Author: Kashmeera Sambamurthy

Bookstrapping: In conversation with Yuval Noah Harari, author of Sapiens and Unstoppable Us

Yuval Noah Harari's key themes have been that society has largely been driven by our species’s capacity to believe in ‘fictions’ - that exist in our collective imaginations. In this two-part interview series, we focus on storytelling for parents and storytelling for the C-suite.

Author of bestselling books like Sapiens, Yuval Noah Harari shares his views on everything from smartphones to social media to sugar, in this two-part special series of Storyboard18’s Bookstrapping.

Reliance Consumer Products forays into packaged goods category with brand Independence

All product groups delivered double digit growth, a notable feature in these past four quarters in a row. Confectionery led by KITKAT, and MUNCH posted a strong growth, supported by consumer led campaigns, innovation and engagement. (Representative image via Unsplash)

As Reliance Consumer Products prepares for the national rollout of the brand, the company plans to develop Gujarat as a go-to-market

BYJU’s reportedly in talks with BCCI to exit jersey sponsorship

BYJU's has been making a big splash when it comes to sports. Especially cricket. After taking over from OPPO as jersey sponsors with BCCI, the company also signed a deal with the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2021 for a period of 3 years as the global partner. The deal was said to be valued at upwards of Rs120 crore. (Image courtesy: News18)

The edtech major has been in the news a lot this year over SRK ads, mass layoffs and getting Lionel Messi on board as ambassador and more.

Pernod Ricard appoints Paul-Robert Bouhier as new India managing director

Paul-Robert Bouhier He has 27 years of experience working internationally in marketing, sales, and general management in a variety of industries and brand corporations. (Image source: CNBC-TV18)

Bouhier will step into the new role from January 2023. According to the French booze mogul, he will modify the firm’s India business strategy, strengthen the organisation and its workforce, and recognise new opportunities for profitable and sustainable business expansion.

Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan launches premium vodka brand in partnership with AB InBev

D’YAVOL is basically a premium black pearl-filtered vodka brand that would be selling single-estate liquid made from 100% winter wheat. D’YAVOL is being launched in partnership with AB InBev India. “For me, D’YAVOL is an output of creativity, teamwork and tenacity,” says Aryan Khan. Khan says he’s always been drawn to products that succeed at conveying a distinct individualism whilst remaining rooted in authentic craft and D’YAVOL fits right in.

Khan has plans to venture into fashion and experiential events under his company

New epicenters of influence are growing: Asmita Dubey, L’Oreal global marketing chief

"The future of beauty is diverse and inclusive and it is sustainable, committed and generous. The future of beauty will be fueled by innovation. It will be nurtured by science. It will be powered by tech. And what we are doing is shaping that future with science, technology and creativity," says Asmita Dubey.

L’Oreal’s global chief digital and marketing officer Asmita Dubey on pioneering beauty tech, ‘radical inclusivity, conversational commerce, Web3 and women in gaming.

Why is Max Life Insurance leveraging Rohit Sharma as a family man for its advertising?

This is particularly critical in a category where fear tends to be the go-to strategy for communication. But things are changing. Max Life Insurance majority TG are millennials who wish to make informed insurance choices. They are looking for awareness heavy content and flexibility in insurance products. Cricket players like Sharma therefore make for a reliable choice. The company is also consciously creating communication which does not alienate women in the decision making of buying insurance as more women millennials come in working fore.(Still from the ad)

The insurance firm switched from sports sponsorship to working with endorser Rohit Sharma and wife Ritika Sajdeh and leveraging their family image in its ads.

Simply Speaking: The rise and fall of Kodak

In 1996, Kodak was ranked as one of the four most valuable brands in the world behind Disney, Coca-Cola and McDonald’s. The brand’s themes resonated in every heart as ‘America’s storyteller’. On billions of occasions, it gave consumers ‘Kodak moments’ to cherish. In doing so, it entered the mainstream of social life and culture. Owning good times and fond memories was as powerful a platform as any brand could claim and own. (Representative image via Unsplash)

If ever there was a brand that owned a category, it was Kodak. But it lost its way thinking what it did was always right.

FIFA World Cup 2022: How many Indians watched the football matches so far?

In a statement issued on 1 December, FIFA officially shares that World Cup Qatar 2022 is continuing to engage TV audiences around the world. In Japan, the group game between Japan and Costa Rica on 27 November drew an average audience of 36.37 million viewers. This surpassed the audience of their comeback against Germany in their tournament opener by over 10 million and was 74 percent higher than the average domestic group stage audience during the FIFA World Cup in 2018. (Image courtesy: JioCinema, Twitter, Network18)

The cumulative reach for the first 48 matches of the tournament has touched 42.2 million, as per BARC data for Cable & Satellite (CS) 2+ audience.