Our benchmark has to be the best global work: Saurabh Varma, CEO, Leo Burnett
As a country, we have got to change our perspective to what works globally. If our benchmarks are not global, we are not going to be able to compete at a world level, says Saurabh Varma, CEO, Leo Burnett, South Asia, who is among the jury members at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2016

He is judging a category where the entries have already proven their worth as far as the creativity of the idea is concerned – the Creative Effectiveness Lions, which measure only the winning entries from last year for their effectiveness. In an interview with exchange4media Saurabh Varma, CEO, Leo Burnett, South Asia, speaks about the tough job of figuring out a campaign’s real impact, India’s prospects, and the need to match up to global standards.
Excerpts:
Being on a Cannes jury is a matter of great pride; at the same time it is very taxing. What is your approach towards your jury role?
I have done this a few times; not at Cannes but at Spikes and other awards. It is quite an extensive process which I am looking forward to. The quality of entries here would be far superior. Most of the festivals that I have judged in the past are regional ones, while Cannes is global.
What are the qualities you would be looking for in the entries that you judge?
Here, you have the best pieces of work from the previous year being judged for their effectiveness. Each one of them is fantastic. What we have to figure out is which of them has made the maximum impact as far as the client and his business is concerned. How do you really know that this work led to increase in sales for the brand-- what we call ROMI or Return on Marketing Investment. So, we are focusing on figuring out the real impact that a piece of communication or idea had in a marketplace. And that’s what I would be looking at. It’s a tough task.
You have always said data is the context that should drive the big idea. Would you be focusing on that particular thought while judging the entries?
The question is not about whether the idea is data-driven; it is about what is the objective of the campaign and what is it that you are trying to change. Data becomes important if there is a behaviour that you wanted to change. Then there should be some data around the previous behaviour for comparison… to find out if your idea really brought about a change.
Do you think accepting only winning entries from last year limits the scope of this category?
It’s always a good idea to only let the big winners enter next year because that way, you are not at least questioning the quality of the idea, so that’s out of the way. That these are fantastic ideas has already been validated, because they have won an award. Now this in my mind is the epitome of that creativity - the next year, we get into the details of what its impact was in the marketplace and the client’s business. So this is the ultimate, and for me, this is what this show is all about.
What are India’s prospects in the Creative Effectiveness category this year?
I think our chances are bright because we have some real good work which won last year, like the first Glass Lions Grand Prix for ‘Touch the Pickle’. I am looking forward to finding out what its impact has been in the market-place. But as a country, we do stand a good chance.
Tell us about the exceptional pieces of work from last year that stand a chance in the Creative Effectiveness category overall?
All the big Cannes winners last year stand a chance, as far as I am concerned. Just that now we shall have to start understanding their impact in the market-place. That’s what the entries will need to demonstrate.
India dropped from 12th position in 2014 to 18th in 2015 in the Cannes Lions Global Creativity Index, where are we going wrong?
We are very inward-looking as a country with local award shows as our benchmark. Leo Burnett doesn’t enter the local shows because our focus is just global work, and we benchmark ourselves against the best in the world. Until the time everyone does that, we will have a big success in one year and not so big one in the very next. So, as a country, we have got to change our perspective to what works globally. If our benchmarks are not global, we are not going to be able to compete at a world level.
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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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