International: Understanding the Consumer to Gain Market Share

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- The new CEO of Ask.com isn't afraid of a little pressure -- and he knows that's what he'll have helming the face of the new ad-supported IAC. Jim Safka, the former CEO of Match.com and, most recently, head of IAC's Primal Ventures, has been handed the reins to the No. 4 search engine and will be responsible for upping it market share from its current 4.6% piece of the pie, according to ComScore.

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Jan 16, 2008 7:38 AM  | 3 min read
International: Understanding the Consumer to Gain Market Share

NEW YORK (AdAge.com) -- The new CEO of Ask.com isn't afraid of a little pressure -- and he knows that's what he'll have helming the face of the new ad-supported IAC. Jim Safka, the former CEO of Match.com and, most recently, head of IAC's Primal Ventures, has been handed the reins to the No. 4 search engine and will be responsible for upping it market share from its current 4.6% piece of the pie, according to ComScore.

Mr. Safka is no stranger to marketing; he has held a number of marketing positions at E-Trade, Intuit and the consumer package goods space. While he knows growing share in his new role won't be easy, there is a bit of good news. "The shelf space at grocery stores isn't growing, the search market is," he said.

Ad Age: What is Ask.com's biggest strength/weakness in the marketplace?

Jim Safka: Coming from a challenger position it is really exciting going up against the bigger guys. We're perfectly positioned because it's got enough scale and enough resources to create some real value in the marketplace, but it's not so big that it's too difficult to maneuver and create great innovation. When I worked at AT&T Wireless, there were 33,000 people and at Match there were 400 people. I love the scale of the Ask business. It's just big enough and just small enough to be agile and out maneuver bigger players.

Ad Age: You guys have actually embarked on lots of consumer marketing over the past year.

Mr. Safka: I'm really lucky to inherit the product and the team I get to work with at Ask because the product is world class. You look at how it's been reviewed across the board and it often comes out on top. At the end of the day what it takes to be successful and grow market share and revenue is part logical and part emotional. One important thing is to make this an iconic brand that connects with hearts and minds of certain set of consumers. That's part of what I'm trying to figure out.

Ad Age: You guys have used a variety of agencies throughout the past year. Do you see any of that changing?

Mr. Safka: My first order of business is to focus on the people. I need to understand who are the Ask customers and look for where the opportunities are. And then we'll sit down in 60 and 90 days to go through a more tactical plan of action. There's a lot of people using Ask today, and I want to find out who they are.

Ad Age: For a while, IAC had described Ask as the "glue" for the rest of the company. Is that strategy still holding true?

Mr. Safka: When the dust settles on IAC, Ask will be the flagship brand of the new IAC. It's going to be very important for us to grow this business, the number of customers and their satisfaction and grow revenue and profits. If there's a spotlight on the business now it'll be even greater once dust settles on the reconstitution of IAC.

Ad Age: The flagship brand of the new IAC -- that's a lot of pressure.

Mr. Safka: Every once in awhile you get a challenge of a lifetime. This is one of the biggest categories of our lifetime. ... There's a lot of upside. I see this as a big challenge but a huge opportunity.

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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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