We have been growing triple-digit while landscape has been mostly flat or negative: Amit Agarwal, Amazon India

Post demonetisation, Amazon India had stopped their COD service for 48 hrs to allow the logistics team to stabilise their operation and adjust dealing with new notes

e4m by Sarmistha Neogy
Published: Dec 15, 2016 8:20 AM  | 4 min read
We have been growing triple-digit while landscape has been mostly flat or negative: Amit Agarwal, Amazon India

The sudden withdrawal of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes from the Indian market led to a windfall across various sectors, e-commerce being one of them. Sales dipped initially as many companies withdrew their Cash on Delivery (COD) service owing to the paucity of cash in the hands of the consumers. But now slowly, things have started to fall in place, as more and more consumers are adapting to the digital mode of payments and with the host of exciting offers, each player has on plate.

Commenting on the impact of demonetisation on Amazon India, Amit Agarwal, Vice President and Country Manager from the company said,One of the things worth understanding is that consumers use cash in many cases because they don’t trust a service. On the other hand, Amazon has always been very focussed with customer experience over the last three years and have been rated as the most trusted brand. We already had a significant share of digital and prepaid payments on Amazon India. What demonetisation has helped to do is to push that even higher. So it has actually been great for us and we are seeing a lot of customers move away from cash to digital methods.”

Agarwal further spoke on the impact of the immediate withdrawal of COD post demonetisation, advertising budget if it will get affected, challenges in the Indian market for the e-commerce category and the initial response of Amazon Now.

Excerpts:

When you had stopped COD for 48 hours, did it impact your sales?

Yes absolutely it did impact our sales, when you stop COD for 48 hours, without any advance notice, the customer is bound to face some problem. But we did that so that our logistics team could stabilise their operations and get comfortable dealing with the new notes. Now we are back to normal.

Roughly, what is the percentage of transactions that is happening online as compared to cash after demonetisation?

We don’t share the mix, but from all what we heard, Amazon is very unique in their high share of digital payments added with fantastic service and customer trust.

What is your take on demonetisation and how will the e-commerce category benefit from it?

Personally I don’t have an insight on how demonetisation is impacting e-commerce, but I think the idea of a cashless society is noble and it is a right direction for consumers, businesses and for the country. It is a long term vision and I am looking forward to participate in it.  

Will there be a cut in the ad spends because of demonetisation?

We don’t really talk about our spends, but all I can tell you that every single quarter, we have been growing triple-digit year-on-year, even though the landscape has been mostly flat or negative. Personally this year, has been the most exciting year for Amazon India.

What has been the response of Amazon Now (2-hour delivery service that offers popular consumer products)?

The response has been really amazing; we have recently expanded Amazon Now out of Bangalore to Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad. Customers love this service and we are quite excited about it.

What are the challenges which are still prevalent in the Indian market and how do you plan to overcome them?

I think e-commerce in India is at a very early phase. Our focus is how do we invest in infrastructure and innovation that makes it easier for any consumer or seller anywhere in India to shop online. It requires a lot of infrastructure build out, all the way from logistics, to payments, to seller training and that requires technology and hard infrastructure and that is what we are focussed on. This process is going to take many years and we are very early in the life cycle.

We have a very long term orientation when it comes to thinking about India, we are barely getting started and as I have often said, it is probably, not even minute one of day one. So you will continue to see us investing and adding, more selection on our platform, ensuring that we make it cost-efficient for our sellers to operate their businesses, so that they can offer great prices.

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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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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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