Week at a glance: India in unlock mode; Digital conversations @DIGIXX 2020

Growth is outside the metros; 70% of youth TG are in small towns: Shashi Sinha

DIGIXX Summit & Awards 2020, the flagship property of Adgully, analysed the current situation rising out of the COVID-19 crisis and discussed ways in which Digital is paving the way forward for the industry. Industry experts also spoke how to strategise for growth in challenging times.

Audi has a strong hold on digitalisation & is investing heavily in it: Gaurav Sinha

The year 2019 was a challenging year for the automobile sector. 2020 was supposed to be more optimistic and expectations were there about some revival of this sector.Within the automotive industry, some of the industry experts felt that growth for luxury cars may be flat in 2020. Now, with the unprecedented situation that has arisen due to COVID-19, it has further derailed the growth of the automobile sector. But that has not hit the spirits of Audi. While the revival will take some time, but the team at Audi is planning various activities, both in Marketing and PR, to keep engaged with their audience.

Revival & Survival: The opportunity is much larger than the problem – Praful Akali

Prepared or not, India has now moved on to the ‘Unlock – 1’ phase as an exit strategy for the two-month long lockdown period. It is definitely a changed world that India is entering now, and we will have to learn to live with the Coronavirus in our midst.

Revival & Survival: Blueprint for businesses should be cautious optimism – Amit Kumar

Revival & Survival: Stay agile & be more adaptive towards embracing the new norms

Revival & Survival: Scenario to change from Q4 FY21, hope to inch towards 3-4% of GDP

The Bad Brief – Look beyond the fear: Sumanto Chattopadhyay

Sumanto Chattopadhyay, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, 82.5 Communications, writes about the anatomy of a bad brief and how such a brief will never produce great work. Compared to this, a good brief is the foundation that brings to life the thinking, feelings and behaviours of the consumer whose life the brand wishes to be a part of.

How Seniority has addressed the gap in organised retail market for seniors

An RPG Group Company, Seniority has today emerged as India’s largest shopping destination for senior citizens. The company was founded in 2016 by Ayush Agrawal and Tapan Mishra. Ayush is an IIM alumnus, and responsible for marketing and strategy, while Tapan, an alumnus of LSE and XIMB, oversees operations and supply chain at Seniority.

We haven’t experienced much change in our ad revenue vertical: Vynsley Fernandes

In conversation with Adgully, VynsleyFernandes, CEO, IMCL, media vertical of the Hinduja Group, speaks about how the COVID-19 pandemic and the nation-wide lockdown has impacted the overall entertainment industry and how IMCL has been adapting to the changing situation.

DAN India firms up programmatic & tech offerings with Dentsu Play

The Data Sciences Division of Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) India has launched the world’s first gaming demand side platform – ‘Dentsu Play’. With Dentsu Play, DAN’s Data Sciences Division aims to strengthen the group’s programmatic and tech offerings and in turn, help brands better connect with audiences in a unified manner.

An opportunity to leave behind a Brave New World of Entertainment

Strange times, these! Without a doubt, this must be the most unique global event that the majority of us alive today have ever experienced, are experiencing or will experience. The initial days were actually exciting - WFH, more time with the family, try cooking, do your own chores, learn a skill, read more and relax with a drink at the end of the day. Slowly, it became less exciting and burdensome almost and most of the things I thought I had time for never happened. Then the realisation that - 'This is the Way', in true Mandalorian style.

Ratio of Digital PR & traditional PR has reversed to 80:20 in the last 10 years: Experts

Taking a look back at the last few years, there has been a dynamic shift since 2010 in the way PR is moving in our country. A few years ago, the ratio of traditional PR and digital PR was 80:20, but that has now almost reversed. Transformation in digital has happened in a huge manner as brands are strongly focusing towards digital to manage the online reputation of brands digitally. With the pandemic situation which has disrupted the world, the need and power of digital has grown by leaps and bound during the lockdown period. Even as restrictions have been lifted to a great degree, there is still a fear among the people to step out of their homes.

High on nostalgia focus, how Araldite is rekindling its bonds with young India

Araldite, the 70-year old leading Swiss adhesive brand, believes in repairing not replacing, because it knows everyone owns irreplaceable things. The company’s recently launched campaign – #bondsthatlastforever – has attracted over 1 million views and is still going strong. Indians have connected with the company’s philosophy that in every Indian home, there are items that are worth far more than their price. Should such things break, repurchasing a similar piece cannot compensate for the loss.

MRUC updates Code for Self Regulation for use of IRS data

Media Research Users Council (MRUC) has made a few updates in its Code for Self Regulation for use of India Readership Survey (IRS) data.Theupdated clauses are as follows:Page No. 4 of the IRS Code of Self Regulation

Flow of content contingent on where users are present, concur experts

The COVID-19 pandemic and resultant nation-wide lockdown has seen increased consumption of content as people remained confined at home. On June 6, 2020, Adgullyorganised a series of webinars on digital marketing as part of its annual DIGIXX Summit | Awards. The conversations captured the course that the digital ecosystem of India was heading towards.

Brands need to take responsibility to respond in a quicker, more efficient way: Experts

With lockdown restrictions being lifted in the country even as COVID-19 cases continue to see a spike, India is gradually coming to terms with a ‘new normal’ and having to live with the virus in our midst.

Ramping up the Direct to Consumer E-commerce Revolution in India

The Internet base is rising very quickly in India – from 170 million in 2015 to 650 million in 2020, post Jio and is projected to reach 850 million by 2025. With this, the number of online shoppers is also growing very fast – from less than 100 million in 2015 to 400 million today, and is expected to reach 550 million in 2025.

Radio has once again made critics eat humble pie amid lockdown: L V Krishnan

Showcasing a high sense of responsibility and purpose, listeners have once again taken to the medium that they always connected with – Radio, says L V Krishnan, Chief Executive Officer, TAM Media Research.

Industry keenly eyes GulaboSitabo’s digital premiere

The film industry has faced possibly one of its biggest disruptions ever due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Never before has the film industry come to a grinding halt with all cinema halls closed, no shootings taking place, no new releases. Now, even as India emerges out of the over two-month long lockdown, cinema halls and multiplexes continue to remain shut.

Writing a new script: It’s time for us to be human & empathetic, stress media honchos

What is the role of brands during times of such unprecedented uncertainties? How can brands be empathetic and relevant when people across the world are living through daunting times? From entertaining to educating and even easing the lives of people – how are Media & Entertainment companies shaping their communications strategies during a time of crisis? These were some of the questions that communications heads from leading media and entertainment companies shared in the latest instalment of Weber Shandwick’s Creative Sandbox, an online platform created to fuel frank and invigorating conversations on creativity in communications.

Strategy refresh, realignment of portfolio, adapting ops way forward for M&E: EY

The Media & Entertainment sector is facing unprecedented challenges from the spread of COVID-19. Rapid changes in consumer behaviour and consumption, stoppages in content production, cancellation of live events and sports, and cuts in advertising spend, are impacting companies across the ecosystem

GroupM issues category-specific brand safety guidance for marketers

A new brand safety report released by GroupM, WPP’s media investment group, offers new category-specific recommendations for marketers on the future of brand safety. As policy shifts, political winds and the global pandemic impact advertising, brand safety opportunities and risks are evolving just as quickly to keep pace.

Decoding the OTT consumption trends during the lockdown period and beyond

The Indian video streaming in India has exploded in last one year and more recently due to the pandemic situation and continuing of the lockdown. Thanks to Jio, 65% of video consumption is coming from the rural Indian that has only 40% internet connectivity. The viewing habits have changed and digital OTT players are bombarding the users with original video-on-demand and intriguing content. With the growing popularity of smartphones in Tier 3 and 4 towns alongside the hinterlands, coupled with lowering data costs, the truth is that many users will jump into this bandwagon and consume more OTT.

BARC Wk 22 ratings: Growth spike continues for Hindi & English News genres

The News genre – Hindi and English – mostly recorded growth in viewership in Week 22 (Saturday, 30th May 2020 to Friday, 5th June 2020) as per BARC data [All India (U+R) : NCCS All : 2+ Individuals]. TV9 Bharatvarsh among top 5 Hindi news channels was the only channel to see degrowth, while DD India among last week’s Top 5 English News channels moved out of the list this week. NDTV 24x7 made a re-entry this week.