Ads today not afraid of mirroring society, going beyond 30-sec visuals, says Sainath Saraban

While it is important to keep abreast of rapidly changing technology, it is also about knowing which solution fits what challenge, says Saraban, Leo Burnett's National Creative Director

e4m by Ankur Singh
Published: Nov 7, 2014 8:06 AM  | 4 min read
Ads today not afraid of mirroring society, going beyond 30-sec visuals, says Sainath Saraban

Leo Burnett’s National Creative Director, Sainath Saraban, speaks to exchange4media about industry trends, challenges and its future.

What is Leo Burnett all about? How has the journey in India been so far? Where does India stand in the global scheme of things?

We started off as Chaitra, became Chaitra Leo Burnett, and now we are Leo Burnett. There are some massive local and global clients driving the business. We are an agency that believes in relationships. We are the ones who created the Marlboro man way back, and that relationship still stands today. Brands like P&G and McDonald’s have extended their global brand in India through Leo Burnett. India has always been a strong focus point. We get a lot of say in global matters. A lot of investments and buyouts are happening in India. We are doing some great work on activation.

What is your growth strategy in terms of creative innovation?

Creative is about one thing—surprising your consumer. It’s about telling a good story via any medium you choose. I agree that the world of technology is rapidly changing, but that cannot compromise your storytelling. One cannot forget that one is talking to human beings. The medium has to be relevant. I can’t use a medium for the sake of using that medium. We need to understand what kind of an audience we are looking at and understand the demographic, and then we need to create a medium around that. More than keeping abreast with technology, which of course we must, it’s about knowing which solution fits what challenge. For creative innovation to actually work, every day has to be research. Research happens both consciously and unconsciously.

What are the top trends emerging in the industry today?

Firstly, the story-telling format has become longer. As an admaker, during the larger part of my tenure, I was restricted to 30-40 second videos. The cross pollination that has happened has been amazing, thanks to online penetration. Secondly, genuine stories are being told. That is nothing new, but these formats are now being accepted by a larger audience. Today, more emotions are being expressed, and consumer connect is coming to the forefront. Thirdly, societal mirroring is growing very strong. Previously, we used to create a beautiful world, and people used to try and copy that. Now, we are not afraid of mirroring the society, and talk freely about social taboos. It is fantastic to see that brands are now able to have that conversation with consumers.

Which advertising medium has the most potential to grow in today’s market?

Online is a winner here. What’s sad about print and radio today is that they have become announcer mediums. No one is having fun on them anymore. TV is expensive, but one cannot ignore the medium. At a certain level, online relies heavily on TV. At the end of the day, for the Indian audience, larger part of entertainment comes from television. And to be relevant in this medium, the advertising needs to be as interactive as possible.

What are the biggest challenges that you face? Where do you see the industry going forward?

The biggest challenge is maintaining focus. It is a very volatile market. Every day you face challenges. Every day you are faced with the dilemma of just making money out taking risk and going creative. We take pride in what we put out there, and aim to grow as an organisation while being relevant for the consumer. We also face the challenge of actually meeting all the needs of our clients. The client has more needs than what he has 10-15 years ago. At the same time, we need to justify the consumer’s attention. There is a strong sense of cross pollination that needs to exist going forward. Mobile and optimisation of all screens are other major challenges.

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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur

The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:15 PM  | 1 min read
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With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.

The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.

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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out

The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:07 PM  | 1 min read
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Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."

The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."

COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.

Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.

He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 11:48 AM  | 1 min read
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e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.

According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.

As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.

A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.

Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.

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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall

The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 10:54 AM  | 1 min read
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Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.

“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.

“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.

"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."

"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:39 PM  | 1 min read

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:38 PM  | 1 min read

KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias

Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 24, 2023 3:35 PM  | 1 min read
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KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.

Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy

Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.

Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."

Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."

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