Guest Column: From 30 seconds to two & a half mins
Following Cannes 2012 closely, Alok Agrawal, COO, Cheil Worldwide India shares what India needs to do to win big at the coveted advertising Festival

I have been following Cannes 2012 with a keen eye. We had a strong entry, which finally won a silver apart from three shortlists. And the Cheil Network rocked with a total tally of 13 Lions. But that’s not what this article is about. What this is about is the fact that team India did not do well. We had over 1100 entries in all and just a handful of metal to show. And the reason is stark and staring at the Indian ad industry in the face. We are way too traditional in our thinking. Almost all the Indian entries were in print medium or film. Most of them were seen for the first time at the judging.
There is enough talk about how social media is the new mantra. How it is important to be integrated. But I do see a little more in what's happening than a simple shift of medium.
Most of the winning and inspiring work this year was a two and a half minute case film. Not a thirty-second TVC. And what the case film did was not just present the idea but present the results. That's the shift. It's not about the idea or creativity anymore. It's about how effective the idea has been. Cannes is no longer just a festival of creativity. It is a festival of creative effectiveness.
That’s hard to grasp. Which means Cannes is no longer the bastion of creative minds. It's more about minds that can move people. The American Express idea got the President of USA tweeting. How cool is that! Ideas at Cannes are no longer just watched and admired…They are moving people, changing lives. The boundaries between communication, action and product have fallen. I mean is Nike Plus an advertising idea or an innovative new product?
Going into the next few years, Indian ad networks have to fundamentally change the way they look at their business and how they approach Cannes. Cannes is a mirror and what it has shown us this year is that we are way too backward in our approach and we have the wrong mix of people leading the charge.
Here are my observations on what we need to do to win again, even rule Cannes. First and foremost, stop thinking print. Fancy art and Photoshop jobs aren’t going to win it anymore and we all know they are just fake. Think what will move people. Every idea has to be integrated. But integrated does not mean we have to do a lot of things. It just means think cross media. Social is important. But a lot of winning work was OOH, the oldest advertising medium. It's OOH combined with technology and activation. At the heart of these ideas is a simple belief. How do we move people into action? Look at the EMart idea – Simple, Exciting, Brilliant.
The second is to shift thinking from what will inspire judges to what will inspire and move people. Include people. That’s what social media is all about. Social media is not broadcast. People forget that and do Facebook blasts. Social media is simply what people embrace and promote. You can't do that with money.
Thirdly, a great idea is one which takes traditional thinking to newer media. It is really about disruption. Invent a new media and you are bound to win. Isn't that what all the new-age Internet companies are all about?
Finally results…It's not the idea but the results that make a difference. It is the case study, not just a presentation. The better the results, the higher the chances for winning! This alone fundamentally means that the people behind the ideas are ones who like to measure themselves by results and not by their personal brilliance. And this is where I think team India needs to make a real shift.
As far as I am concerned, I am going back to school again. Wipe out all I have ever learnt and think ideas that move people!
The author is Chief Operating Officer, Cheil Worldwide India
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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
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'
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 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
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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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
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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