerate the brand’s growth journey. As a team, we are excited to get this opportunity to work with a brand that is aiding every professional’s career aspiration!” 

Meanwhile, Gaurav Barjatya, head of brand marketing and communications at TimesPro, said, “We are delighted to be working with Carat India. It’s an agency that’s responsive and nimble to the business demands of today, which span a variety of traditional and new-age media. We look forward to collaborating with them as we grow and take our H.EdTech offering to millions of learners nationwide.”

In June 2022, Carat India also won the media mandate for Croma, an Indian retail chain of consumer electronics and durables from the house of Infiniti Retail. Through the mandate, the agency will oversee the brand’s media planning and buying rights.

Hong Kong – Virtual insurer OneDegree has launched its newest campaign for Pride Month, celebrating the diversity across the community as part of their endeavour to launch its home insurance offering to extend coverages to diverse families.

Conceptualised alongside Giraffe Hong Kong and distributed alongside Carat, is a deep-dived, unscripted 2min and 25sec interview video that featured 10 LGBTQ+ couples, including celebrity Kayla Wong and her fiancée Elaine Chen-Fernandez, where they expressed thoughts around their definition of ‘home’, a definition that might differ by person but in fact universal by nature.

OneDegree identifies the market gap and the need for inclusiveness for a diverse community, in addition to consumers’ need for a more personalised, nimble and most-valued-for-money insurance coverage. Therefore, its new home insurance package can be personally tailored and extends from the basic coverage for household contents.

Speaking on the campaign launch, Alvin Kwock, co-founder of OneDegree Group, said, “OneDegree believes all families are worth protecting and should share equal rights in the society. We believe that insurance is not only a written insurance on paper, but a promise that we give to protect all families out there.”

Meanwhile, Sean Lee, creative partner at Giraffe Hong Kong, commented, “To share a dream home with your beloved one should be something you deserve for, but not something you have to fight for. This is why we came up with the idea of simply asking all the couples ‘What is home?’, to show that LGBTQ+ and straight families are just the same. We share the same needs, thus deserve the same protection.”

Lastly, Polly Ip, business director at Carat Media Services Hong Kong, said, “We have two target segments identified, LGBTQ+ community and the Mass Audience. To accurately capture the right audiences, we leveraged multiple programmatic partners riding on vertical 3rd party data, contextual intelligence to reach out to LGBTQ+ community with combing audience and sentiment segments in real time. With advanced predictive cookieless solution, we are able to identify high value and discover new trending contents that resonates with our target audience to ensure campaign relevancy and drive on-target reach. This differed us from other typical insurance product campaigns.”

Mumbai, India – Dentsu’s media agency Carat in India has appointed Sayami Podder as its new associate vice president for strategy, where she will be responsible for spearheading strategic thinking for the agency. In addition, she will also offer insights to the existing agency clients across the West and South regions in India.

She will be reporting to Anita Kotwani, CEO at Carat India.

With more than 12 years of experience, Sayami is specialised in brand, media & communication strategy, consumer research and market mix modelling. She has worked across a wide range of categories including FMCG, beverages, fashion, BFSI, e-commerce and manufacturing.

She was previously with Mindshare India, where she led strategy for brands like Ultratech Cement, Castrol, SBI Life, ICICI and Kellogg’s. She has also worked with significant retail brands like Pantaloons & Max Fashion and new-age brands like Upstox, Byju’s and TCS Ion, to name a few.

Speaking on her appointment, she said, “The consumer journey is no longer linear, and the media ecosystem is constantly evolving to accommodate our new age audience. Carat is already known for its strategic thinking and integrated approach. With my expertise in data science and creative thinking, I am looking forward to building an insight-led strategy that will generate incremental and sustainable growth for our clients. I am delighted to begin this new journey under Anita’s dynamic leadership and contribute to Carat’s growth story for India.”

Meanwhile, Kotwani commented, “Talent today is the key differentiator that clients look for. Our core focus is to always ensure that we have the best talent that comes on board and joins the Carat family. Sayami’s diverse expertise across data & analytics, research, communication planning and media strategy, is certainly something that will drive growth for the clients. We see her as the ideal team player to lead Carat’s vision of ‘Designing for People’ in the West and South markets.”

Sydney, Australia – In celebration of Carnival season’s Mardi Gras and Pride Month, the Australian retail chain of liquor stores, BWS, has launched its new in-store activation and content series, ‘BWYASSS Runway’.

The runway was developed in collaboration with members of The House of Silky and The House of Slé, music producer Mirasia, and a production crew within the ballroom community via marketing agency M&C Saatchi Sydney, and the media strategy and buying were managed by Dentsu’s media agency Carat.

BWS said that the runway, in ballroom culture, was pioneered by Black and Latinx trans women and queer people because the community needed a place to express themselves, without judgement. The BWYASSS Runway was created with the same intention, which is to remind people that BWS is a place where everyone belongs and all are welcome.

In 2021, BWS has rebranded its Oxford street store to ‘BWYASSSS’ during Mardi Gras, and this year, as a national show of support for the LGBTQIA+ community, it is permanently rebranding stores across every state. Moreover, BWS has also launched the ‘Loud & Proud’ drinks range in partnership with Pinnacle Drinks, in which 100% of the range’s profit will be donated to the Pride Foundation of Australia.

Meg Clark, the head of marketing at BWS, shared that at BWS, they encourage an environment of diversity and inclusion for their customers and team, and they also want everyone to feel welcome when they walk into any BWS store no matter how they identify.

“Permanently rebranding an additional seven stores nationally to BWYASSS is just one way we want to show our support of the LBGTQIA+ community,” said Clark. 

Meanwhile, Brendan Donnelly, M&C Saatchi Sydney’s creative director, said, “Ballroom is a vibrant subculture within the pride community. We wanted to celebrate that with The Runway and the shared value of acceptance and let people know they can express themselves freely at BWS.”

BWYASSS’ runway and ‘Loud & Proud’ range have been rolled out on Spotify, featuring their own Mardi Gras playlist, as well as in social, street posters, and influencer activity.

Shanghai, China – Carat, the media agency under dentsu, has won once again the account of dairy company Mengniu Group as its strategic media planning agency in China. Carat has long worked with Mengniu Group since 2017 where the group used its data-driven solutions and consumer-centric strategy and planning for Mengniu’s brand growth.

Mengniu is dedicated to supplying healthy, nutritious and delicious dairy products to consumers in China and overseas. The company is one of the leading in the market of premium milk, yoghurt, fresh milk and cheese, and aims to expand its global reach.

Ami Qian, chief executive officer at Carat China, said, “We are thrilled to be continuing this cornerstone partnership. This renewal comes as our relationship with Mengniu enters its 5th year and is a testament to Carat’s growth-driving, results-based approach. We are proud of our track record helping this ever-expanding portfolio of brands reach new audiences in China and around the world.”

She added, “Mengniu is a leading and innovative brand in China, and our strategic approach emphasizes placing greater insights and capabilities at the heart of communications planning. Carat’s market-leading data-driven approach delivers the deep knowledge and insight required to strategize for this complex portfolio of products across multiple consumer segments within this highly competitive category. We are looking forward to another glorious year with Mengniu.”

Singapore – Apparel brand UNIQLO in Singapore has appointed dentsu’s media agency arm Carat to be its integrated marketing solutions agency partner.

As part of the mandate, Carat will be responsible for UNIQLO’s omnichannel planning and performance marketing to drive full-funnel outcomes.

Joyce Tan, UNIQLO’s marketing director for Singapore, shared that Carat Singapore presented a very balanced and holistic view that addressed their business needs for online transformation, while respecting their roots in brick-and-mortar stores.

“This approach speaks to our focus to be relevant to today’s omnichannel consumer. More importantly, the Carat team demonstrated passion and a drive for results, and the ability to see through a local lens to address the needs of our customers – values that UNIQLO holds close to heart. We look forward to working closely with them to take the UNIQLO brand to the next level in the years ahead,” said Tan.

Meanwhile, Jean Lee, dentsu’s client partner of media group for Singapore, hopes to achieve the shared vision of seamless O2O experiences for UNIQLO Singapore to become a truly omnichannel retail company.

“There is much potential for omnichannel media planning and hybrid models, and we are certain that our one dentsu service model and capabilities in O2O marketing will bring UNIQLO to the next level of digitalization,” said Lee.

Sydney, Australia – In a bid to promote vaccine equity for all, dentsu’s media agency arm Carat and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Australia have launched the second phase of their ‘Give The World a Shot’ campaign, which targets to drive donations from Australians to ensure vaccine equity for all. In addition, the agency also called on the business community to get behind this initiative.

For AU$5, the amount will be able to deliver two COVID-19 vaccine doses – enough to fully vaccinate one person. A donation of AU$500 can help to deliver enough vaccines to protect 100 people from the virus.

Dentsu had announced last month that they had joined the COVID Vaccination of UNICEF Australia to support positive vaccine advocacy and encourage donations for the global COVAX initiative, which has to date seen 398.9 million doses delivered to 144 countries. The expectation is to deliver 1.4 billion doses by the end of 2021, with a target of 2 billion in early 2022.

Sue Squillace, CEO at dentsu Media ANZ, stated that working with UNICEF Australia has been such a rewarding experience for all of them and that they look forward to seeing the campaign come to fruition, adding that they have seen Aussies rise to the COVID-19 challenge and believe they will rally again behind this worthy cause to help UNICEF deliver vaccinations across the world.

“Leveraging our understanding of the Australian context and how people are feeling right now, we have created a tailored ‘Give The World A Shot’ campaign unique to this market with a sense of positivity and optimism. We could not be happier with the message we are putting out there,” Squillance said.

Carat hopes that the campaign encourages all Australians to pay it forward and donate to UNICEF’s ‘Give the World a Shot’ initiative. To aid the campaign, the media agency has triggered its ‘Compassionate Explorer’ audience, identified through dentsu’s proprietary planner tool CCS.

Furthermore, the agency has also triggered its media channels by state in line with Freedom Day, particularly across NSW and Victoria. The dynamic digital large format sites are placed in high quality locations and display contextual messaging, comparing the local suburb vaccination rate with that of low-income countries. In addition, digital homepage takeovers across state mastheads align with print ads to drive cut-through and impact in topical environments and will be staggered based on the level of restrictions in each respective state.

For UNICEF Australia CEO Tony Stuart, the organization is working on the largest procurement and supply operation ever to ensure that countries around the globe have equitable access to 3 billion doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. And yet, no organization can do it alone, and everyone has a part to play so nobody misses out, which is why the campaign is vital to drive donations.

“As Australians reach high vaccination rates and we begin to open up to the rest of the world, now is the time for each of us, as individuals, to know the small, but crucial, part we can play in vaccine equity. Thanks to Carat’s help to grow greater awareness of UNICEF’s Give the World a Shot campaign, we can do this,” Stuart stated.

Meanwhile, Amanda Florence, client manager at Carat, commented, “Working with UNICEF to bring to life an incredibly worthy cause has been a humbling experience for our team. We are very lucky to be in a position where we are able to help those less fortunate than ourselves and believe that no matter how big or how small, everyone can help.”

Sydney, Australia – After a couple of years of lockdown due to the pandemic, Aussies are now on the homestretch, and to celebrate the countdown to freedom, the Australian retail chain of liquor stores, BWS, launches a new campaign, giving away a free six-pack brew to share with mates in the lead-up to summer.

Titled ‘Can’t wait mate’, the campaign, which is in collaboration with marketing agency M&C Saatchi Sydney, focuses on bringing people together to share a long-awaited drink. It includes a paid campaign on Facebook and Instagram.

In addition, BWS has also partnered with Carat, the media arm by dentsu India, to leverage micro and macro-influencers. Carat will be sharing diverse content across all Instagram formats to drive mass awareness, encourage engagement, and shareability. It will also be handling all media strategy and buying for the campaign, bringing the ‘Share a Drink’ platform to life by using influencers and editorial coverage across youth publications.

BWS said that they are encouraging shoppers to share on social media who they are looking forward to sharing a drink with, using the hashtag #cantwaitmate.

Brendan Donnelly, the creative director at M&C Saatchi Sydney, shared that there’s a ton of things they’ve looked forward to as people all step out of various restrictions across the country, and once haircuts are out of the way, most of them can’t wait to celebrate their freedom by catching up with family and friends.

“What better way to do that than sharing free beers together! #cantwaitmate is a simple social campaign that lets your mates know there’s a beer waiting for them when you catch up,” said Donnelly.

Meanwhile, Vanessa Rowed, BWS’ head of marketing, said, “Lockdowns and restrictions have made us long for those much-needed social interactions. But there is light at the end of the tunnel, and we are celebrating by encouraging Aussies to get together and share drinks with their mates.”

To redeem the free brew, Aussies over the age of 18 can simply head to BWS.com.au or the BWS app and create an account, and when buying two six-packs of XXXX DRY or James Squire Zero, they will receive their second one for free at checkout.

India – India’s beauty brand SUGAR Cosmetics has appointed Carat, the media agency by dentsu India, to be its new media partner.

SUGAR Cosmetics is crafted across Germany, Italy, India, USA, and Korea. The brand ships its products in lips, eyes, face, and nails, as well as skin categories across the world, scaling its physical presence with over 10,000 retail outlets as of 2020 across more than 130 cities.

As per the mandate, Carat will be overseeing SUGAR Cosmetics’ media strategy, planning, and buying.

Vineeta Singh, the CEO and co-founder of SUGAR Cosmetics, said that Carat’s strategic thinking, experience, and efficiencies stood out, and partnering with them on their media strategy is reassuring, given their data-driven approach in meeting the brand goals.

“The beauty industry is ever-changing and we at SUGAR Cosmetics always like to stay ahead of the curve. As a brand leader, it is my topmost priority to ensure that we keep evolving our strategies to meet consumer requirements. I hope our new association with Carat will help us in this journey of keeping up with consumer trends and stay relevant in the industry,” said Singh.

Meanwhile, Anita Kotwani, Carat India’s CEO, commented that they are pleased to win the media business for SUGAR Cosmetics, and they are committed to creating meaningful end-to-end media solutions through data-driven marketing, and to further accelerate the brand’s growth journey. 

“As a team, we are excited to get this opportunity to work with a brand that is loved by the women of today,” said Kotwani.

Delhi, India – The Indian arm of dentsu’s media agency Carat has appointed Ashish Singh to take charge as Carat India’s new vice president for planning.

Singh will be leading the agency’s digital mandate for North and East. Through his new role, he will be responsible for developing and leading client relationships for Carat in addition to helping the agency deliver enhanced digital solutions to clients.

Prior to his new position, Singh was with Mindshare India where he held the position of Partner for Digital. During his seven-year-stint with Mindshare, Ashish was responsible for driving revenue growth for the network agency. He has been instrumental in leading several client relationships at Mindshare and has actively lead pitches for businesses.

With more than 15 years of experience, Ashish has liaised with numerous clients across multiple categories to build the roadmap to numerous path-breaking digital strategies.

Commenting on his appointment, Singh said, “With continuous change in the media ecosystem, digital is the battleground for all types of businesses where consumers are accustomed to connectedness. Carat is known for its integrated communication planning backed by some of the cutting-edge analytical tools in the industry.” 

He added, “I am delighted to join Carat – the first specialist agency in the country and the world’s first media agency – to contribute my experience to create a meaningful connection for brands in the digital ecosystem for business outcomes. I look forward to this journey where together we focus on growth, expansion, and nurture talent.”

He will report to Anita Kotwani, CEO of Carat India.  

“I have had the pleasure of working with many digital professionals and Ashish Singh clearly stands out as one amongst the best. Ashish will add immense value as part of my core team and help shape the Carat Digital offering. He comes in with the mandate to drive the larger North and East offices for Carat India and help drive value for our key global clients like Microsoft, Mastercard, Phillips and local clients like Havells, DS group, and others,” Kotwani stated.

She added, “With his domain expertise across the changing digital ecosystem and his love for being a lifelong learner, I am confident that our clients will see the best of data, creative and technology amalgamation under his leadership to help drive their business outcomes.”