Week at a glance: ZEE-Sony merger; India @75; Netflix’s AVOD model; AI & media agencies

ZEE-Sony proposed merger gets approval from stock exchanges

ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (ZEEL) has received an approval from the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE) for its proposed merger with Culver Max Entertainment Pvt Ltd (formerly Sony Pictures Networks India Pvt Ltd).

How AI, ML, VR are creating new opportunities for media agencies

Overall investment in AR/VR enterprises has increased dramatically in recent years. Smart application of these technologies may yield enormous wealth. Both consumer brands and corporate customers will rely on agency partners for narrative, design, and development as they adopt AR/VR. This change to 'immersive' content provides agencies with the opportunity to embrace and control a brand-new, still-maturing technology.

Decoding the Netflix AVOD model – Part One

It’s official. Netflix’s lower-priced advertising-supported offering will launch in early 2023. The streaming platform, in its letter to the shareholders after the Q2 results, revealed that the ad-supported offering would “likely start in a handful of markets where advertising spend is significant”. This means that the AVOD model will debut only in select markets, to start with.

Netflix AVOD model - Part 2: Experts raise transparency of data & reach issue

When Hulu launched advertising on its platform, it offered consumers the option to pick the ad they wanted to see or to consume a piece of sponsored content. The idea was to do away with interruptions. Will Netflix come up with a differentiated and compelling ad experience, probably one that is less intrusive or obtrusive? How do you innovate on the advertising experience is important.

Need regulation not overnight ban: Industry reacts to Govt ban on BGMI

Following the ban on PUBG Mobile in India, the South Korean game developer Krafton returned to the Indian market a year later with a relaunch of the same title under the title Battlegrounds Mobile India or BGMI. Now, it appears that BGMI has also been banned by the Indian government.

As brands bask in Neeraj Chopra’s performance, will they make long-term investment?

When Neeraj Chopra struck Javelin Gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, it heralded the rise of a new sports superstar. To top his athletic performance, Chopra’s charming personality endeared him not just to the entire nation, but also brands on the lookout for fresh icons to associate with. Post his Olympics feat, brands from sectors as diverse as insurance, finance, health drinks and engine oils have signed him on as their brand ambassador.

How Wipro’s foray will add to the flavour of the snacking category?

Most brands always think twice to venture into any new business area other than their core business. Brands are always conscious to keep the mother brand and product well-guarded while entering any new category or creating a brand extension. But recently, consumer care and cosmetic company Wipro announced its entry into the packaged foods business for owning a larger stake in the FMCG market pie which is an exciting move.

India @75 – Through the Advertising Lens

India @75: When Piyush Pandey became emotional about ‘Mile Sur Mera Tumhara’

In conversation with Adgully, Piyush Pandey, Chairman Global Creative & Executive Chairman India, Ogilvy, takes a walk down memory lane of Indian advertising and digs out the most significant campaigns that have had a profound impact on the country and brought about some important changes.

India @75: Josy Paul on Mahatma Gandhi & the biggest idea called ‘Freedom’

In an interaction with Adgully, Josy Paul, Chairman, and CCO, BBDO India, makes an interesting correlation between the Indian advertising creativity with India’s fight for Independence and our search for identity. He also lists some of the landmark ad campaigns that have brought about social changes over the years.

India @75: From cult classics to Deepfake AI – Rajshekhar Patil on iconic ads

In an interaction with Adgully, Rajshekhar Patil, Executive Creative Director, VMLY&R India, lists five iconic ads that stood out for the interesting and memorable way in which they presented the brand communication and broke the mould.

India @75: Nisha Singhania on the strong social conscience of Indian advertising

In conversation with Adgully, Nisha Singhania, Co-founder & Director, Infectious Advertising, highlights how along with helping build and sell brands, Indian advertising has addressed social issues such as female infanticide, educating the girl child, domestic violence and much more.

India @75: Suraja Kishore on weaving India’s cultural mosaic into advertising

In conversation with Adgully, Suraja Kishore, CEO, BBDO India, notes how the evolution of Indian advertising is a reflection of the country’s socio-economic and cultural mosaic through the last few decades. In fact, advertising has been a catalyst for change in a culture that has been constantly assimilating the new with the old ideas of life and living.

India @75: Thums Up celebrates true beacons of our nation's pride

Thums Up, Coca-Cola India’s first billion-dollar homegrown brand, has unveiled a new campaign commemorating 75 years of India’s independence. The campaign #HarHaathToofan presents an ode to inspirational people whose hands have built India over the years – who are the true beacons of our nation’s pride. Through this campaign, the brand celebrates their courage, perseverance & enduring strength that made them overcome all odds which came their way.

Google delays banning third-party cookies until late 2024

Google Privacy Sandbox vice president Anthony Chavez writes in a blog post: "We now expect to begin phasing away third-party cookies in Chrome in the second half of 2024."

We won’t buy reach through heavy & unrewarding marketing spends: Prashant Panday

After dominating the music and entertainment space for the last 20 years, Mirchi has now made inroads in the digital audio OTT space with the launch of Mirchi Plus. Continuing its digital journey in becoming a phone-first brand, the Mirchi Plus app offers a huge library of original audio stories, podcasts, Mirchi’s videos, entertainment news and more.

“Experiential marketing can acquire more loyal customers who can positively impact biz"

In an exclusive interview with Adgully, Saugata Bagchi, Global Digital & Content Marketing Head, Tata Communications; Lulu Raghavan, Managing Director, Landor & Fitch; and Vishal Patankar, Executive Director Client Services, Landor & Fitch, speak about the entire concept and thinking right from the day the client briefed the agency to the final execution. They further added that this is just the beginning and this will be soon extended to other cities.

“Motorola has always believed in pursuing a sustainable strategy of profitable growth”

Speaking to Adgully for their column Marketing Minds, Shivam Ranjan, Head of Marketing, Motorola India, speaks about Motorola’s strategy of ‘profitable growth’, adopting relatable contextual communication to gain traction for their innovations, pushing ahead with their 5G strategy, and much more.

Simplilearn is in a phase of rapid growth: Kashyap Dalal

In conversation with Adgully, Kashyap Dalal, Co-Founder & Chief Business Officer, Simplilearn, speaks about the factors that have led to the success of the #JobGuarantee brand campaign, association with sports, especially IPL, growth of the Edtech industry, and more.

“Digital PR plays a pivotal role in bringing positive brand messaging to the fore”

In conversation with Adgully, Nidhi Verma, Senior Vice President, PR & Communication, Acko, speaks about the emergence of PR as a critical business function, creating meaningful messaging and strategy that appeal to all stakeholders, and more.

Fantasy sports pegged to grow at 40% CAGR for FY21-27: Sumit Kumar Jha

In conversation with Adgully, Sumit Kumar Jha, Founder, Fantasy Akhada, said, “The fantasy sports market is growing rapidly in India. Recently, the India FS overtook the US market to become the largest market globally. With a huge potential to grow, on the back of sustained increase in digital penetration, the market is expected to grow exponentially with a CAGR of around 40% for FY21-27”.

“The online gaming ecosystem is shape-shifting in ways never imagined”

In conversation with Adgully, Siddharth Sharma, Head of Strategy, Head Digital Works, speaks about the online gaming ecosystem in India, the growing popularity of skill-based gaming, trends and the road ahead, the 5G factor in gaming, and more.

Dr. Bhaskar Das joins IdeateLabs as Chairman

IdeateLabs, one of India's largest independent digital-first marketing solutions providers, announced today that Dr. Bhaskar Das has joined the company as Chairman. He will be mentoring the senior leadership team in augmenting the company's offerings across Data, Content, and Community solutions.

How YouTube Music is empowering India’s emerging independent artists

YouTube Music has announced the new Foundry class of 2022, its largest class to date, where the platform is welcoming 30 independent artists to YouTube Music’s global artist development program.

Glad to be part of multiple new age storytelling formats: Vikrant Massey

As an actor, Massey chooses to create quality over quantity, because quality is timeless and never goes out fashion. In conversation with Adgully, Vikrant Massey speaks about his collaboration with DaMENSCH’s campaign, content consumption in the current times, growth of the OTT landscape, and more.