It is time for the new generation of CCOs to take over: Tarun Rai

Tarun Rai, CEO J. Walter Thompson South Asia and the newly minted Chief Creative Officer Senthil Kumar on the new responsibility, the future strategy of J. Walter Thompson, the need for the new age CCO’s and more

e4m by Priyanka Mehra
Published: Dec 23, 2015 9:07 AM  | 5 min read
It is time for the new generation of CCOs to take over: Tarun Rai

J. Walter Thompson India announced the appointment of Senthil Kumar as its Chief Creative Officer last week. Kumar, who was earlier NCD at the agency, will now be partnering Tarun Rai, CEO, J. Walter Thompson, South Asia, to lead the overall creative mandate for J. Walter Thompson India, across its six offices.

J Walter Thompson has filled the role of a CCO, after a gap of two years after the exit of Bobby Pawar, and Kumar seemed the most apt fit for the role, the formal announcement infact seemed just a matter of time.

A few excerpts from a brief chat with Tarun Rai, CEO J. Walter Thompson South Asia and the newly  minted Chief Creative Officer Senthil Kumar on the new responsibility, the future strategy of J. Walter Thompson, the need for the new age CCO’s and more………..

Excerpts:

Did you consider anyone from outside the agency for the Chief Creative Officers Role?

Tarun: We did evaluate, and I did ask around. The first six-eight months after a gap of seven years to me is the best time for being objective. I don’t have any baggage of other people’s reputations. We did look at probable candidates, not just in India, but outside as well.  After doing all the evaluation, I still thought Senthil was our best bet.

So, the time that I took to get Senthil on board was just to make sure that when I go with my gut feeling, I have evaluated the parameters the job requires. Parameters like: Is he the best?And it is not because I like him. I think it is time for the new generation of Chief Creative Officers to take over. The new age of CCO is here, and I think a person like Senthil might be starting a trend.

Does Tista Sen now report to Senthil?

Tarun: Literally if you ask me, he is the CCO and Tista is the NCD. If you ask technically, yes he is the one who is accountable.

Senthil: We are like captain and vice-captain. And, I think I don’t take it as ‘reporting it to me’, it is a team that we put together.

Are you looking at hiring more NCDs, given that JWT had a three NCD structure earlier?

Tarun: We do not want to fill national positions, we had a three NCD structure earlier, but we are not rigid about continuing that. We are not ruling out anything, but we are looking at young, good, creative talents at all levels. Designations, organization structures and all are subservient. We will worry about that later.

Also it will never be a reporting structure, it will always be a process structure for idea to flow in and go out. That’s how we are looking at.

Senthil: We are not looking at NCDs, but we are looking at senior creative people who can lead groups and brands.

What are the key areas that you are going to focus on together?

Tarun: We need to improve and do fantastic work across the brands and across platforms. We want to lift the entire work to a new ‘world class’ standard. We need to get young people from within and outside the industry. We need to have big ambition. One of the reasons why I wanted Senthil on board was his highly ambitious outlook. His ambitions are not limited to merely winning awards, but to do work which is trend setting.

Senthil: There is no doubt that we want to be digital first, as an agency you want that to be an advantage. I have increasingly seen that clients are now looking for creative stewardship. I have always maintained that there is one brand message and there is one consumer and between that there are many platforms,and those platforms are being serviced by many agencies. Therefore, if an agency like JWT can provide the creative stewardship, the client would welcome that.

Can you tell us how you are going to create this ‘digital first platform’?

Senthil: Firstly, I will change the way our team of300 people in India, across our six offices think. The shift from thinking ‘film first’ and the need for greater collaboration will be some key aspects of this change. We will get the right people to create a melting pot of talent.

What are the changes that you have planned for the bigger landscape?

Senthil: I think as a creative person in this new era, you have reputation to make everyday. Leadership is only possible if you lead by example. You can’t sit down and put your feet up and ask everyone else to work. Over the years, I have learnt that you are as good as your last idea. You will lose respect if are a backseat driver. I just want to challenge my team and say, if I can do this, you have to do it better.

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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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