Presented by Times Network, in association with Nielsen, the 12th edition of the BW Businessworld Marketing Whitebook was launched on July 21, 2016 at a ceremony attended by more than 350 delegates comprising senior decision makers of the marketing industry in India. Suresh Narayanan, Chairman and Managing Director, Nestlé India launched the book. Preceding the launch, in his Keynote address, Mr Narayanan's key message was of leadership that left behind a legacy to grow. Citing a genetic coding that was has primed Nestle for growth for many years he explained that much as it is advised in philosophy and taught in classrooms, adversities come with opportunities. "We undertake many initiatives, concepts, employ reflectology, consumer dataand insights mining, but there always is something called fate. When that happens, some of these concepts can pale. In times of crisis, you have to go back to values and what makes you grow. We believe in something called Fast, Focussed and Flexible Behaviour," said Mr Narayanan. A LEADERSHIP TO REMEMBER Another point that Mr Narayanan asserted on was the strength of leadership that is buoyed by team and partners and that has the ability to leave behind a legacy of growth. "Whatever a leader achieves, he does so from the shoulder of giants. This is not one hero who makes everything happen. There is a whole team, supported by partners and well wishers behind it. They got us to what was essentially a life crisisfor us. In crisis, you either want to live or go in peace. Some of us choose to live and when that happens, nothing can stop you," Mr Narayanan stated. He explained that leadership is the catalyst, the fertiliser and the ground for change but change has to be embraced by people. You have to try and do the right things for the organisation. He said, "We have 104 yearsof very respectable existence in the category. Our experiences over time, and how we have approached them, have given us some of the most well loved brands, and numerous leaders. We come from a position of strength." He reiterated the fact that it was not really the good times that put leadership to testbut the tougher times. "Leadership makes all the difference, when the chips are down. Referring to the Nestlé experience again, he said, "As an organisation, I am excited. A leader's time will come and go but what we leave behind is important. And at present, Nestlé is taking some right steps for growth." HEIGHTENED CHALLENGES Among the key areas that are becoming important from a marketer's perspective, Mr Narayanan highlighted digital and diversity in workforce. He said that the digital revolution, high on 460 million, and growing internet users, 60 per cent of which were from mobilewas both value and boon for many marketers. He also spoke about the role of women as an important growth driver for marketer. As women literacy rates grow, they are becoming more important not only as individual decision makers but also as consumer categories. Bringing a differentiated perspective here, he said, "Each gender brings value to the table but whoever said men cannot have the softer skills that we attribute to women. That is not the reason to hire. One of my learning in fact is that you needto be like a coconut -hard on the outside and compassionate on the inside. Women in workforce and leadership are increasing, and that is an important change." Reflecting on the change in digital he said, "Companies are no longer digital enabled but marketing is digital able. That is a huge transition. Three years ago, we had 2500 consumer contacts in the full year. Today we are talking about half a million. They want to know everything from what goes in a food product and how it is made to the role and authenticity of the brand," Mr Narayanan said. A FUTURE STORY Millennials have taken the challenges for marketing to a new level and it is a positive challenge. There are tools that enable them to communicate, ask and know. The only thing marketers can bring to the tableare perspectives that add value and help connect the dots. People are talking, thinking and living brands. Brands today have become experiential and part of the ecosystem. "One of the huge facets we observed in Maggi was that it was more than a noodle for Maggi consumers; it is a part of their life. Therefore, the task as marketers to ensure sanctity, privacy and integrity of the relation is that much more," Mr Narayanan said. He observed that in his role, as the companys leader, one of the most important things he could do was to enable his teams the freedom to explore newer areas of connecting with consumers. "India is an emotive country - we have our heart in hands, and thoughts in the feet. As marketers, and as a nation, that is both a challenge and strength," Mr Narayanan concluded, as he advised the audience to always listen to values and heart because these would lead to the right direction.
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On July 4th, 2016 Microsoft India conducted their company meet where senior management got together to plan for the financial year 2016 - 2017. To make the meet a success, Microsoft India appointed CS Direkt to curate an event that would engage their employees and create an environment that pushes the envelope in Digital innovation. Themed as ‘Digithon’ – which resonates with the latest Microsoft thought process and way forward for future endeavours’, Digithon was conceived by CSD. Digithon is a digital marathon, which will enhance work, play and life and make the future brighter and better and this will be their mantra and life style for this financial year. A visually ground breaking curated event matching the mood across the Microsoft Board, which entailed the client to become completely immersed in planning the mega meet. The CSD team took up the task of creating a visually interesting and content driven event involving employees at every step. The Company Meet started with a pre-event plan of digital registrations and pre-planned teasers to activate the employees to interact with stakeholders. In order to bring about awareness among employees about the Company Meet, they were given small, quirky and innovative reminders at short intervals of 4 days, bringing them the latest updates on ‘how to prepare for a Digithon’. The event commenced on July 4th, 2016 with a huge bang where all delegates arriving from various cities across the country gathered at the Leela Ambience Convention Hotel, Shahdara for the ‘Digithon’. Their journey to the hotel started with interactive activities on the luxury buses transporting them the venue. Activities such as games and various fun Q&A sessions held on the bus. With excitement bursting on board, the time came for each employee to take a pledge, which was an anthem specially written for the event, making everyone promise to digital enhance their lives and embrace change. At the convention hotel, all check-ins had been digitally completed on auto mode even while traveling to the venue. Delegates were given an energy charged welcome and with a short jog to the lobby to rev up the mood. The venue setup was visually beautiful and digitally enhanced environment which gave everyone a feeling of grandeur, technical advancement and innovation. The stage setup looked and felt like a digitally evolved engine which gave people a vision of a real and live breathing machine that interacts with the crowds. Engagement levels were high, communication was flawless, and the feeling of being empowered by a super power was bursting with high vigour and enthusiasm. Puja Myne, AGM Client Services present at the Microsoft Company Meet shares, “The challenge was to ideate a plan which impacts the Microsoft employees to truly embrace the changing face of digitization. One of the major challenges was to plan out an exciting theme which would engage everyone present. Bringing the gigantic digital stage to life was a huge task and kudos to our operations team who really worked extremely hard.”
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BW Businessworld is all set to launch its 12th edition of the Marketing Whitebook (MWB) in New Delhi on 21 July 2016 at Hotel Radisson Blu Mahipalpur. The book will subsequently be launched on 27th July 2016 at Hotel ITC Grand Central, Mumbai. First released almost a decade ago, MWB is the authority on the landscape of marketing in India and has evolved as an essential comprehensive guidebook for marketers and B-school students. Throwing up sharp insights on new trends and changing consumer behavior the book is positioned as a vital tool for navigating today's complex marketplace. The power-packed conference will see the convergence of top marketers, industry experts and marketing professionals all under one-roof to analyze and forecast the landscape of marketing in the country. The agenda for the event in Delhi is as follows: 2.30 PM Registration 3.00 PM Welcome Address Annurag Batra, Chairman & Editor-in-Chief, BW Businessworld 3.15 PM Knowledge Address: The Game Changers Of Marketing Evolving consumers are looking for disruptive solutions & large corporates are paying close attention to where these solutions will come from…. What lies ahead the business of marketing Prasun Basu, President, Nielsen South Asia 3.30 PM Lion's Den: Creativity As A Game Changer A look at some of the winning work at Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity & why it was a game changer for the brand Josy Paul, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, BBDO India 4.00 PM The Medium, The Message & The Purchase Ecommerce has changed the way India is buying, and responding to ad messages. The much awaited convergence of message and platform is becoming a reality, bringing various implications. Debojo Maharshi, Chief Marketing Officer, SpiceJet Gaurav Kachru, CEO, Zee Shopping & Seed Stage Investor Rahul Gautam, Vice President, Marketing, Ford India Shivjeet Kullar, Founder, Adytude.com Shubhodip Pal, Chief Operating Officer, Yu Televentures, Micromax In conversation with: Anupriya Acharya, CEO, Publicis Media India 4.45 PM Networking Break 5.00 PM Leadership Roundtable: Eyeing Game Changing Tactics From employing digital to democratising consumers via newer media forms, marketers are constantly thinking out of the box to create brand love. What are some of the recent clutter breaking initiatives…. Debabrata Mukherjee, Vice President, Marketing & Commercial, Coca-Cola India & Southwest Asia Rajat Mehta, President & Country Head - Brand, Digital & Retail Marketing, YES BANK Sundar Mahalingam, Chief Strategy Officer, HCL Corporation & Shiv Nadar Foundation In conversation with: Anita Nayyar, CEO, Havas Media Group 5.30 PM Leadership Panel: Marketing In A New Tech Driven India What does a tech driven market – whether it is in context to mobile and videos or AI and VR – mean for marketers in India? What are the new opportunities & why should these bring incremental returns to marketers Atulit Saxena, Chief Operating Officer - Brands, Future Brands Kartik Sharma, Managing Director, Maxus South Asia Naveen Kukreja, Group Chief Marketing Officer, PolicyBazaar Prashant Singh, Managing Director, Nielsen South Asia Sanjay Menon, Head - Global Service Lines, SapientNitro In conversation with: Ramesh Jude Thomas, President & Chief Knowledge Officer, Equitor 6.15 Networking Break 6.30 PM Keynote Session: Gearing Up For A Consumer-First World A fireside chat with a Business Leader on trends that are changing the consumer outlook in India, and how it affects businesses Suresh Narayanan, Chairman & Managing Director, Nestle India In conversation with Annurag Batra, Chairman & Editor-in-Chief, BW Businessworld 7.00 PM Businessworld Marketing Whitebook Unveiling
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In a bid to explore opportunities in tourism promotion, the ministry of external affairs has decided to hold the country's first SAARC Tourism Summit in Aurangabad, the tourism capital of Maharashtra in the second week of October. The announcement of the two-day summit, also being aimed at tapping FDI under Make in India and Make in Maharashtra schemes was made by Smt. Valsa Nair Singh, IAS, Principal Secretary Tourism and Culture, Government of Maharashtra at the Sensitisation Session on Aurangabad Tourism Development Program organised by the State Government, Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) and the Confederation of Indian Industry in Aurangabad on Monday 4th July, 2016. Highlighting the reasons behind the decision to host the summit in Aurangabad, Smt. Valsa Nair Singh, IAS, Principal Secretary Tourism and Culture, Government of Maharashtra said “The Ajanta-Ellora caves have always remained the biggest tourism attraction in the state among foreigners and Indians. The historical silk route and connect of the place with the Buddhist circuit across world, including China, is significant. Ajanta also has one of the world's best visitors centre with several life size replicas of Padmapani (sculptures of Buddha). All these are reason enough for Aurangabad to be the preferred choice. The conference aims at promoting Aurangabad and other destinations of Maharashtra.” “The Department of Tourism (DoT) is trying to seek appointment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate the event. On the first day, officials from SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) countries, which include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, would attend the conference. On the second day, the ministers of tourism from these countries and from Indian states would participate.” said Smt. Valsa Nair Singh. The Principal Secretary, Tourism and Culture added “The coming two years are very important for the progress and prosperity of the tourism sector. The year 2017 will be celebrated as Visit Maharashtra Year and the year 2018 we will be celebrating completion of 200 years of the discovery of the world heritage Ajanta Caves by British officer John Smith. A campaign to promote tourism destinations of Maharashtra all over the world will be undertaken aggressively under Visit Maharashtra 2017. In 2018, many events will be hosted to attract international and domestic tourists to Ajanta and other destinations of the city. There is a huge scope to organise Food Festival and Handicraft Festival in the city, apart from Golf Tourism. A proposal to set up Buddhist Centre on MTDC's 900 acres land at Ellora is under consideration." The announcement of providing financial assistance upto Rs 50 lakh to the desirous persons in the tourism business set up under Start Up scheme was also made. The three-day Ellora-Ajanta Festival will be held with the help of the MTDC from October 14 to 16, said the principal secretary suggesting the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation to run an excursion bus to conduct City Tours connecting all the tourist places. She also underlined the need of enhancing the air connectivity of Aurangabad with cities like Jaipur, Udaipur, Nagpur and Pune other than Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad. Mentioning the need for hosting film shootings at Ellora, Ajanta and other important places in Aurangabad, Smt. Valsa Nair Singh commented “The countries like Switzerland and Spain witnessed a boom in tourism due to film shootings. A beeline was formed to see the tomb of Mastani due to Bajirao Mastani film. The shooting of one big budget film featuring big stars like Shah Rukh Khan in Aurangabad will give a major boost to the tourism sector.”
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In the wake of festival Ramadan, MoneyGram a global provider of innovative money transfer services presented an offer christened “Receive & Win Campaign” in the City of Pearls, Hyderabad. With renowned Bollywood actor Javed Jaffery gracing the event at Taj Banjara and in the presence of MoneyGram dignitaries the month long campaign was launched with vigour and verve. The campaign that concludes on 7th July spanning through the holy month of Ramadan would provide two lucky customers a return trip to Umrah. It’s every devotees dream to visit his/her holy city and offer their prayers. With this campaign MoneyGram aims to provide its Muslim customers in India a chance to live this dream. Apart from an all-expense paid trip to Umrah, it was also announced that 35 lucky customers would stand a chance to win television sets and smartphones. The announcements dint stop here. MoneyGram offered free international calls to all devotees to connect with their loved ones after breaking the holy fast via a specially branded booth which will be seen outside over 100 mosques across the country. MoneyGram also provided shoe service in these mosques throughout the holy month. This unique promotional campaign was conducted in the states of Telangana, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Kerala. Sharing his thoughts Mr Kaushik Roy, Senior Regional Director GCC & South Asia, for MoneyGram said “MoneyGram has always championed efforts in the direction of consumer connect through simple engagement campaigns and will continue to do so in the future. Ramadan is a time to connect and share happiness with your loved ones. With this unique initiative, we would be honoured to facilitate the fulfilment of the dreams of our customers by offering them a chance to perform Umrah.” On the eve of this launch Mr Amit Relan, Co-Producer at WOOT Factor Events Pvt Ltd quoted, “Ramadan is a time of self-reflection and a time to connect with loved ones. We at WOOT Factor feel proud and honoured to be associated with such heart-warming initiatives and would like to thank MoneyGram for providing us the opportunity of fulfilling the dreams of devotees.
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The global internet technology firm, LeEco unveiled their second generation Superphones, Le 2 and Le Max2 and their own e-commerce website, LeMall at Siri Fort Auditorium, New Delhi. The two superphones have the features of the futuristic audio technology – CDLA standard. In a nearly 2000-people mega launch event, LeEco unveiled Le 2 and Le Max2 with the company’s signature content ecosystem and bundled membership along with their own marketplace e-commerce website, LeMall. The company also revealed the world’s first CDLA (Continual Digital Lossless Audio) Type-C earphone and its project of recruiting 200 “CEO”s. The event was held on June 8, 2016 at Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi. The event was well- attended and the brand also revealed its anthem which was specially composed and produced by Pritam’s studio Jam8 and sung by Nakash Aziz. Attended by Media, Key Opinion Leaders, Le Superfans, and Bollywood celebrities, the show was hosted by Mandira Bedi with an opening performance by Violin Queen’s Quartet, interspersed with presentations by Tin Mok, VP of Le Holdings and CEO, APAC; Atul Jain, COO, Smart Electronics Business, LeEco India and a stellar rendition of the LeEco Brand Anthem by Bollywood’s musician Pritam and singer Nakash Aziz to screaming fans and audiences. Fountainhead MKTG, the experiential marketing agency from the Dentsu Aegis Network won the mandate to manage the end-to-end experience for the brand to create a “spectacular” event. From around 2000 registrations to managing specially created Demo Zones for Media, Key opinions Leaders and Le Superfans to managing Exclusive One-on-one Media Interactions and F&B, a memorable experience was delivered. Commenting on the grand launch, Deeksha Arora, VP and Branch Head – North, Fountainhead MKTG said, “The event excited us right from the word go as it had some very interesting technology announcements by brand LeEco - with the first ever type C Audio Output with CDLA standard. We designed everything around the key thought “2 Future” signifying the launch of the much anticipated second generation of LeEco Superphones. Working with a brand that was supremely passionate about their latest products and technology was a great experience, an experience that we are hopeful to carry forward with us through many more projects together.” “The mandate given to the agencies pitching for the launch was to recommend ideas to ensure our 2000-strong guests have a brilliant experience – especially as our big news was “CDLA audio quality”. Fountainhead MKTG was in sync with our thought process and made relevant recommendations from design to artists and even optimal utilization of spaces available. They worked closely with our internal team to deliver a great event. We thank Fountainhead MKTG team for their efforts"- Meera Krishnan, Director Marcom, LeEco India.
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The International Gemological Institute (IGI), the world's largest independent gem certification and appraisal institute, hosted their first National Level “D” Show – a Buyer-Seller Knowledge Meet which has got together India’s best known Jewellery Manufacturers and valued jewellers under one roof – at The Lalit Golf and Spa Resort, Goa. The event enabled 1990 successful meetings between participating Valued Partners and Buyers in a span of 4 days. After organising the past five regional meets in five different cities and zones – Hyderabad, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore and Jaipur, thus covering all the zones of the country, IGI’s 6th edition of Buyer Seller Knowledge Meet was held as a national meet. The four days– one to one meetings were also inclusive of a Goan Themed Entertainment Night and a Gala Evening. Both the events were attended by the in house guests as well as local dignitaries from Goa. The Goan evening captured the true flavours of Goa, from Goan Carnival décor to Goan dress code followed by Goa’s one of the bands “Aj Trio” along with some great Goan Delicacies; whereas, the Gala Night was more of a formal entertainment night. It included a panel discussion on Synthetic Diamonds, Excise and Taxation on diamond jewellery, which was concluded by Akriti Kakar’s performance. Brandwidth has been partnering with the International Gemological Institute for the “D” Show for the fifth time, speaking on which, Shashank Gupta, Director, Brandwidth, said, “The 6th edition of the IGI “D” Show was a 4 day event as compared to its last five editions of 3 day events. This year we saw a massive growth in the number of meetings in a span of 4 days. From 950 meetings to almost 1990 meetings between the Valued Partners and the Valued Buyers, we planned the whole event from managing guest movements, transport of the guests, check-ins – check-outs, manpower handling, hotel coordination, security arrangements for the high valued jewellery to entertainment nights, the whole thing was managed very successfully. It gives us great pleasure in partnering with IGI on the “D” show since we are given the luxury to plan and execute this platform as a part of their core team.” The gems and jewellery industry plays a significant role in the country’s economy and has been one of the fastest growing sectors of the country. The diamond industry is internationally recognised due to its talented craftsmen, who possess a superior ability in cutting and polishing diamonds. Talking about the IGI D-Show, Tehmasp Printer, MD, IGI –India, states, “This was the D-Show’s 6th year and the show has blossomed into a true networking platform for the Diamond and Jewellery trade. The D-show cuts through the corporate hierarchy, enabling the jewellers and jewellery manufacturers to mingle with each other in a relaxed, luxurious environment. The four days of the D-Show generates the potential for forging long-term business relationships that go way beyond a single sale transaction. These one-on-one interactions also ensure that various challenges are discussed and solutions arrived at in real time. IGI also disseminates valuable information on current industry challenges, like lab grown diamonds and the recent changes in the industry’s taxation laws.” The D-Show received a very good response with pre-event registrations from across the nation. The event showcased jewellery by renowned jewellers and diamond manufacturers from all over India, and focused on one-to one-meetings for all participants.
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Sri Lanka, one of the top two emerging hotel and resort markets in Asia, is to host the first Asia Hotel and Tourism Investment Conference (AHTIC), a top-level gathering of international investors, business leaders, government ministers and officials. President of Sri Lanka, H.E. Maithripala Sirisena, is supporting the conference as patron and speaking at the presidential residence in Colombo, the venue for the official launch, he said: “Sri Lanka has everything you need to be a fantastic destination, from awe-inspiring ancient cities, beautiful beaches and colorful coral reefs to mist-shrouded mountains, spectacular sights and wonderful wildlife. With the new measures we are putting in place to attract foreign investment, I am confident that Sri Lanka will become an equally attractive place to make money as it is to take a holiday.” The conference is being organised by Bench Events, and managing director, Matthew Weihs, said: “Sri Lanka is a perfect place to launch our Asia conference. The country’s tourism development authority has prepared an ambitious strategic plan, inviting private and public stakeholders to tackle both the industry’s long-standing needs and the future potential of the country as a tourism destination.” A record two million tourists are expected to arrive in Sri Lanka this year and government ministers are anticipating this figure will double by 2020. Matthew Weihs said: “The conference will cover every aspect of tourism investment throughout Asia Pacific. This is a fast-growing tourism development region and there will be substantial opportunities to network with other delegates and to exchange thoughts and ideas on the sector. The conference will also stimulate dialogue between business and government.” According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the direct contribution of the industry to the Asia Pacific region was USD694.1bn (3.0% of total GDP) in 2014, and is forecast to rise by 9% per annum, from 2015-2025, to USD1,177.1bn (3.2% of total GDP) in 2025. Co-Organizer and Founder Sponsor Dr Prabath Chandima Ukkwatte, Chairman, Sri Lanka Tourism Club, concluded: “Colombo has been the host of several high-profile international conferences but with the establishment of AHTIC as a regular international event, we will, for the first time, become the home of an important international business meeting that will build in stature and influence as it grows from year to year.” The AHTIC conference will take place on November 27-29 at the Hilton Colombo in Sri Lanka. For more information visit www.asia-conference.com.
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