Provocations: Desai, Bali, Balki debate on advertising’s risk and responsibility

Future Brands’ Santosh Desai, Britannia’s Vinita Bali and Lowe’s Balki got together for ‘Provocations’, an advertising debate organised by the Subhash Ghosal Foundation. The trio debated on ‘risk and responsibility’ in advertising. The event was sponsored by Mint, and the web partner was exchange4media.

e4m by exchange4media Mumbai Bureau
Published: Apr 16, 2007 9:30 AM  | 3 min read
Provocations: Desai, Bali, Balki debate on advertising’s risk and responsibility

The Subhash Ghosal Foundation’s annual event ‘Provocations’, that took place recently in Mumbai, saw a gathering of almost hundred people. Santosh Desai of Future Brands moderated the debate between Vinita Bali, CEO, Britannia and R Balakrishnan (Balki), Executive Director, Lowe.

‘Provocations’ is an annual debate that takes place between two leading personalities from the advertising industry. This year, the debate revolved around the topic of ‘Risk and Responsibility’ in advertising, and the trio brought to light various issues concerning advertising. “The topic has a baritone quality, and is a heavy, intellectual one,” Desai commented, while kickstarting the the discussion.

The hour-long debate between Bali and Balki ended with Desai’s musing on the absence of no definite conclusion on such a complex topic. While Balki felt that advertising agencies deserve more monetary credit on the success of a brand, Bali challenged him on the accountability of advertisements and their effectiveness on driving sales.

“The agency’s accountability comes into the picture as much when the idea is liked by the people. What about the success of various brands which benefitted from the work of the advertising agency? Agencies are not paid as much as they should be. If an advertisement does well, then the brand benefits for years,” Balki expressed.

Balki also felt that it was not the job of an advertising agency to have expertise, but it is just to provide an idea. “An advertising agency is all about providing an idea,” he said. Bali, on the other hand, spoke about issue of an idea’s relevance. “What is the use of a great idea if it doesn’t increase sales?” Bali wondered.

The event, which started with the latest advertisement of Mint, showed numerous other advertisements like those of Motorola, Lux, Perfetti, Cadbury’s and Voltas AC. Bali pointed out each of these ads and asked Balki about a continuity in each of the ideas and whether they helped in sales. “It is very important to understand that there is a brand behind an idea. An idea cannot stand for itself, without there being the relevance of a brand behind it,” she said. Bali expressed that an advertisement should, at the end of the day, drive sales. “It’s important to know how many people are finally going out and purchasing the product.” Balki, however, argued that it was not possible to gauge such a direct impact of an advertisement.

“It is important that the client and the agency together find out what results we are driving,” said Bali.

Bali also brought up the controversial Fair and Lovely advertisements. “These ads perpetuated the idea that the terms ‘fair’ and ‘lovely’ go together, and that in order to be lovely, one needs to be fair,” she said. But later on, she went along to agree with Balki when he defended himself by saying, “I don’t see why anyone should have a problem with the Fair and Lovely brand. I think ‘Fair and Lovely’ was a great idea that worked, and it attempted to provide a solution. Many women are looked down for not being fair and this gives them some hope,” he said.

Further, Bali spoke about the issue of celebrity endorsements as well, and commented on how it was, in some way, a kind of laziness. Towards the end, Balki restated his opinion about advertising agencies needing to be paid better. “In advertising, I think it is important for people to trust those who’ve gambled and won often,” he said.

The event was sponsored by Mint, the recently launched business paper by Hindustan Times, while exchange4media was the web partner.

Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)

For more updates, be socially connected with us on
Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp

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
Test

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.

Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)

For more updates, be socially connected with us on
Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp

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
test

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.

Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)

For more updates, be socially connected with us on
Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp

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
Test

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.

Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)

For more updates, be socially connected with us on
Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp

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
test

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."

Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)

For more updates, be socially connected with us on
Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp

test

test

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:39 PM  | 1 min read

test

test

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
khugfu

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."

Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India)

For more updates, be socially connected with us on
Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook Youtube & Whatsapp