“I don’t think recession is fun at all… It is a difficult time. The prospects of the industry are strong because of different reasons – globalisation, over-capacity and shortage of human capital, internal communication, CSR, centralization – these are all good long-term stuff. But the short-term is very painful,” says Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO, WPP.
Following a multi-agency pitch, JWT India’s Mumbai office has been appointed the creative agency for the closely competed Thomas Cook India Ltd business. There were 10 agencies in the fray for the business. Dentsu Marcom is the incumbent agency. Industry sources estimate the business to be in the vicinity of Rs 12-15 crore.
Launching new pizza variants in a tough competitive environment is always challenging. Pizza Hut has taken the fun peg for its new pizza ‘Cheesy Bites’. Promoting the new launch is Lara Dutta. The essence of the campaign and the range is captured in the line ‘Twist, Pull, Pop’. The TVC is slated to break on July 1, 2009.
Hungama Mobile, part of Hungama Digital Media Entertainment Pvt Ltd, on June 29 announced that Saleem Mobhani had put in his papers as COO of the company. Mobhani, who is currently serving his notice period, declined to comment on his further plans.
As NewsX grapples with downsizing and salary cuts, the media entity has started taking various measures to streamline and strengthen its operations. All previous plans to launch multiple channels have been put on hold, however, the company plans to continue to hire talent in specific positions and strengthen its operations, distribution and branding.
MouthShut.com plans to tap into social media marketing to reach out to their customers. The user-generated portal also plans to launch a free account for corporates and brands by July-end this year. Faisal Farooqui, CEO, MouthShut.com shares the portal’s growth plans.
In a short span of time, Sapna Sharma, Account Director, Madison Media Plus, has created a name for herself, winning accolades for her work on Max New York Life Insurance and Coca-Cola India. True to the tagline ‘Karo Zyaada Ka Iraada’, Sharma believes in packing in more. The GenNext Media Magnate is chosen by a committee comprising the exchange4media editorial team in consultation with Raj Nayak.
With just a few days left for the Union Budget 2009-10, there are various expectations from different sectors and industries. Like the corporates and common man alike, the media industry, too, is hoping for a few rebates and reforms. Topping the Budget wishlist of the media industry is exemption or reduction in service tax and fringe benefit tax.
Everyone would like to have the perfect mantra for thriving in challenging times, and different companies have been devising various ways to cope with the slowdown. However, the challenge remains in keeping short term growth in line with long term growth. In conversation with exchange4media, Sameer Satpathy, Head of Marketing, Marico Ltd, explains how.