Spikes Asia 2010: Of Persistence, Speed and Martin Sorrell’s Spikes Debate
Trust the organisers of Cannes Lions to bring the hard discussions of the business of advertising and communication to any forum in the world. This year, Spikes Asia too saw advertisers reply to Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO, WPP, on things that worry them the most. The session discussed need for big ideas, importance of speed to market, move to fact-based decision making and issues of talent on both client and agency sides.

The Spikes Debate may not have seen raging arguments, but the discussion touched on the some of the most pressing issues between client and agency relations and of the business of advertising and communication. Re-creating the environment of Cannes Debate, Spikes Asia invited Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO, WPP, for a Spikes Debate and his panel included names such as Ken Mandel, Regional VP, Yahoo APAC; Lynn Gasper, Senior VP, Group Lifestyle Financing, OCBC Bank; Chris Schaumann, Head of Online Sales and Marketing, South East APAC, Nokia; and James Thompson, Regional Chief Marketing Officer, Diageo.
Amongst the first conversations, Thompson stated that advertisers today needed the big ideas more than ever before, given the competitive and cluttered world. He said, “Ideas are very important, give us those ideas that would help us work with all stakeholders.” He stated that at Diageo, where procurement played a very important role, the company had never bought an idea or an agency and they were not about to do that it. “But it is a commercial world, and we have to find a way where both agency and client can share the risk,” he added.
Gasper agreed with Thompson’s views on ideas, but at a company like OCBC, which was present only in 10 markets, the priority was not the size, but speed to market. She noted, “Sometimes local companies have a better sense of that than larger players. True that the approach would change in some ways once the bank gets into more markets, but you might be working with the smaller agencies looking for the right expertise at the right level.”
Sorrell quizzed his panel on the demands of online and offline communications, and where did the ‘independents’ fit in. Mandel replied to this saying that there shouldn’t be a situation of online versus other agencies. He said, “Consumers don't view their media consumption in that manner. They don’t decide ‘now I will consume online’. There are different touch points today and an agency should know how to get to them.”
Schaumann added here that ideas were just as valuable as the results they got. He did not shy away from stating that agencies and advertisers were behind consumers today. He said, “We are moving to fact-based decision making today. Social media, for instance, can give a lot more insights and information in a short span of time and that is one reason it has grown the way it has. The truth is that we are all playing catch up with consumers. The marketing ecosystem that is responding to, and engaging with, consumers is lagging behind.”
Continuing with the digital space conversations, another point that Mandel thought needed to be addressed for digital mediums to grow was that a barrier like language in terms of measurement or digital domain talent needed to be addressed. The mobile medium, too, was discussed, and needless to say Nokia representative Schaumann quoted data to reiterate that mobile was the medium of the future. He said, “Mobile medium presents the opportunity to engage with people, and mobile device would be the primary Internet device in the world. One of the challenges was the kind of format and capabilities of the devices itself. But phones that give you the full arsenal of location or technical requirements for other rich information are available in more numbers today.”
The panel ended the session with what drove them crazy in day-to-day agency relationships. Here, Thompson spoke of compromise and said, “It starts with clients. We are on time pressures, we are more demanding on speed and sometimes cost than we are on quality. I believe ideas are the only way for businesses to win and we should focus on them more.”
For Schaumann, it was the resistance to change that drove him crazy. He pointed out, “We are living in exponential times. Frequency of change is accelerating and we are going to witness a lot more change.” Gasper agreed with Thompson and added that talent was another issue that needed attention. She observed, “If we are trying to go to market quickly with good ideas, it all depends on people.” Mandel ended with the fact that while there were talks about ideas and innovations, no one had the patience to see it through and that it all came down to cost at the end of it.
The panel also discussed agency models, revisiting agency remuneration and the need for agencies to not stay with the advertisers, but stay ahead of the advertisers to help them navigate in the fast changing communication world.
Sorrell ended the discussion with what was it that leaders like these strived at a personal level as well. For Sorrell, it was persistence, speed and balance.
Also read:
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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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