Technology is a tool, not an idea: Amir Kassaei
Digital, when treated as infrastructure, has huge potential, but when treated as a medium, is failing constantly, says the CCO of DDB Worldwide

How about scooping up your dog’s poop in a special box in the park to get free minutes of WiFi – the more weight, the more minutes! DDB’s campaign for Mexican internet portal Terra created a surprise around the city with people enjoying a poop-free park and it increased conversations by around 70 per cent on social networks during the first week. Not to forget DDB’s work for McDonald’s promoting the breakfast offerings through the use of alarms on radio stations. After seeing these clutter-breaking campaigns by DDB, only one question pops up in everyone’s mind: Who’s the big creative daddy behind these campaigns?
Well...it is the brain child of creative guns under Amir Kassaei, Chief Creative Officer, DDB Worldwide. He believes in the universal rule that a brand can be relevant only when it walks the talks with the customer. “A brand is the sum of all the experiences you have with the company. Being consistent, substantial and truthful is the key to building a brand network. If a brand is adding value to the life of the people by delivering relevant experiences, in other words, delivers what it promises, people start to care,” he said.
A big idea is a compelling thought with the power to change the way people perceive a brand and generate tangible business value that endures over time and works across channels. DDB made the public and museums aware of audio descriptions by organising a charity exhibition and auction ‘Art Never Seen’. But instead of showing original artworks, they exhibited headphones and players with recorded audio descriptions of the works. The visitors could see the art using only ears and imagination as visually challenged people do.
A good ad idea is based on a relevant truth
It is often believed that a great idea balanced with proper execution and communicated in an integrated way across a range of media can be a source of great power to a brand. “You have to differentiate between ideas in general and ideas in advertising. A good ad idea is an idea based on a relevant truth. It's unseen, intelligent and involves people. And it is the most innovative solution to a marketing and business problem of a company,” he explained.
A successful campaign should have the art of thinking smaller, smarter and simpler with the ability to solve the right problem at the right time. He believes that one should not develop campaigns by having awards in mind. “You should solve the problems of your clients. If a campaign is the solution and it's a game-changing one, the client will be successful and you will get the recognition of the industry,” he remarked.
Get smart
In this digital era, brands need to start delivering rather than promising. They have to create a campaign that creates a viral loop touching the lives of everyone. With half a million car crashes a year caused by women drivers applying makeup, DDB and Volkswagen wanted to create awareness of this underestimated danger. DDB picked up the latest viral trend among young women: haul videos. Together with the famous haul girl Nikkie, who has over 150,000 subscribers, DDB Berlin created the tutorial ‘A crash course to shine’ carrying the message. In five days, the video was shared, re-tweeted and watched almost 130,000 times. They started a real discussion on YouTube with over 2,100 relevant comments.
Kassaei believes in treating digital like an infrastructure and not a medium. “We were among the first agencies back in the early 90s to establish a digital arm with Tribal DDB. So for us at DDB, it is a natural thing to think in infrastructure because we are almost digital natives and we know by experience that digital and the web if treated as infrastructure, have a huge potential, and when treated as medium, are failing constantly,” he said.
There is nothing called social media, and it is not something one develops or creates for a brand, he stated. “Social should be part of your DNA. For us at DDB, social means to have the deepest respect towards human beings. It is part of our DNA since 1949,” he said.
According to Kassaei, the challenge that advertising agencies will face in the next few years is understanding and embracing technology as what it is – a tool; one should not get confused, thinking of it as an idea.
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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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