IAA Congress Commentary: Of global branding, lazy-marketing, and future of ad business

Continuing his Dubai dispatches, <b>Amit Agnihotri</b>, Group Editor and Co-founder exchange4media, writes about his experience on Day Two of the IAA Congress. With Sergio Zyman, Steve Forbes and global honchos of companies like Walt Disney Parks, Leo Burnett, StarCom and McCann on the dais, Day Two, he says, was invigorating.

e4m by Amit Agnihotri
Published: Mar 23, 2006 7:34 AM  | 4 min read
IAA Congress Commentary: Of global branding, lazy-marketing, and future of ad business

It was a few minutes past 9 am. Even as the delegates were settling down and putting their mobile phones on silent modes, up walked the often dubbed as controversial and maverick thought leader Sergio Zyman. Over the next 30 minutes, the ex-marketing chief of Coke spoke on a simple broad theme – "Marketing is there to sell stuff!" Zyman blasted the CMOs for being plain lazy with marketing and focusing on showcasing their works rather than moving the organisation's "growth agenda." A silent audience heard him out. Zyman also had strong views on marketing ROI – "If CMO can not measure the results, the finance chief will always dominate. Calculating the tangible return on marketing investments is absolutely critical." Overall a powerful talk, but Zyman could have avoided making sweeping statements without adequate supports.

What followed Zyman was a panel discussion on an oft-debated topic – 'Integration vs Segmentation of advertising business'. While speakers like Howard Draft, CEO of Draft; Leo Burnett Worldwide CEO Tom Bernardin; and McCann Vice-Chairman Marcio Moreira had interesting discussions, it looked like the Integration debate was like the story of seven blindfolded men who while touching the elephant saw it in their own different points of view. By and large, world over panelists see this debate only from their point of view – an advertising agency head argue for his case, media wants to come "first" and lead the integration and similarly for other functions. However, on this occasion the moderator summed it well when he said – "In the new era, ad agencies have seized to be the Sun of this Solar System. Now it's the consumer in the center with all the types of agencies revolving around."

Confirming that the IAA Congress' title "Challenges of Change" was high on every speaker's mind, Steve Forbes was direct. "We live in disruptive times. This is an era of tremendous change," he said. Articulate and authoritative, Forbes, Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Magazines, was a delight to hear. His wit made an otherwise mundane discussion on world economy interesting. Disappointingly, his comments on media developments were brief. His theory on media is perhaps unarguable – While new media like Internet, iPods and broadband are changing the mediascape, old media will always survive. Forbes is upbeat that traditional media owners like him will do well in the new order, provided they adapt. Forbes.com, according to him, was growing fast and profitable on back of the print title.

A couple of other speakers added depth to the day's proceedings. StarCom Media's global boss Jack Klues and Walt Disney Park Chairman Jay Rasulo, in particular.

Let me try to share what StarCom's Klues had to say. Two of his buzzwords were "From exposure to engagement" and marrying "content with context". He argued that media agencies had to move beyond eyeball measurement into engaging the consumers. Well, nothing earthshattering there, but perhaps an important reinforcement for the media folks. Interestingly, throughout his talk, Klues kept referring to P&G's Jim Stengel's assessment of ad industry a few years back where Stengel had give a poor C minus to the ad industry in general. Jack Klues believes he can now get an A. We'll find out when we meet the man who ad industry dreads most Jim Stengel himself when he speak at the Congress tomorrow.

What is common between Adidas, Coke and Disney? Jay Rasulo of Walt Disney Parks would like us to believe it were two words - "Organisation Principles" - that separated these icons from the also rans. What's this Organizational Principle and how does it help marketing? These principles are what the brand, and the entire organisation, stand for. So for Coke its "Bringing humanity together" and for Disney it's all about "Magic, Dreams and Wonderful experience." Disney has embraced these "principles" and future will see these principles being played out across the World.

Will Disney Parks be in India anytime soon? "No, Indian infrastructure isn't up to it yet," Rasulo said without any hesitation. Indian planners have a job cut out.

This kind of sums up the experiences of the Day Two. Now as the Sun goes down, IAA Congress delegates will wear their jackets (we are repeatedly told that deserts get cold in night) and get ready to drive into the heart of Arabic deserts some 40 miles outside of Dubai City. On offer is some "Arabic experience" – but don't get your minds working too hard! We are here to do business, pleasure can wait.

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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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