Week at a glance: Row over idea shopping; Change of guard at BARC; Voice buzz

Idea Shopping: Will it wedge a divide between agency and clients?
Idea shopping by clients has been a long-pending issue for agencies. There have been instances where agencies have alleged that ideas presented during the pitch process have been used by clients in their campaigns even though the agency was not given the account.

BARC India CEO Partho Dasgupta steps down; Sunil Lulla replaces him
The news is now confirmed. ParthoDasgupta, CEO, BARC India, today announced his plans to relinquish his position and move on. Dasgupta has been the first Chief Executive Officer of BARC India, a joint industry company between broadcasters, advertisers and agencies.

With several pressing issues, new BARC CEO Sunil Lulla has his work cut out
BARC India has undergone a leadership change with Sunil Lulla at the helm as the new CEO, after ParthoDasgupta decided to move on from the company. The industry has welcomed Lulla’s appointment and is looking at some key changes being introduced in BARC’s functioning.

Viewpoint: The road ahead for BARC
There is a change of guard at BARC India and there is much that the industry is expecting from the new CEO Sunil Lulla.

Leveraging Instagram: The step-by-step guide for brands for Insta success
With 1 billion monthly active users, being the second most engaged social network platform and having 75 per cent of the users below the age of 35, and also the fact that 83 per cent Instagrammers find new products and services through this platform, Instagram has grown into a massive opportunity for brands to tap into for growth and increased presence.

Creative rethink: Standalone 6-seconders aren’t memorable
In 2016, YouTube introduced their 6-second bumper ad format. In a blog post in 2017, they suggested that brands use these ads for their upper funnel goals like increasing recall and awareness. But it doesn’t look like brands followed YouTube’s advice because most 6-second bumper ads look like this.

The Instagram push for brands: 2 case studies on how to get the strategy right
The Instagram has emerged as a powerful weapon in a marketer’s arsenal is a known fact. Recent campaigns by PepsiCo’s Lay’s and Scoopski, a relatively new and quirky cookie dough brand, showcase how Instagram is being used innovatively to create hugely engaging campaigns.

Roping in multiple celeb endorsers – An effective strategy or an overkill?
Multi-starrer movies have been thrilling fans for years and fans get full paisa vasool by seeing their favourite stars in one film. Celeb multi-starrer ad films, too, are not that uncommon. Instead of one celeb endorser, brands seek to increase the star power of their campaigns by bringing onboard multiple celeb endorsers.

Post NTO, Zee English cluster’s HD subscription has gone up: Kartik Mahadev
Racing ahead of the world and even the US, viewers in India can now watch Hollywood blockbusters sooner than ever before. &flix, in association with Sony Pictures Television, brings viewers a step closer to the latest Hollywood blockbusters.

#TwitterChat: Decoding the intricacies of adopting Voice
Adgully’s latest Twitter Chat endeavour turned the focus on ‘A Future that is Voice enabled’. Held on Friday, October 18, 2019, the special Twitter panel comprised of industry experts.

When iron becomes more precious than gold - Project Streedhan shows how
Exactly 10 days before Dhanteras, DSM launched a new campaign to encourage women to invest in iron and not just gold. DSM works in the area of nutrition and sustainable living and has launched this CSR initiative called Project Streedhan.

Zee Media Q2 FY20 revenues decline by 18.8% to Rs 1,370.3 mn
Zee Media Corporation Limited has reported consolidated revenues of Rs 1,370.3 million for the second quarter ended September 30, 2019, as against Rs 1,686.6 million in Q2 FY2019, a decline of 18.8 per cent.

TRAI releases recommendations on KYC of DTH set top boxes
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released its recommendations on ‘KYC of DTH Set Top Boxes’.

Why outdoor advertising remains an overlooked revenue opportunity in India
Outdoor advertising is always equated with billboard/ hoarding, which has long affected the perception sphere of stakeholders like advertisers, media owners and ad agencies, government departments.

Amazon.in launches Storyboxes to take seller stories closer to customers
If you shopped during Amazon’s Great Indian Festival, chances are you discovered something unusual on your delivery box. Amazon customers have started receiving their orders in boxes that tell stories- stories of transformation and success of small and medium businesses thriving on Amazon.

Facebook launches new UI along with ads in search results
Like Google, Facebook has now introduced ads in search results. Brands that opt-in ads, that ad will be eligible to be places in search results and market place search. Brands can also select the placement while setting up the campaign.

Isobar Launches In-housing Solution, Accelerate
Isobar, a global digital agency, has launched an in-housing solution to help businesses remodel their marketing approach on their digital transformation journeys.  Isobar’s In-housing solution, ‘Accelerate’ specifically enables clients to fast track their in-house capabilities, offering them a partnership that can quickly respond to business challenges and deliver custom solutions routed in a business’s insights and culture.

HT launches print innovation to curb reliance on plastic in association with adidas & M3M
In an effort to create awareness about plastic waste and reduce the reliance on plastic bags, Hindustan Times in collaboration with adidas and M3M launched an initiative called #ReduceTheUse.

NBF holds the biggest meet of regional & national news media in Mumbai today
The News Broadcasters Federation (NBF) is holding its first ever meet in Mumbai today (October 21, 2019), after the industry body’s formation in July this year. The meet will bring together the top executives of the Indian news industry in what is purported to be the biggest meeting of regional and national news broadcasters on one platform.

Human attention span dwindling says new research by Taboola and Nielsen
Taboola, the world’s leading content discovery platform today announced “Research Defines the Moment of Next,” a new study report in partnership with Nielsen which explores consumer attentiveness and emotional response to different content experiences online.

Offbeat: Transforming businesses – Nidhi Agarwal & her corporate hustle
Nidhi Agarwal’s shift from an accountant to a business leader who scaled up Times Points, which is now one of India’s most comprehensive rewards programmes, was a result of persistent self-discovery and an indomitable spirit to fully realise the potential of fledgling businesses.

The W Suite | Geeta Suthar’s 5 lessons in effectiveness of women leaders
Diversity in the workforce has become a necessity today, and more so in leadership positions. It can’t be denied that women bring a high level of creativity and empathy while solving problems and handling crises. Women leaders bring to the table a different level of dexterity.

Republic Media & EbixCash Partner the World’s First Brand-integrated News Studio
Republic Media Network, India’s Number 1 news network, and EbixCash, India’s largest financial exchange disruptor, announced the world’s first brand-integrated news studio – the EbixCash Studio.

BARC Wk 42: Zee TV slips to No. 5 on all platform
BARC India data for Week 42 (Saturday, October 12 to Friday, October 18) of 2019 shows Zee TV slip from the third spot to No.5 [HSM (U+R) : NCCS All : 2+ Individuals]. This apart, there hasn’t been too much upheaval in the channel rankings this week.

Video Exclusive: Diwali campaigns that lit up the mood
Continuing with Adgully’s weekly feature, we turn the spotlight on the ad campaigns that stood out from the myriad campaigns that hit various media platforms. While most whizz by on our screens, there are some that force us to sit back and take notice – by their sheer creativity, presentation, theme, and message.