Hegarty on Advertising... and more

Sir John Hegarty, founding partner of Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH), is in India to judge the Star Re.Imagine Awards that will honour the best creatives broadcast on Star Sports and Hotstar during IPL 2018.

e4m by Venkata Susmita Biswas
Published: May 29, 2018 8:58 AM  | 5 min read

What does Sir John Hegarty love about the best IPL 2018 ads? “They were Indian, and I got them!”

Hegarty, founding partner of Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH), is in India to judge the Star Re.Imagine Awards that will honour the best creatives broadcast on Star Sports and Hotstar during IPL 2018. A legend in the world of advertising, Hegarty said that of the 360 ads he judged, he was inspired by 12 that were “genuinely Indian.”

As the 74-year-old, who was knighted in 2007 for his services to the advertising and creative industries, sat down for an interview, he said: “It’s just John, by the way…”

What followed was a quick no-holds-barred conversation, which was a master-class on advertising peppered with passionate one-liners, severe criticism of the industry practices at large, and some crystal ball gazing.

On Indian Advertising

Hegarty observed that the IPL ads that stood out gave him a peek into the Indian culture. He recollected talking to Piyush Pandey about advertising 25 years ago when he had said: Whatever you do, I would love you to hold on to an Indian tone of voice. “I believe the Indian ad industry has done that,” he said.

His worry is that globalisation could drive the ad industry towards a rather “bland world” where ads look the same across geographies. He said that brands pursue these monotone ads because it is cost-effective for them. “It isn’t more effective in terms of communication but they just look at the bottom-line. But I am hoping we get out of that and do work which is more instructive of that country,” he said.

On Digital vs Traditional

Is it that advertising is not as good as it used to be? he wondered. “I am not sure advertising is getting worse in India. But certainly if you look at Europe and the America, you see a decline in creativity. There is empirical evidence that our audience don’t appreciate advertising the way they used to. According to a research by TGI, audience appreciation of advertising has been going down in the last 20 years.”

A strong believer of the need for broadcasting, he said, “A brand is made not just by the people who buy it, but also by the people who know about it.” He identified the problem with digital as that of ‘targeted advertising’.

“Marketers would like advertising to be a science; but it isn't a science. Along came the digital technology, that can make advertising a science, predict the future, target consumers and reduce wastage,” he said. The industry has “forgotten that we need to broadcast at some point of the campaign,” he observed.

He is concerned that the industry has forgotten that a brand needs to persuade and promote. “We’ve entered into a land where they just promote. Over the last 15-20 years, we have confused persuasion and promotion. Persuasion is more long term, and broadcast is about persuasion.”

“Don’t get me wrong, the ability to talk directly to consumers is fantastic, but you cannot forget that you have to persuade as well as promote,” he further said.

The other problem with digital, he pointed out, is that creative people are yet to understand how to use the technology. “Digital technology is phenomenal, but nobody knows what to do with it.”

Content Marketing

In praise of Star Re.Imagine Awards, Hegarty said it is necessary to promote good advertising. He said that he would like ads to be seen as entertainment much like ads for the Super Bowl. He even floated the idea of Friday Night Ads! “Something where you watch the ads like the TV programme. It might change your viewing experience.”

Isn’t that what content marketing is attempting, we ask? It’s a vehement ‘No’ from Hegarty. A harsh critic of content marketing, Hegarty believes that content should be informative. “It must start from the point of view that the content needs to be informative but done in an entertaining way.”

Artificial Intelligence

If one is to go by Hegarty’s view of future, robots will not replace human beings, instead human beings will be more valuable than ever. “It might be something like what we have today where some products are handmade and the others are machine made. Similarly, there may be machine made ideas and handmade ideas. And someone may walk in and say: I would like to see a handmade idea, please.”

Agency Structure

Strategy consultants are beginning to play a big role in agencies, and clients such as P&G are experimenting with the agency model by roping in multiple people across agencies. Hegarty is of the opinion that while agencies can bring on a consultant or a freelancer on some occasions, an organisation should have all the capabilities in-house. “Ten years ago, someone said to me, we should crowdsource ideas. It was a big thing, and you think about it and go: my creative park is the world. Never forget, it is the culture that produces an idea.”

On Sir Martin Sorrell’s Exit

Hegarty felt that Sir Martin Sorrell's exit from WPP and what follows next could foreshadow the future of the advertising holding agency model. “The talk is that the company will be broken up. One could argue that the big groups are under threat - because what value are they giving clients? It could be problem for them unless they get back to the basics of advertising - focus on creativity.”

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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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