Tag: India

Mumbai, India – The B2B wholesale e-commerce platform in India, Apnaklub, has partnered with Social Beat, the independent digital marketing agency, to further drive the app with the help of a performance marketing approach.

Apnaklub provides local wholesalers and retailers with products from various brands better than local wholesale rates. It also empowers people to start their own wholesale business without any investment or stock risks. In addition, Apnaklub, through its partner program, guarantees that people will get the industry’s best margins on more than 200 brands.

As part of the mandate, Social Beat will be assisting Apnaklub in scaling its shopping app for wholesalers and retailers in the country through performance marketing campaigns that focus on new user acquisition and overall brand awareness.

“We are excited to partner with Social Beat to drive Apnaklub’s mission to improve outcomes for the smaller MSME retailers. With smart digital interventions, we aim to understand the local needs so that we can build a winning micro-business,” said Shruti, CEO of Apnaklub. 

Meanwhile, Vikas Chawla, Social Beat’s co-founder, commented that they are delighted to partner with Apnaklub to increase the visibility of their app. 

“With our experience in finding the product-market fit and merchant acquisition, we are excited to be part of the journey with this experienced and nimble team,” said Chawla.

Just recently, Social Beat has also announced that it has entered a new partnership with global CRM platform Salesforce, with the aim to drive marketing automation and digital transformation for brands in India.

Mumbai, India – The independent media agency in India, Madison Media, has just announced the promotion of its former vice president, Abhik Banerjee, to now assume the role of chief operating officer for its business unit, Madison Media Plus, and to lead the Delhi office.

Banerjee’s career spans over 17 years of experience. He joined Madison Media in 2012 and over the last 9 years, Banerjee has played a key role in the Mumbai office and has led accounts such as Asian Paints, Abbott, and Leibherr, among others.

Prior to joining Madison Media, Banerjee has also worked as the assistant vice president of media at HSBC, the associate director at Mindshare, and the marketing operations executive at Vodafone India.

“I am excited and look forward to adding value to the organization with my new role and additional responsibilities. I am thrilled to take on the challenges and opportunities it will bring,” commented Banerjee on his appointment.

Meanwhile, Vikram Sakhuja, Madison Media & OOH’s partner and group CEO, said that Banerjee personifies the Madison spirit of undying client orientation, innovation, passion, and executional brilliance. 

“It is very satisfying when we can promote our internal talent to handle new challenges. I have full confidence in Abhik taking our Delhi office to new heights,” said Sakhuja.

In April this year, Madison Media has also promoted Vishal Chinchankar, former chief digital officer, as its new chief executive officer for its digital agency Madison Digital and Madison Media Ultra.

India – Kraftshala, the India-based edtech organization that builds marketing training programs with veterans from the marketing industry to train emerging talent in the marketing realm, has just launched the ‘Marketing Launchpad’, a 20-week duration program that helps people without any prior experience get into high-potential marketing careers.

‘The Marketing Launchpad’ is a full-time digital marketing course that includes an 8-week internship. Through this program, Kraftshala selects, trains, and invests in high potential graduates to help them kickstart their marketing careers.

Interestingly, the program allows students to pay for the fee only after landing a high-potential marketing job, and if they do not get a job that pays at least 4.5 lakhs, students do not have to pay anything.

Varun Satia, Kraftshala’s founder & CEO, said that Kraftshala’s purpose is to empower professionals to become the best version of themselves, and the program stands true to its name and welcomes people from all walks of life. 

“This program will help anyone launch their marketing career in the truest sense of the word. Our ‘Marketing Launchpad’ is the future of education, created by the industry’s top practitioners, to drive success in the digital age and is totally performance-driven,” said Satia.

According to Kraftshala, its marketing and sales training programs have a strong advocacy score of 95%, as they are built on frameworks and examples from the best in the industry and are consistently updated with the latest, cutting-edge tools and learnings from the field.

Interested student applicants can look at the program by visiting their company website.

Mumbai, India – Most of the time, ad campaigns in the education sector focus on the children or students as part of their messaging. After all, they’re the main stakeholder of education providers, and parents as decision makers would want to know what the school has in store for them. 

One India-based EdTech solution provider, LEAD, which aims to disrupt the education landscape in the country is also breaking the norm when it comes to promoting educational services. 

In collaboration with creative agency TBWA\India, LEAD has released a TVC that puts the spotlight on parents rather than children. In the ad, we see a young mom and dad having an intimate conversation and baring their sentiments about harbored feelings of jealousy towards the wide exposure their child is getting, specifically through a LEAD Powered School. 

LEAD

LEAD, which has presence in over 400 districts in India, offers EdTech solutions for both parents and schools. For parents, it has developed a LEAD Parent-Student app where parents can monitor and accompany their children in learning sessions. The EdTech has also been partnering with schools to make their institutions ‘LEAD powered’ by integrating its innovative curriculum that puts a premium on English and coding skills. 

According to both TBWA\India and LEAD, parents’ view on the newer modes of academic instruction has long been an unexplored insight in communication. A progressive educational landscape inevitably requires progressive parenting and this poses a challenge to parents. 

LEAD’s CMO Anupam Gurani commented, “Growing up, I have witnessed how my parents wanted to provide me with better education but limited opportunities always posed a restriction. Now as a parent, I echo a similar feeling for my child. With our first ever PAN India campaign, we want to reach out to all those parents who are looking to provide better school education to their child but have felt constrained due to lack of options.” 

Gurani adds, “LEAD Powered Schools [solve this] by providing International standard education in small town India, which is our core market. The underlying thought of the campaign is based on a beautiful insight tapping the emotion of how every successive generation of parents wants to give more to their children and in the process learn from them.”

Furthermore, both the agency and LEAD said that the film reflects an often side-swept result of witnessing the significant shift to new ways of schooling and this is the adaptation of parents which at times bring to the surface their unfulfilled desire of the interactive and innovative methods in education that is present today.

“[This is] a clear departure from the old, lecture-based passive modes of teaching and learning that the parents were used to growing up,” both said in a press statement. 

The execution of the film was helmed by acclaimed Director Nitesh Tiwari and he commented, “The ad film captures a parents’ perspective of how a LEAD Powered School is imparting interactive and enriching education, both at school and at home. I admire the brand’s vision of transforming conventional schooling in India.”

Parixit Bhattacharya, the managing partner of TBWA\India, also candidly said, “We often joke about being jealous of our kids because of the exposure they have in a world that is markedly different from the time we were kids. Though universal rules of child rearing still apply, today’s parents are dealing with an entirely new playing field. And the pressure to choose wisely is heavy.”

Meanwhile, TBWA\India’s CEO Govind Pandey, commented, “LEAD has a noble social mission to provide excellence in education to all. This commercial recognizes the role of hardworking progressive parents in the middle India of tier 2 and tier 3 as the real heroes who despite the odds of their generation have made something of themselves and now have the exposure and the determination to know the difference the right school education can make and do not want to compromise in that. Even more so in these uncertain and turbulent times.”

Mumbai, India – The pandemic has impacted today’s education, which resulted in the increase of demand for digital learning, and with this, India-based higher edtech company, upGrad, has launched its latest brand film to highlight the importance of online degrees.

upGrad hosts online degree courses from the country’s top universities like Chandigarh University, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, and JAIN. It also provides an opportunity to circumvent the pandemic impact on the aspirations of Indian students and working professionals who are now looking at an alternative to the offline learning modes of obtaining degrees without compromising on the learning and career outcomes.

upGrad Online Degrees
upGrad Online Degrees

Created in collaboration with creative agency The Womb, the new brand film is a part of its clarion call ‘Sirf Naam Ki Nahin, Kaam Ki Degree’, which translates to ‘do not get the degree for the name but one that helps you move ahead and get a job.’

Titled, ‘Online Bachelor’s Degrees’, the ad features a jingle vocalized by a group of four friends, addressing the fading education dreams of Indian learners to get a meaningful degree amid the COVID-19 situation.

Arjun Mohan, the CEO of upGrad India, said that due to offline education system taking a backseat, there’s a lot of tension and confusion among India’s working professionals who are looking to get an acceleration in their careers, and the situation is alike with freshers who are worried about a year backlog that might hamper their career growth. 

“We have partnered with the leading universities to provide young India with UGC Entitled and WES Recognised degree courses to give them a 360-degree university experience online. Post the course completion, we will also assist these learners with career services that involve a paid internship up to 6 months and placement support up to 3 years based on their performance,” said Mohan.

Meanwhile, The Womb’s Co-Founder, Kawal Shoor, commented, “Our campaign borrows from the current reality but also is geared towards positioning online undergraduate education as a powerful alternative to trudging to a nearby big city to access quality education.”

The brand film is now available in over 50 television channels across geographies, along with 360-degree amplifications in other media channels.

New Delhi, India – Digital insurance policy provider ACKO General Insurance in India has tapped Dentsu Webchutney to handle its digital and social media duties for the company, with its entire operations offered through the digital platform.

Dentsu Webchutney, which operates as the official digital creative agency of dentsu India, won the account after a multi-agency pitch.

With ACKO setting new benchmarks for customer experience in an otherwise slow-moving category, Dentsu Webchutney comes in with a specific goal to grow ACKO’s place in the market, with an always-on social excellence approach.

Ashish Mishra, executive vice president for Marketing at ACKO General Insurance said that they are absolutely thrilled to be joining forces with Dentsu Webchutney, adding that partnering with them to lead their charter on digital marks the beginning of a journey that is filled with intent and backed by action.

“We are certain that Dentsu Webchutney, with their nuanced understanding of the digital landscape, will fuel our vision to be the country’s most loved general insurance brand,” Mishra said.

Meanwhile, GD Prasad, vice president at Dentsu Webchutney, the agency will continue to push the bar for the team in what has turned out to be a year of fantastic partnerships with disruptive new brands for the agency.

“In a short time, ACKO has established itself as a disruptive brand that every player in the category will soon follow. To partner with them, is to take another step into the deep end of the impact of digital technologies. We have the enviable chance to build a brand whose actions are aligned with its values,” Prasad stated.

Mumbai, India – Global digital ad verification company Integral Ad Science (IAS) has recently announced the appointment of Saurabh Khattar as its commercial lead for IAS India, where he will be responsible in leading sales operations of the company in India, as well working with brands, agencies, publishers, and platforms in the region.

In this new role, he will focus as on accelerating IAS’s sales operations in India and building strong partnerships with brands, agencies, publishers, and platforms to help them go beyond verification and make every ad impression count

Prior to joining IAS, Khattar was the director of sales and media partnerships at advertising platform Taboola, where he supported leading brands and agencies with digital advertising and content strategies across India and the wider APAC region. Prior to Taboola, he also held sales and marketing roles at corporate gifts supplier 5by7 and the India Infrastructure Publishing Private Limited.

“Joining IAS at this critical point in the company’s journey is an exciting opportunity, as the growth of digital advertising drives a greater need for media quality measurement. India’s digital media market is evolving quickly, and I look forward to working with marketers and publishers to tap into IAS’s solutions that can help drive efficiency and return on their investments in a new way,” he said regarding his appointment.

He will report to Laura Quigley, senior vice president for APAC at IAS.

IAS has been recently involved in various company moves, such as recently with The Global Disinformation Index (GDI), the web-based tool that rates news outlets, in a bid to protect brands from running ads on sites that have been identified for misinformation.

New Delhi, India – The global development institution that focuses on the private sector in developing countries, International Finance Corporation (IFC), and two investment funds managed by IFC Asset Management Company – IFC Financial Institutions Growth Fund and IFC Emerging Asia Fund – have made a US$126m (₹916 crores) equity investment in Federal Bank Limited (FBL), India’s private sector bank.

The investment aims to increase financing for climate-friendly projects and small businesses, helping accelerate the country’s economic recovery from the pandemic. Through this, FBL will be expanding its MSME and climate finance portfolios, which are keys to growth opportunities.

Federal Bank’s CEO and Managing Director, Shyam Srinivasan, shared that after the bank’s board approved the issuance of shares to the IFC group to an extent of 4.99% of the bank’s paid-up capital, IFC has become a significant shareholder of the bank. 

“The addition of this marquee name to the list of our prominent shareholders reinforces the trust and confidence reposed by the IFC group on the bank and its management. The infusion of quality capital further strengthens Tier 1 and overall CAR of the bank,” said Srinivasan.

Meanwhile, Roshika Singh, IFC’s acting country manager for India, commented that the move is in line with IFC’s strategy to support green growth by spurring investments, seizing the opportunities to help the country.

“The investment is also expected to create tens of thousands of jobs, with MSMEs gaining access to much-needed financing, which will also help ensure an inclusive recovery,” said Singh.

IFC has also announced that the investment marks the institution’s first in India aligned with the Greening Equity Approach, which will enable FBL to reduce its exposure to coal and increase its climate lending. 

With Federal Bank’s focus on ESG, IFC will also be consulting with the bank on developing a new Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) that will be applied to its entire portfolio. To further strengthen FBL’s environmental and social sustainability (E&S) capacity, IFC will also be implementing an E&S technical advisory program. 

In addition, under the World Bank Group (WBG) Climate Change Action Plan, IFC will be putting climate action at the heart of its development work. The institution will also be working to align investments with the goals of the Paris Agreement, intensifying support to help clients decarbonize, and deploying standards and tools to catalyze private sector financing for the climate.

Mumbai, India – Advertising agency DDB Mudra Group has appointed the former executive vice president and head of strategy at creative firm Taproot Dentsu, Anand Murty, to be its new head of strategy.

Murty’s career spans over 18 years. Prior to joining Taproot Dentsu, he also worked as the former senior planning director at creative agency Ogilvy and the former brand manager at consumer goods giant Reckitt Benckiser. In addition, Murty has led brands such as Sprite, Smartwater, Voltas, and Honda, as well as Pernod Ricard, and GSK, among others.

As part of his new role, Murty will now be leading the strategy function for DDB Mudra’s offices, including Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Gurugram. He will be reporting directly to Amit Kekre, DDB Mudra Group’s national strategy head.

Commenting on his appointment, Murty said he is stoked to be a part of the team and it is an absolute privilege for him to work with the incredible set of planners that DDB Mudra has nurtured over the years. 

“I look forward to building and keeping up the momentum – and loving every moment of it,” added Murty.

Meanwhile, Kekre said, “I am very excited to have Anand on board. With him on the team, a revamped strategy structure to suit the agency of the future, I am confident that we are in an even stronger position to fuel the Group’s ambitions and growth.”

New Delhi, India – New Delhi-based communications agency, ON PURPOSE, has launched the third edition of its ‘The Purpose Project’ – an effort to help not-for-profit organizations to build their communications capabilities via voluntary work – marking 2021 as its fourth year of working to drive social change in the country.

Previously held editions of the initiative were with non-profit organizations HAQ Centre For Child Rights and Azad Foundation. In the first edition, ON PURPOSE helped HAQ Centre For Child Rights by providing content and design support for their website, while in the second edition, the agency assisted Azad Foundation by delivering an integrated communications plan and supporting them with inputs and templates to run their own communications outreach.

The past organization winners have been selected by the whole ON PURPOSE team from various nominations received in a selection process that was facilitated by external jury members. For this year, the agency has curated a panel of industry stalwarts, namely, Shravani Dang, the independent board director at Charities Aid Foundation India, Paarul Chand, the editor in chief and partner at PR Moment, and Hemant Gaule, the dean of School of Communication & Reputation for Post-Graduation.

All non-government organization aspirants are encouraged to nominate themselves or those around them on the ON PURPOSE website. They will only have to answer a few questions regarding their current communications outreach and comply with a few basic pre-conditions. Based on their challenges, the winner will receive expert storytelling coaching and mentoring to build their communication capacity.

ON PURPOSE’s Managing Partner Girish Balachandran commented that as the agency turns 4, they are grateful for all the ‘little blessings’ which saw them through the last year. 

“The pandemic has been hard on all of us, and continuing the Purpose Project is our way of giving back the best way we know-how. By using the power of communications to change the world, one brief at a time. We are glad to be able to continue using our expertise in communications and help another non-profit doing great work on the ground build their outreach capabilities,” said Balachandran.