Author: Kashmeera Sambamurthy

#BlastFromThePast: Ads that make WAYS’ Sagar Mehta nostalgic

While Coca-Cola picked up the official partner tag, Pepsi picked up the bragging rights. Probably the first instance of a well distributed, large scale ambush marketing campaign in India, it resonated brilliantly with the pulse of the young India then - fed up with ‘official’ things and wanting to break the status quo, writes Sagar Mehta. (Stills from the campaigns)

Sagar Mehta, co-founder and creative chief, What Are You Saying (W.A.Y.S) picks three ads that he enjoyed watching when he was younger and taught him advertising lessons later in life.

Storyboard18 Visionaries: Shaping the future of the marketing & advertising industry

The evening also featured an enlightening chat between Shibani Gharat and Saurabh Khattar, country manager, India, Integral Ad Science, concentrating on the central theme of media quality in the rapidly maturing landscape of Indian advertising. With India’s advertising industry projected to grow at a CAGR of 11 percent from 2024-2032, managing media quality is important.

Suresh Narayanan, managing director of Nestlé India, delivered a dynamic and motivating keynote address. The occasion featured compelling panel conversations on key issues, including a spirited discussion on the evolving relationship between CEOs and their CMOs and a lot more.

45 percent of Indian short-form video users reside in semi-urban and rural centers : Redseer

Content led by the ‘hook and hero’ narrative is effective in reaching out to diverse user demographics. SFV platforms are home to original and relatable content which is seen to have grown to 99 percent in 2023, in comparison to 92 percent in 2022. (Representative Image: Florian Schmetz via Unsplash)

The Tiktok ban of 2020 left a major content gap that was quickly filled by the rise of both Indian and international short-form video (SFV) platforms, states Redseer report.

Andreas Sennheiser: We have to keep listening to the customer and have a creative dissatisfaction with the status quo

Andreas Sennheiser, chief executive officer, Sennheiser stated, "Sennheiser has a brand reputation of being extremely reliable, creating remarkable audio experience and being a highly innovative brand."

In a chat with Storyboard18, the chief executive officer of audio products maker Sennheiser spoke about the India market, the uniqueness of consumers here, marketing investments and a lot more.

Voltas denies reports of Tata considering sale of home appliance business

Voltas reiterated its commitment to the home appliances business and vowed to strengthen its leading position in the sector. Commenting on the news reports causing embarrassment and raising concerns among shareholders and investors, the company said it is initiating steps to address the issue with Bloomberg, seeking clarification. (Image source: Moneycontrol)

The statement released by Voltas expressed strong discontent with the news, labelled it as “totally incorrect and blatantly false,” stressing that there was no factual basis to support the claims made.

Online gaming companies continue to be on India’s radar: Sources

Moving on from taxes and revenues, the report also said that India’s online gamers are expected to grow at a CAGR of 5 percent and reach 53.8 crore by FY28. (Representational image via Unsplash)

The government has identified instances where online gaming companies restructured themselves to evade GST & income tax.

Aim to make Sweet Karam Coffee a global FMCG brand of South India, says CEO

Nalini Parthiban emphasised their growth over the past few years, stating that they now handle approximately 10,000-12,000 monthly orders, primarily through their website and app.

The well-known South Indian snack brand, Sweet Karam Coffee, based in Chennai, has recently secured $1.5 million in funding from Fireside Ventures. These funds will be allocated towards expanding their offline presence, exploring new markets, and fortifying their product range.

79 percent of Indian businesses to increase investments in advertising and marketing : Amex

This year, 72 percent of Indian businesses are expecting a surge in B2B spending, which is outpacing the global average of 49 percent. (Representative Image: Campaign Creators via Unsplash)

As per a survey commissioned by American Express with the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr), 68 percent Indian businesses expect to spend more on business and professional services for the rest of the year.