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Global recession has played its part in changing many rules of the advertising business as we know it. However, now as many markets are seeing growth once again, a sense of the new normal is setting in. In a coffee conversation with exchange4media, OMD’s Global CEO Mainardo de Nardis explained that the ‘new normal’ was in the right direction.
Noor Fathima Warsia Nov 19, 2010 7:36 AM
It is hardly surprising anymore, when one gets to hear that ‘no other channel was allowed there but Doordarshan’ like Barack Obama’s India visit. Again, ‘It is alright if someone coughed up a bomb for it but the coverage must be shared with Doordarshan’ – like is the case is in nearly all cricket series. Being the government’s channel, Doordarshan enjoys advantages that others can remotely hope for. Something like BBC in the UK. Why then, does Doordarshan lag so far behind in being a serious player?
Noor Fathima Warsia Nov 8, 2010 7:26 AM
...Well, perhaps not exactly trainees but the ones who are still working with the junior-most employees, handling chores such as cleaning bathrooms to handling baggage - these CEOs, and there are two examples I had the good fortune to meet AirAsia’s Tony Fernandes and Domino’s India’s Ajay Kaul, have a few lessons for everyone...
Noor Fathima Warsia Nov 1, 2010 8:47 AM
For a fraction of a second, it was difficult to believe when ITC announced it would part ways with the Lintas Media Group. But then I recalled, it was the same feeling when Coca-Cola India parted ways with Madison Media or L’Oreal broke off from Lodestar UM, or even Colgate moving away from TME, whatever may be the real reasons for that. Even as we have another couple of months left in the year, 2010 has seen some big changes. Old equations have changed, decade-old relationships have broken and I wonder, if it is years such as these that redefine our business.
Noor Fathima Warsia Oct 25, 2010 8:24 AM
It was not business as usual at the exchange4media office on October 20, 2010, when Laura Desmond, Global CEO, Starcom MediaVest Group, spent the morning with the reporters and senior editors as the Guest Editor for exchange4media.com, for the day. Her approach towards industry news and developments was sharp, firm and focussed, and her advice was forward looking.
Noor Fathima Warsia Oct 21, 2010 8:23 AM
...To a number of shows that keep you on top. At least that is what seems to be working for Star Plus right now. Despite some of the big ticket shows on Hindi general entertainment channels, Star Plus has stayed comfortably ahead of competition. Is the ‘three-on-top’ or ‘no clear leader’ syndrome of the Hindi GEC still valid?
Noor Fathima Warsia Oct 18, 2010 10:45 PM
At least that is the question that just about anyone and everyone who paid any attention to the Reckitt Benckiser media pitch proceedings (and that includes literally the whole industry – India and abroad), has been asking. The most popular answer: “MPG has retained it”. And why was there no announcement? Reply: “Why should there be when there is no change?” Is this the simple end to the most controversial media pitch of recent times?
Noor Fathima Warsia Oct 11, 2010 8:37 AM
As Ravi Kiran, CEO – South Asia, Starcom MediaVest Group, announced his decision to move on from the agency, SMG has got busy meeting people in Mumbai and Delhi for deciding on a replacement. Also on the consideration set is Sandeep Lakhina, COO, Starcom Worldwide. As for what next for Ravi, he says, “Not known, all options open”.
Noor Fathima Warsia Sep 30, 2010 8:42 AM
Because he prepares -- that is in fact the simple, three-word answer to why I ensure that if there is an event I have the opportunity to attend – India or elsewhere – and Martin Sorrell is a speaker, I am seated in the first row. While Sir Martin Sorrell has pet subjects that come up often in his discussions in a given period of time, he is never repetitive. He is always prepared and that shows the respect he has for the panel and for his audience – a habit I wish every speaker had.
Noor Fathima Warsia Sep 27, 2010 8:13 AM
The first session of the last day of Spikes Asia 2010 focussed on the agency-client relationship and the three speakers – Ajay Kakar, CMO, Aditya Birla Group – Financial Services; Colvyn Harris, CEO, JWT India; and Srinivasan Swamy, Chairman, RK Swamy Hansa Group – presented the India picture on the subject.
Noor Fathima Warsia Sep 22, 2010 7:03 AM
Spikes Asia 2010 ended its final day with magic – from advertising magic of BBDO’s David Lubars and TBWA’s John Merrifield to Publicis Asia’s Calvin Soh, and finally, Japanese magician Cyril Takayama ending the sessions. The conversations of the day ranged from soulful egoists who can change conversations and finally how advertising, when thought through, is a bit like magic.
Noor Fathima Warsia Sep 22, 2010 6:59 AM
Spikes Asia 2010 ended with the Spikes Awards ceremony. India has sent the highest number of entries this year, but the metal tally has dropped from the 41 of last year and to 36 metals this year. Winning agencies include JWT India, Ogilvy India, TapRoot India, BBDO India, MediaCom India, Mudra Group, Leo Burnett India, McCann Worldgroup, Grey Worldwide India, Bates 141 and Creativeland Asia.
Noor Fathima Warsia Sep 22, 2010 6:52 AM
Creativity has many forms of expressions and creative leaders find their own way of representing what goes behind good work. The first full day of Spikes Asia 2010 – September 20, 2010 – saw creative entrepreneur who started off with 12 people and is now Executive Chairman Draftfcb, Howard Draft, one of the youngest CEOs Andrew Robertson, CEO, BBDO Worldwide, and JWT Worldwide’s CEO Bob Jeffrey speak to the audience on what drives them, and the work at their agencies.
Noor Fathima Warsia Sep 21, 2010 8:32 AM
Corporate social responsibility donned a fun hat at the inaugural session of Spikes Asia 2010, where Euro RSCG’s Global CEO David Jones and AirAsia’s CEO Tony Fernandes got down to discuss how creativity can be used to effect positive change, and how responsibility begins first, at office.
Noor Fathima Warsia Sep 21, 2010 8:31 AM
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.
Noor Fathima Warsia Sep 21, 2010 8:29 AM
The final day of Spikes Asia 2010 has begun with the announcement of the shortlisted entries for the categories of TV/Cinema, Integrated, TV/Cinema Craft and Print Craft. Six Indian pieces of work have made it to the TV/Cinema category. Two entries have made it to Integrated Spikes. Print Craft has 13 pieces of work shortlisted from India, which is 50 per cent of the shortlist, however, TV/Cinema Craft has only four pieces of work shortlisted.
Noor Fathima Warsia Sep 21, 2010 8:23 AM
Spikes Asia 2010 has kicked off the first day with shortlists for five categories – Print Spikes, Media Spikes, Outdoor Spikes, Direct & Sales Spikes and Design Spikes. Indian agencies dominate Print Spikes with 22 pieces of work making it to the shortlist of 57. There are 14 Indian entries shortlisted in Media Spikes and 10 pieces of work from India in Outdoor Spikes. In Direct and Sales Promotion Spikes, there are six entries shortlisted and Design Spikes shortlist has three Indian entries.
Noor Fathima Warsia Sep 20, 2010 8:16 AM
The first day conversations at Spikes Asia 2010 were of Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. The sessions of the day saw global advertising biggies like Bob Greenberg, Chairman, CEO and Global Chief Creative Officer, RG/A; Tay Guan Hin, Regional ECD, JWT Asia and Global ECD, Lux and Erik Ingvoldstad, Regional Creative Director, APAC and ECD, Singapore, MRM Worldwide speak about winning works at Cannes Lions. The opening networking party also saw young creative professionals discuss some of the works that had won at Cannes Lions 2010.
Noor Fathima Warsia Sep 20, 2010 8:12 AM
Spikes Asia 2010 kicked off on September 19 at the Suntec Convention Centre in Singapore. The event has seen an increase of 14 per cent in entries for awards this year, while the number of delegates has also gone up from the 960 last year to over 1,300 delegates. India has sent the highest number of entries this year. Festival Chairman Terry Savage said in a conversation with exchange4media that the event has begun as per expectations.
Noor Fathima Warsia Sep 20, 2010 8:11 AM
Spikes Asia has announced the shortlists for Digital and Radio categories on the second day of the Festival. Five Indian entries have made it to the Digital Spikes shortlist, while three entries have made it to Radio Spikes shortlist.
Noor Fathima Warsia Sep 20, 2010 8:09 AM
Very often, I find myself asking Global Chiefs, why aren’t there more regional positions – APAC or Asia – based out of India. Most agencies look at Singapore or Hong Kong for their regional positions. But with all the focus on India, why not India? We have a few South Asia heads now based in India, but why can’t more markets be aligned with India. I always get a different answer, but a few days in Singapore and one almost begins understanding why Singapore...
Noor Fathima Warsia Sep 20, 2010 8:08 AM
Spikes Asia 2010 has kicked off the first day with shortlists for five categories – Print Spikes, Media Spikes, Outdoor Spikes, Direct & Sales Spikes and Design Spikes. Indian agencies dominate Print Spikes with 22 pieces of work making it to the shortlist of 57. There are 14 Indian entries shortlisted in Media Spikes and 10 pieces of work from India in Outdoor Spikes. In Direct and Sales Promotion Spikes, there are six entries shortlisted and Design Spikes shortlist has three Indian entries.
Noor Fathima Warsia Sep 19, 2010 11:24 AM
Last Thursday, Lintas Media Group released a proprietary research Connections to assist its advertisers in better reaching specific target audiences across a whole plethora of touch points. Lintas hosted an evening to share this with its key clients. While the study itself has much to discuss, another thought I left the event with was that there are strong agency and client relations today.
Noor Fathima Warsia Sep 13, 2010 7:43 AM
OMD India’s south offices have been buzzing with action with four new businesses to the Group. The Bangalore office has won sports brand Puma and staffing company Teamlease, while the Chennai office has bagged digital brand Sify and confectionary brand Lotte. The combined account size of these businesses is pegged at upwards of Rs 20 crore.
Noor Fathima Warsia Sep 2, 2010 8:23 AM
A few years back, Andre Nair, who was then heading GroupM in India, had explained to me that Emvie came from M V, which stood for Media Value, and that India was perhaps the only country that had a platform to recognise and award excellence in that domain. Now, many years later, under the stewardship of Apurva Purohit and now Sunil Lulla, Emvie Awards has become a coveted trophy for media service brands. And the more I think of it, the more I realise that here is one more example of why the Indian media agency business competes as equals on the global map.
Noor Fathima Warsia Aug 30, 2010 8:30 AM
It is one of the most talked-about international partnerships in recent times. Finally, CBS, the international media giant that gave shows like the ‘CSI’ series and sitcoms such as ‘Big Bang Theory’ and ‘How I Met your Mother’, is finally in India. And the partner is Reliance Broadcast, which by no means is a small scale or “safe” player. When the two come together, the expectations are sky-high. And perhaps that was the reason that a Hindi GEC missing from the first set of announcements was a tad disappointing.
Noor Fathima Warsia Aug 23, 2010 8:39 AM
One of the biggest news earlier this year was Colgate Palmolive aligning its media duties with MEC (earlier known as Mediaedge:cia), and then some time back the company realigned its creative business, and parked it out of Rediffusion Group into Bates 141. Neither development was preceded by a pitch process. While not many in the industry are clear on why the account moved, but from a WPP viewpoint, this was an interesting development.
Noor Fathima Warsia Aug 16, 2010 8:26 AM
MTS India, the CDMA mobile telephony service from Sistema Shyam Teleservices Ltd (SSTL), has put is media mandate on review. There were no official comments from the company at the time of filing the report, but industry sources informed that the review, which is a part of the company’s processes, had already begun. The incumbent on the business is MPG.
Noor Fathima Warsia Aug 12, 2010 8:24 AM
The recently concluded Coca-Cola India media pitch has left the industry slightly surprised. It was not about Lodestar UM winning the business, but more about Coca-Cola India severing its 11-year old ties with Madison Media. Are pitches good news – that is a bit of a trick question. That said, the Coca-Cola pitch has led to some interesting industry conversations, and how there is a thing or two to learn from it.
Noor Fathima Warsia Aug 9, 2010 7:31 AM
Coca Cola India, that had initiated a review of its media duties last month, has decided on its media AoR. In the wake of a multi-agency pitch, the business has been awarded to Lodestar UM. The development breaks the 11-year old relation that Coca Cola had with Madison Media. Industry sources peg the business upwards of Rs 200 crore. Coca Cola officials have confirmed the development to exchange4media.
Noor Fathima Warsia Aug 7, 2010 8:35 AM
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