Coke, McCann sweep Dainik Bhaskar Indian Marketing Awards

It was an altogether different Wednesday for Indian marketing. It was the day to honour excellence in the field of marketing. And the Capital witnessed a congregation of advertising, media and corporate glitterati responding to the Dainik Bhaskar Indian Marketing Award 2004 at the swanky Convention Hall of Hotel Ashoka.

The exchange4media-initiated marketing award ceremony – the first of its kind in India, boasted of a jury panel comprising some of the most respected names like Ranjan Kapur, Country Head, WPP India, Aniruddha Lahiri, MD, ABP Group, Sunil Duggal, CEO, Dabur, Bob Hoekstra, CEO, Philips Software, Prema Sagar, Principal & Founder, Genesis Public Relations, Nirvik Singh, Chairman – South East Asia, Grey Global Group, Subhinder Singh Prem, MD, Reebok India, Pranesh Misra, President & COO, Lowe India, RK Caprihan, marketing consultant and Vijay Singh, MD, LG Care.

Presenting his address, Chief Guest of the evening Jaswant Singh, Member of Parliament and former Union Finance Minister in the NDA cabinet, described excellence as a never-ending search and urged the marketing fraternity to go beyond the knowledge acquired through formal education.

McCann Erickson largely dominated the Dainik Bhaskar Indian Marketing Award. While Santosh Desai, President McCann-Erickson India, clinched the Advertising Person (Business) of the Year award, recognition for the Advertising Person (Creative) of the Year went to Prasoon Joshi, National Creative Director and Executive VP, McCann-Erickson India. The honour for the Media Person of the Year went to Prannoy Roy of NDTV, and Sam Balsara, MD, Madison, was named the Media Services Person of the Year. The award for the Marketing Person of the Year went to Harit Nagpal of Hutch. The Marketing Hall of Fame, which recognises the lifetime contribution of an individual to not only his organisation but also to the industry, was dedicated to the late marketing guru, Shunu Sen.

With ‘marketing communication’ being the special focus of this year’s awards, a number of awards for the Most Successful Marketing Initiatives in categories like Food & Beverage, Lifestyle Products, Automobiles, Services, Media, etc, were up for contention. Apart from these, a number of specialist awards for Creative Brand Communications were presented in categories like Television Campaign of the Year, Other Media Campaign, Print Campaign along with a host of Individual Awards in the marketing-communication fold. Coke swept a number of awards in these categories. Alongside being chosen as the Marketing Company of the Year, the cola major romped home with the awards for the most successful marketing initiatives and building up the most effective creative brand communication.

Speaking on the initiative, Sunil Duggal, CEO, Dabur, said, “It is a one-of-a-kind initiative which looks at marketing in its entirety – paying attention to the Four Ps and lots more”.

Describing the jury selection process as “intensive”, Bob Hoekstra, CEO, Philips Software, said, “The jury consisted of a set of people who were deeply involved with the entire process. The very fact that the jury did not announce an award in a particular category shows the level of involvement”.

The event was simulcast to a select audience comprising some of the eminent professionals from the marketing, advertising and media industries in Mumbai. The Indian Marketing Awards promises to be an annual event dedicated to recognising world-class talent and initiatives in the marketing world.