Week at a glance: Dentsu decodes exits & restructure; OTT & gaming developments

All planned, nothing unexpected: Dentsu decodes exits & restructure to Adgully

Several top level exits at dentsu India in the last few days have created quite a stir in the industry, with everyone asking just what was happening at the network. A dentsu India spokesperson speaks to Adgully on the restructure process currently underway in the network, the dentsu India 2.0 vision, new hires and the road ahead.

Dentsu’s OOH businesses in India to be aligned into Amplifi

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With the departure of Haresh Nayak, President, Posterscope APAC and COO, Dentsu International, the group’s OOH businesses in India will be aligned into Amplifi, its supply-side management platform, under the leadership of Divya Karani, CEO, Media India

Dentsu International's Haresh Nayak quits after 13 years

Close on the heels of Sahil Arora and Euan Jarvie stepping down at Dentsu, Haresh Nayak, President, Posterscope APAC. COO, Dentsu International has also quit. He had joined Dentsu in 2008 as Managing Director, Regional Director, Posterscope Asia Pacific and last served as President, Posterscope APAC. COO, DAN Media Brands, MD, Posterscope India.

After Aggie, Taproot Dentsu's Co-founder Santosh Padhi steps down

The top level exits continue at Dentsu India. The agency is currently undergoing a restructuring of its business operations as well as its top leadership. In a latest development, Santosh Padhi, Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder, Taproot Dentsu, has moved on from the agency. Sources close to the development have confirmed the news to Adgully. Padhi's exit comes just days after his partner at Taproot Dentsu, Agnello Dias, moved out of the agency.

ZEE English cluster of channels grew by 75% during the lockdown: Kartik Mahadev

Zee Café’s dance reality show ‘Dance With Me’ has been gaining traction with the audiences across India – both the metros and Tier 2 and 3 markets. Season 2 of ‘Dance With Me’ kicked off on a high note on August 22, 2021. In an exclusive interview with Adgully, Kartik Mahadev, Business Head, Premium Channels, ZEEL, speaks about the viewership and traction gained by ‘Dance With Me’ in Season 1, the marketing strategy for Season 2, strong advertiser interest for the show, growth of ZEE’s English cluster and more.

Decoding ZEE5’s regional strategy & focus on bringing inclusion in entertainment

In conversation with Adgully, Manish Kalra, Chief Business Officer, ZEE5 India, speaks about how ZEE5 has geared up to cater to not just the Punjabi-speaking markets, several other regional markets, strengthening its overall content strategy, the key focus areas in FY2022 and much more.

“Real Money Gaming sector to see 38% growth, become a $1.6 bn market by 2022”

The Madras High Court recently struck down the blanket ban imposed on rummy, poker, and all other games played online for a wager, bet, money or other stake, irrespective of it being a game of skill or a game of chance. Adgully spoke to Manav Sethi, Chief Marketing Officer, Octro Inc, to know more about how regulation can be a catalyst for the gaming industry, impact of COVID-19, creating a Gaming ‘Metaverse’, and much more.

NTO 2.0: TRAI files counter-affidavit in SC, says want to ensure fair bundling of channels

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has filed its counter-affidavit in the NTO 2.0 case in the Supreme Court. This is in response to Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation’s (IBDF) petition wherein it has challenged the Bombay High Court order that upholds NTO 2.0, barring the second proviso – the a-la-carte rates of each pay channel that are part of a bouquet shall not exceed three times the average rate of a pay channel of the bouquet of which such a pay channel is a part.

Will BPL regain its lost glory in consumer durables under Reliance?

Nearly four decades back, BPL was quite a well-known name in colour televisions. The company also specialised in medical equipment systems for patient monitoring. Very recently, Reliance Retail acquired the licence to manufacture and market consumer durable products under BPL and Kelvinator brands. The move will also allow Reliance Retail to enter the electrical and electronic space. Reviving an old brand is always a challenge, but with right offerings and meeting the taste of the audience will certainly help the brand backed with strong customer service support.

Amul Macho Vs Lux Cozi: Copied or Inspired, why sexualise the underwear?

Allegations of plagiarism have hit ad land once again. This time, at the centre of controversy are campaigns by two innerwear brands – Lux Cozi and Amul Macho. JG Hosiery, maker of Amul Macho brand, has alleged that Lux Cozi’s recently released campaign featuring actor Varun Dhawan is a blatant copy of its Amul Macho ‘Toing Hai’ campaign released back in 2007.

Google launches initiative to support digital news startups in India

Google launches Google News Initiative (GNI) Startups Lab program for aspiring news entrepreneurs from all across India, Kate Beddoe, Director of News Partnerships, Google Asia Pacific mentioned in a blogpost.

BCCI shortlists six cities for two new IPL teams for 2022

The Governing Council of the Indian Premiere League (IPL) recently had announced the release of tender to own and operate two IPL teams from the 2022 season. According to the reports, they have selected six cities for the two new teams that includes Cuttack, Guwahati, Ranchi, Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Dharamsala. A BCCI official said that the cities will be picked out as per convenience and popularity.

India leads world in downloads of social apps: App Annie report

In the last four years, video streaming has completely transformed the social media landscape and has created a second-generation social economy. In its report, titled, ‘The Evolution of Social Media Apps’, App Annie estimates that consumers will spend $6.78 billion via social apps and 548 billion hours live streaming in social apps this year. The reports reveals that despite early adopter status, social apps are still in high demand, with 4.7 billion downloads in H1 2021 alone.

Social media intermediary norms & tackling menace of fake accounts & privacy breaches

Social media has become an integral part of our lives today – be it for staying in touch with friends and family, networking, expressing one’s views, but most of all to showcase one’s talent and create content. Thus, the immense popularity of platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and more.

40% of the readers discontinued newspaper subscriptions during the pandemic : Havas Study

With the pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns disrupting the production and distribution of newspapers and magazines across India, Covid-19 happened to be a game-changer for Print as a medium in the country. Despite the lack of readership data and interrupted circulations, Print emerged as one of the most credible sources of information for most consumers, brands, and marketers, during these volatile and catastrophic times.

42% families to spend more or same this festive season: Axis My India's study

Axis My India, a leading consumer data intelligence company, released its findings of the India Consumer Sentiment Index, a monthly analysis of consumer perception on a wide range of issues, for the month of August.

Customer centricity is at the core of Niva Bupa’s business: Nimish Agrawal

Niva Bupa, a leading standalone health insurance player in India, is a joint venture between Fettle Tone LLP (an affiliate of True North Fund VI LLP), a leading Indian private equity firm, and the Bupa Group, a leading international healthcare company with a legacy of providing specialised healthcare services for over 70 years. Last year, the company opened 50 offices and is planning to open another 50 offices this year. The ambition is to continue to open 50 offices in the foreseeable future, because there is a sizeable opportunity in health insurance.

"After 54% YoY growth post lockdown, we’re looking at 2021 as annus mirabilis for OLX"

Engaging with consumers and being sensitive about uplifting and directing the communication in the pandemic times, platforms like OLX Advertising are aiming to build better memory salience.

We’ll soon start seeing good global products in the crypto space in India: R Subramanian

CoinDCX, the nation’s first crypto unicorn, has partnered with Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) to actively support the advancement of advertising standards within India’s cryptocurrency and digital asset industry, thereby promoting transparency in communications and building public confidence in the space.

How Organic India tapped into consumers’ shift towards building holistic immunity

‘Organic’ has become the precedent during the pandemic period, with health, wellness and immunity topping people’s concerns. As consumers’ preferences shifted, so have brands’ focus in keeping with changing lifestyle choices.

Amazon Prime Video's Vijay Subramaniam quits

Vijay Subramaniam, Director & Content Head of Amazon Prime Video has stepped down from the company. Director and Country Manager Gaurav Gandhi will continue to lead Amazon Prime Video in India and work across all teams.

Rolling Stone India & Man’s World publisher acquired by Ventureland Asia

Mumbai-based venture capital company, Ventureland Asia Advisory Services, has acquired the controlling stake in MW.Com India Pvt Ltd, the publisher of magazines like Rolling Stone India and MW (Man's World). MW.Com Pvt Ltd (MCPL) was till recently owned by the publishing company, Spenta Multimedia Pvt Ltd.

Ramesh Narayan to be inducted into AFAA Hall of Fame

Indian advertising doyen Ramesh Narayan will be inducted into the prestigious Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA) Hall of Fame at the AdAsia 2021 slated to be held in Macau on the 3rd. and 4th. December 2021.

Zapr Partners with PubMatic to Expand its Footprint for Marketers in India

Zapr Media Labs, a fast-growing media-tech startup that provides granular TV viewership data and also one of the world’s largest offline media consumption repositories, today announced a partnership with PubMatic (Nasdaq: PUBM), a sell-side platform that delivers superior outcomes for digital advertising, to make its unique audience data segments available across PubMatic’s publisher network in India.

Ad Land’s Young Guns: Devkey Advani, Creative Director, Faces Canada

From a passionate young entrepreneur in her 20s to becoming the Creative Director of a global cosmetic brand, Devkey Advani has wielded her expertise in design and strategy to lead this multipurpose role at Faces Canada. A true believer of ‘Make it simple, but significant’, Advani is a tremendously hard-working and debonair personality in this creative world.