Author: Kashmeera Sambamurthy

Three out of five kirana store owners to switch from Paytm to other payment apps

It has been stated that several players such as PhonePe, Google Pay, and banks such as HDFC Bank and State Bank of India (SBI) are deploying several thousand salesforce to attract merchants which include kirana stores and retailers. (Image source: Moneycontrol Hindi)

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) instructed Paytm Payments Bank to stop taking new deposits and allowing credit transactions after February 29 due to supervisory concerns and failure to adhere to the rules.

What is the price for responsible use of consumer data?

Responsible use of consumer data is an agenda that should not be limited to advertising or marketing. This should be a board room initiative, directly led by the CEO to ensure that, as brands and publishers, they control the destiny of their business by directly holding the relationship with their consumers. (Image source: Unsplash)

Recent programmatic transparency study from ANA threw some light on this. Close to 23$ went towards automation and 6$ went towards related data, presumably additional to the existing cost of advertising. So net net, give or take, cost of digital advertising is around 40$ for every 100$ spent, writes Gowthaman Ragothaman.

FCB names Andrés Ordóñez as Global CCO; replacing Susan Credle, now IPG creative advisor

During his tenure at FCB Chicago, which started in 2019, the Columbia native Andres Ordóñez spearheaded initiatives that resulted in the addition of 40 new brands to the agency’s portfolio. His strategic leadership and ability to forge strong client relationships have been instrumental in positioning FCB as a creative powerhouse in the industry.

Andrés Ordóñez previously served as the Chief Creative Officer at FCB’s Chicago office.

Unilever’s Nitin Paranjpe to retire in mid-2024 after 37 years

Nitin Paranjpe, 61, joined Unilever's Indian unit in 1987 as a management trainee. He was the youngest CEO at the Indian unit and had a successful five-year tenure at the helm of HUL before he took on the role of president-homecare business in 2013.

The chief people and transformation officer, Nitin Paranjpe, will retire by mid-2024.

Blinkit’s ad revenue surges by 220 percent in Q3, with 557 advertisers on its platform

While the company’s total order value grew 103 percent, its revenue from ads outpaced that and registered an increase of 220 percent YoY during the December quarter. But the total revenue from ads was coming off of a low base and the company did not share how much it earned through ads on the platform. (Image source: CNBC-TV18)

Blinkit’s ad revenue grew faster than order value in the December quarter and it had 557 advertisers on its platform as of Q3 FY24, up from 242 advertisers in Q3 FY23.

SEBI cracks down on ZEE Business guest experts; Rs 7.4 crore fine imposed by market regulator

SEBI categorised them in three categories. Kiran Jadhav, Ashish Kelkar, Himanshu Gupta, Mudit Goyal, and Simi Bhaumik were involved in giving trading advice to viewers, and hence have been bracketed as guest experts. Nirmal Kumar Soni, Partha Sarathi Dhar, SAAR Commodities, Manan Sharecom and Kanhya Trading Company have been termed profit makers and rest are enablers. (Image source: Moneycontrol)

Some experts barred from trading in the market until further orders.

Zomato spent Rs 374 crore on advertisement and promotions in the December quarter

While delivery costs have risen 63 percent to Rs 1,068 crore in Q3 from Rs 655 crore in the year-ago period, the company has been able to rein in the growth of advertising and promotional expenses in this period, as per reports. (Image source: Moneycontrol)

Zomato’s revenue rose to Rs 3,288 crore. The management said that the company’s improving margins have been driven by factors like greater ad monetisation and introduction of platform fees.

RPSG Lifestyle Media to launch the US’s The Hollywood Reporter in India; Chairperson Avarna Jain shares plans

Avarna Jain, Chairperson, RPSG Lifestyle Media, says, "What strikes me about The Hollywood Reporter, is its constant need to change. From a weekly trade newspaper that was run by the industry for the industry, it metamorphosed in the mid 2000s to a glamourous weekly magazine fronted by the biggest stars, catering to lovers of film and entertainment. Over the last few years, it has adapted to digital mediums seamlessly, across geographies and platforms."

As the title gets set to launch in one of the world’s biggest film and entertainment markets, read Avarna Jain’s views on what The Hollywood Reporter (THR) will bring to the India market and what the Indian entertainment industry brings to the world.