"There has been amazing expansion in India that continues, and is becoming more ambitious in production quality, live content. There is tough competition in India, and in a bid to reach more people, I think Indian news channels are more tabloid in their approach than we are. What isn't breaking news? This may be driven from competition but people have to rethink this. Breaking news would lose impact if done in this fashion, what is the next level then... double breaking news?"

exchange4media Staff Aug 10, 2007 12:00 AM

I don't think there exists any so-called 'ad agencies' any more on this planet. For the past few years ad agencies had to become integrated marketing agencies. They are all called brand agencies or integrated communication agencies. They needed to respond to the growing client needs. It's no longer just television but also direct mail. They have to sort of develop on all 12 keys of the piano and not just on one or two.

exchange4media Staff Aug 4, 2007 12:00 AM

"We are looking at growing further in different countries. We are looking at further strengthening our digital focus; we are already doing very well there, but we believe that this is the area that can do better with more focus_. Today, digital has great opportunities. It does not only mean the web, but it has become a medium that is working together with other media. Whether it is television, radio, cinema or print, all forms of media are moving towards digital, and the media landscape itself is changing."

exchange4media Staff Jul 27, 2007 12:00 AM

“There is a retail revolution that is taking place in the country. Consumers are well travelled, aware and quality-conscious. We thought that our only competition was from the unorganised market. With India getting so much organised retail space, we are sure that the growth phenomenon is here to stay. We have booked space in every possible mall that is coming up and hope to touch a figure of 230 stores by 2010.”

exchange4media Staff Jul 23, 2007 12:00 AM

"I think that in comparison to India, China, Europe, London or any other part of the world, a lot of innovations come from the West Coast of America. What you tend to see in the rest of the world is a very fast imitation of what you see there, and I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. There are very strong technology businesses in India as well. It is smaller but that doesn’t make it boring, and the potential that the market holds makes it so much more exciting."

exchange4media Staff Jul 20, 2007 12:00 AM

“There has been a significant shift in consumers’ lifestyles, the explosion in mobility and suburban growth. This has led to the entire OOH media assuming a far greater importance. View this in the context of severe media fragmentation and the extremely short attention span of consumers, and you will appreciate how integrated OOH is becoming brand strategic in nature.”

exchange4media Staff Jul 16, 2007 12:00 AM

"It is great working with people who talk about doing something in the future and like to do it the next morning, as opposed to discussing it, and writing memos about it and pondering over it. It is a simple thing to do and it's a refreshing experience that makes you do a lot of work and ensures that you have great fun all the time, which is the idea of being in the media industry. If it is boring, you may as well be in another industry."

exchange4media Staff Jul 13, 2007 12:00 AM

In a market like India that is really just starting to ramp up, you have certain marketers who are still focussing on traditional media and beginning to really think through how they can adopt the Internet. So, adoption is fairly low in this market and it is starting to see a pick up quite dramatically.

exchange4media Staff Jul 9, 2007 12:00 AM

"The divide between media and creative is one of the main causes of strife in the industry today. It often resembles an unseemly turf war, and that's something that clients rightly dislike. It means neither side can do their best work; and ultimately the client suffers. Naked bridges that divide, and it is one of the reasons why Naked is so successful. We have no agenda other than to create and orchestrate great creative solutions for our clients."

exchange4media Staff Jul 6, 2007 12:00 AM

"Now everyone in Bollywood knows our personality and before going on-air they say, 'Don't bajao us today'. People know that we won't have a boring clichéd interview. Over the past couple of years, people have identified this. Our entire positioning is that we are a 'station for expression'. And we come with a mindset that we can make things work. So it is a platform for people to raise issues. So we 'bajao' issues that impact the common man. It is a clear, honest, true-to-yourself station and I think that has been our biggest differentiator, and a personality is getting formed in our listeners' minds."

exchange4media Staff Jun 30, 2007 12:00 AM

"You have to have a control over the in-store environment if you want to grow as a retail brand and if you have to give benefits to clients. What we are seeing in quite a few places today is that money is being taken quickly from advertisers but not necessarily in an integrated way."

exchange4media Staff Jun 22, 2007 12:00 AM

“Having been present in the Indian kitchen for over half a century, we have an unmatched understanding of the Indian woman and have seen her develop from a housewife to a world-beater today. This insight, which gets translated when we transact with her, is what makes us different. The trust and legacy that the brand carries is legendary…The salience of the brand is proved by its effortless extension into the entire kitchen space.”

exchange4media Staff Jun 20, 2007 12:00 AM

I think that the most important trend that is emerging that will influence communications for the coming years is the empowerment of consumers, the democratisation of brands. The truth is that consumers are taking control of brands and the brand managers don’t own the brands anymore, the consumers own the brand and that democratisation is fundamentally changing the way companies think about communicating. I think now brand managers need to understand that they need to engage in a conversation with their consumers, that’s going to drive their behaviour in communications and create terrific opportunities for public relations.

exchange4media Staff Jun 18, 2007 12:00 AM

"From the way I see it, 2007 is our year of experimenting with the business model. It is like doing a test launch, and trying to figure out what is right and what is not. In 2008, we will be more focused with mercenary targets. Then, finally, 2009 will be the year of results. So this year all of us are allowed to make lots of mistakes, and learn from them."

exchange4media Staff Jun 15, 2007 12:00 AM

"More and more agencies should ask for a partnership of equals rather than as suppliers. What ails the industry is to stand up and be counted as people who are delivering valuable inputs for the success of their clients. We believe we are not just suppliers of campaigns -- we want relationships that are fair and of equals. If we believe we are not going to get that, then it's not the business we want to be in. The unfortunate situation is that there are many agencies that are willing to work on less money."

exchange4media Staff Jun 15, 2007 12:00 AM

“In terms of technology, Indian television news has come a long way. But in terms of the content, we still need maturity. There is a mad rush for breaking news and everyone wants to be the first in that, which at times leads to misreporting. We have to learn all these things. We have to be mature enough to put in place some control mechanism. We should focus on responsible journalism.”

exchange4media Staff Jun 6, 2007 12:00 AM

Loyalty marketing is actually a long-term strategy to identify, retain and grow profit for a company. They are called by multiple names; one is loyalty programme, one is data-driven marketing, one is relationship marketing, and there are affinity programmes too. The strategy is simply to identify and retain your best customers and grow value for them.

exchange4media Staff Jun 5, 2007 12:00 AM

"I think this is the perfect time for India to launch more channels, even though it may seem too many channels are already there. There is an insatiable demand for the information and entertainment via the electronic media. I have never seen a demand completely satiated anywhere in the world. So I think it is the right time in India to add some more channels in that space."

exchange4media Staff Jun 1, 2007 12:00 AM

"As far as scam ads are concerned, they really should be condemned because they have stolen an ad that just may have gone to a more deserving entry...I know that the jury in various award shows are briefed today that there should not be any scam ads on the winners' reel. The jury presidents and festival heads tell them, 'Look at the ads from your country and be honest about it'. I know that scam ads are becoming fewer with initiatives like this. Cannes does it and I really think that other festivals should take this up also."

exchange4media Staff May 25, 2007 12:00 AM

"We should stop thinking that the client is a devil and the creative person lives in an ivory tower, and that the two must never speak -- that is nonsense. We have to be friends and a team. My best work has come out with best relationships with my clients. In fact, that's a challenge I would like to try with BMB in India, and if it doesn't work then I would've failed. But I would still like to try."

exchange4media Staff May 18, 2007 12:00 AM