Tag: India

India – Boro Plus, the antiseptic cream brand under India’s skincare company Emami, has launched a new social initiative aimed at promoting self-love through the use of the newly-rolled out feature on Instagram – Instagram Reels.

The campaign, which was developed in collaboration with media agency Mad Influence, targets to promote the importance of appreciating the numerous small moments in people’s everyday lives, drawing attention to a very relevant problem faced by today’s generation – ‘self-appreciation’.

Titled ‘#EkJhappiForMe’, the campaign was kickstarted by well-known dancer and choreographer Shakti Mohan on Instagram Reels. Mohan has shared a short video about the importance of ‘self-care’ and ‘self-love’, encouraging her fans to participate in this social initiative by sharing their self-love moments on the app with the hashtag ‘#EkJhappiforme’ and the Boro Plus Social Initiative audio.

Moreover, several well-known content creators, including Roshni Walia, Vaishnavi Rao, Ishpreet Dang, and Kanika Mann, have taken part in the socially beneficial initiative.

MARKETECH APAC has reached out to Emami for a comment.

Bengaluru, India – In one of the most unexpected gifts for the holiday season, local insurance provider ACKO Insurance has recently launched a holiday campaign that targets to make roads in the city of Bengaluru safer to travel by fixing its current inconsistent road structure.

Done in partnership with creative agency Leo Burnett Orchard, the campaign sees a bunch of workers clad in Santa Claus costumes working to fix the road potholes in the wee hours of the night. The project, which is also made in partnership with organization PotHoleRaja, patched over 150 potholes near Royal Meenakshi Mall in Bannerghatta to help make the roads safer and ensure a smooth ride for the commuters.

Further in the campaign video, onlookers watch the truck doors open as the Santas get to work, with a Christmas melody as a backdrop. The following morning, residents express their joy and gratitude upon waking up to the gift of a patched-up road.

Speaking about the campaign, Ashish Mishra, EVP for marketing at ACKO, said, “The campaign was born out of our desire to play a part in eliminating this menace and making road travel safer. We made this vision a reality by collaborating with PotHoleRaja to give the city’s residents an ideal Christmas gift. The campaign is also especially close to our hearts since it is part of ACKO’s bigger mission to promote and prioritise road safety for all.”

Meanwhile, according to Prathap B., founder and CEO at PotHoleRaja, their focus is to have accident-free roads and save lives by fixing potholes. He also added that their agenda is to drive awareness and find effective means to fix potholes.

“So, when we were approached for this campaign, we felt this would be the best thing we could do during Christmas for the people of Bengaluru. We are always on the lookout for companies and partnerships that understand our vision of pothole free roads, so we thank ACKO for supporting our cause,” Prathap said.

Pravin Sutar, creative head India at Leo Burnett Orchard, added, “Christmas is all about childlike innocence and smiles. And that’s exactly what we wanted to spread for the residents of Bengaluru. We hope that we’ve raised the bar for Christmas advertising in India, with this piece.”

The film is being amplified through digital channels and across social media.

India – New Delhi’s shopping center, Select CITYWALK, has launched a new campaign that seeks to fulfill forgotten Christmas wishes and inspire people to keep believing in ‘miracles’. 

The campaign, which was conceptualized by digital agency RepIndia, celebrates the adage of “never stop believing in the magic of Christmas,” aims to ignite the spark of ‘magic’ and ‘hope’ for Select CITYWALK’s guests of all ages.

Titled ‘#MerryWishmas‘, the film features the Select CITYWALK team asking its guests what they wanted for Christmas as little children, and giving it to them as a surprise at the end of the video. The film aimed to capture the genuine warmth of surprised smiles, ending with a heartwarming message – “Make someone’s wish come true and their happiness will stay with you forever!”

Gitanjali Singh, Select CITY WALK’s vice president of marketing, commented, “This year, with our #MerryWishmas campaign, we decided to fulfill some cherished unfulfilled wishes of shoppers and our store staff and the reaction we got was truly heartwarming.”

Meanwhile, Nikhil Kashyap, RepIndia’s assistant vice president of strategy and client success, said, “I am glad we were able to assist Select CITYWALK to deliver the right experience through poignant, relatable storytelling.”

India – Reports on Monday, 27 December, confirmed that Pankhuri Shrivastava, the founder of ‘Pankhuri’, a women-focused social community platform, had passed away on 24 December.

Shrivastava started Pankhuri in 2019. Pankhuri is a women-exclusive online platform to learn and upskill in areas of fashion, beauty, grooming, and lifestyle through live interactive courses, expert chat, and interest-based clubs. 

Shrivastava had also previously founded rental startup Grabhouse in 2012. Aside from being a serial entrepreneur, Shrivastava is also a seasoned marketing leader, where alongside co-founding Grabhouse, stood as its CMO.

In 2016, Grabhouse was sold to online classifieds platform Quikr, where thereafter, Shrivastava was appointed as its AVP for marketing. Shrivastava also provided marketing strategy consultancy to ZestMoney prior to establishing Pankhuri.

According to The Economic Times, messages for Shrivastava from the business community poured on Twitter, such as from Vani Kola, founder of Kalaari Capital, and GV Ravishankar, MD of Sequoia Capital India. 

Reports have not confirmed the cause of her passing. 

Mumbai, India – India’s sports league, VIVO Pro Kabaddi League (VIVO PKL), has appointed financial and healthcare super app, Dhani, to be its strategic timeout partner in the sporting event. This is in collaboration with sports management firm Professional Management Group (PMG) and independent media agency Madison Media Ace, who shared the announcement.

The appointment will see VIVO PKL providing customers the opportunity to take a ‘timeout’ from making full payments by dividing their payments into three parts through Dhani’s flagship financial offering ‘OneFreedom Card’. The Strategic Timeout, which is 90 seconds in length, also fits with Dhani’s proposition of providing its financial card to customers in under two minutes.

Through the partnership, the association will also help Dhani with differentiated, clutter-breaking, and strong visibility during the live matches of the PKL. The strategic timeout is taken twice in a game, at the 10th and 15th minute of the second half of the game.

Ankit Banga, Dhani’s chief marketing officer, believes that the partnership is a great fit for them, as the majority of their customers stem from the heartland and other smaller pockets of India.

“Also, it resonates fantastically with our product proposition of giving our customers a timeout from making full payments by splitting their transaction into 3 interest-free parts,” said Banga.

Vandana Ramkrishna, Madison Media Ace’s chief operating officer, said that the OneFreedom card is the first kind of a product and needed a unique way to drive benefits of the product beyond standard inventory buys. 

“We leveraged PMG’s expertise to get the STO created for the first time ever on Kabaddi for Dhani to help bring out the brand benefits seamlessly. Kabaddi as a sport, has significant unique viewers, and driving visibility through both on-air and on-ground will not only help Dhani garner incremental audiences but would also drive significant business results,” said Ramkrishna.

Melroy D’Souza, the chief operating officer of Professional Management Group, said, “Both the Vivo PKL and Dhani are only growing bigger and better, in terms of stature and popularity. We have no doubt that the relationship between these two institutions will go the same way, in the weeks and months to come.”

India – In a very clever Christmas campaign by India-based delivery platform Swiggy Genie, we see a version of Santa that is all-ready and excited to explore other ‘job opportunities’ aside from his main holiday task of bringing gifts to everybody’s household.

Created together with digital creative agency Dentsu Webchutney, delivery platform Swiggy Genie aims to present its app benefits of being a reliable hand in delivery, most especially gift-delivery this holiday, through none other than Santa, who is shown outsource the task himself to the platform, hence, now ‘more available’ for other work. 

To add further quirkiness to the #SantaOpenToWork campaign, the main ad has been made a parody of the emerging ‘video resume’ with the campaign team even cooking Santa up his very own LinkedIn profile.

Sneha John, director for marketing at Swiggy, commented, “We wanted to remind Swiggy users and non-users alike that they can depend on Swiggy Genie to take care of gift deliveries and other chores this Christmas season. The #SantaOpenToWork campaign does just that, with some Christmas cheer and smart humor.”

To create more buzz around the campaign, Swiggy has used their Genie Instamart channels to drop unbranded flyers and business cards from Santa, with a special QR Code leading people to the video. The agency shared that tear-able posters were even put across multiple corporate offices to target ‘possible’ employers. 

Sanket Audhi, creative director at Dentsu Webchutney, shared that the campaign’s idea revolved around the question – If Swiggy Genie is taking over deliveries, what will Santa Claus do? 

“But we knew we had a winner when we thought of crafting the entire campaign around the #OpenToWork feature, which has become an instantly recognizable mnemonic. I hope people have as much fun watching the campaign as we had creating it,” said Audhi. 

Digital ads have been launched across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Wynk, and Inshorts, leading people to the video resume.

Gurugram, India – Global communications agency BCW has elevated Deepshikha Dharmaraj to the role of chief executive officer at BCW India Group, effective immediately. She will still retain her role of chief executive officer at Genesis BCW.

Through her new role, she will be managing the overall business interests of BCW in India and implementing its growth strategy encompassing people, clients and partners. She is supported by Prema Sagar, chairperson at BCW India Group, as well as the leadership teams at Genesis BCW and Six Degrees BCW, including Vandana Sandhir, who now leads Six Degrees BCW.

Speaking about her appointment, Dharmaraj said, “Under BCW India Group, we have faced the challenges of the past two years with our combined assets and come out stronger for it. BCW India Group has ambitious plans for 2022 and I am excited to work closely with both the Genesis BCW and Six Degrees BCW leadership teams to take the business to new heights.”

BCW India Group was formed when Genesis BCW and Six Degrees BCW were integrated under one business group in the market in January 2020.

Meanwhile, Matt Stafford, president at BCW Asia-Pacific, commented, “Under Deepshikha’s impressive leadership in 2021, Genesis BCW has achieved one of its best years of revenue growth in its nearly three decades of operation. Six Degrees has also recorded double digit growth this year under Rishi and Vandana. The time is right for Deepshikha to take on a wider role overseeing both of our fantastic teams in India.”

Donna Imperato, global CEO at BCW and CEO at BCW Group, said, “India is a critical market for BCW and I’m confident in Deepshikha’s ability to lead the formidable talent under BCW India Group. I am excited to see how, together with the integrated India team, Deepshikha will continue to innovate our Earned-Plus offer to deliver even greater value to our clients.”

Mumbai, India – Madison Media, the independent media agency in India, has appointed Kumar Siddharath, former director of brand solutions at global media network Omnicom Media Group (OMG), as the new head of Mates, the agency’s entertainment unit. 

Mates focuses on brand solutions including in-film associations, celebrity associations, and other ancillary services related to entertainment, content, and branding.

With over 14 years of experience, Siddharath joins Madison Media with a multi-faceted understanding of content marketing, partnership, and strategic alliances with a sharp focus on client servicing and business development. He has also worked with companies like Endemol, UTV, Viacom 18, and Reliance Broadcast Network, as well as production houses where he has produced big shows. 

Apart from production houses, Siddharath’s exposure ranges from sectors like broadcast, films, OTT, and print, as well as events. Prior to joining Madison, he has also set up his own esports and gaming company Oreka eSports. Siddharath has also worked on brands like Daimler, Ford, HP Laptop, and Hike over the years.

Commenting on his new role, Siddharath said, “I am excited to join Madison and look forward to creating a lot of interesting brand solutions that help our premium roster of clients create magic and meet their business goals.”

Meanwhile, Vikram Sakhuja, the partner and group CEO of Madison Media & OOH, commented, “I am excited to have Siddharath join our team and provide our clients’ brands content solutions and further strengthen our Madison Media offering, all under one roof.”

In August, Madison Media has also announced the elevation of Vandana Ramkrishna to the role of chief operating officer for its business unit, Madison Media Ace, where she will be overseeing the Kolkata operations of the agency, along with her Mumbai set of businesses.

Mumbai, India – Global media and digital marketing communications company dentsu in India has appointed Ramsai Suriyanarayanan as its new managing partner for trading and media. 

Suriyanarayanan will lead media investments for its client Reckitt and will play an integral role in developing dentsu Media’s investment model and portfolio. He has over 25 years of experience, with almost 14 years spent on senior positions across procurement and sales and marketing functions in the media industry.

Speaking on his appointment, Suriyanarayanan said, “I am excited to join one of the world’s fastest-growing client-centric networks, dentsu. It is a privilege to join this team that combines the needs of the clients with consumer intelligence insights, unlocking unique possibilities for sustainable value and lasting change. I look forward to the association and [contributing] to the greater objectives of dentsu and our clients.”

Meanwhile, Divya Karani, CEO of media for South Asia at dentsu India said, “We are elated to welcome Suriyanarayanan to the team. He will collaborate with our agencies and media partners to create ROI and deliver value to our clients across media in today’s dynamic media industry.”

Mumbai, India – As ŠKODA AUTO India marks its 20th anniversary, the automotive brand has launched a new activation which creates one of the highest 3D projections in the country on the sheer rock-face of the Rohtang-La at 10,942 feet above sea level. 

Titled ‘Conquering the Unconquerable’, the activation takes the concept of experiential marketing, and its installation establishes its stronghold in the country by literally establishing its presence on the mighty canvas of Rohtang-La. Through this, the automotive brand is creating a legacy in India that rests on 20 years of innovation by using mesmerizing art projected on a mountain face at an altitude that almost reaches the sky. 

Zac Hollis, ŠKODA AUTO’s brand director, shared that they wanted to set a benchmark and push the boundaries to achieve something beyond imagination. 

“Conquering the Unconquerable is a campaign that is an ode to the brand’s journey and potential. A tribute to ŠKODA being a fun, dynamic, creative, and passion-driven brand,” said Hollis.

Meanwhile, Tarun Jha, ŠKODA AUTO’s head of marketing, commented that the idea of ‘Conquering the unconquerable’ was to create history by taking on the mightiest and craft a story on achieving the unimaginable. 

“With this campaign, we are truly conquering the unconquerable, alongside our partners, who have been a constant source of support and inspiration. We are confident that the beauty of this activation will touch hearts and minds across our consumer base,” said Jha.

The activation’s communications, strategy, and creatives were spearheaded by PHD Media India and Omnicom Media Group India’s content arm, OMG Content.

Monaz Todywalla, PHD Media’s chief executive officer, shared that the campaign is defined by superlative thought and augmented by superlative action that has been conceptualized on the back of the power of imagination. 

“It’s a pleasure for Team PHD to be involved in achieving a feat of this magnitude; partnering with ŠKODA AUTO India to help them Make The Leap with innovation, and we’re excited to witness the response to the eminence of creativity in play at such an impressive scale,” said Todywalla. 

Shailja Saraswati, OMG’s chief content officer, believes that great concepts spark great content, and when those concepts are translated into reality, they know that there is potential for true impact. 

“It has been an incomparable experience working on this unique activation, and we are certain that together as partners we have all conquered the unconquerable in more ways than one,” said Saraswati.