Guest Column: Why should brands always look for hybrid agencies for Digital Advertising? – Rajiv Dingra

I truly believe the future of advertising is digital and within digital, it is integrated thinking. Compartmentalization of social, media, creative, data analytics, technology etc only creates complicated team structures that hinder true collaboration and speed of delivery. Specialization without isolation is what is needed in digital and that will only come when people start thinking hybrid, writes Rajiv Dingra, Founder and CEO, WatConsult

e4m by Rajiv Dingra
Published: Nov 28, 2016 8:39 AM  | 4 min read
Guest Column: Why should brands always look for hybrid agencies for Digital Advertising? – Rajiv Dingra

The history of advertising started with Creative Agencies and Media placement was not such a complicated task as there were very few media channels in Print and in TV. So traditionally advertising was more about creating the message than placing it.

As media channels grew the complexities of media planning came into picture and thereby the growth and stature of large media agencies came into being. Today media agencies are larger both in size and revenues than creative agencies. Digital advertising came to the fore almost a decade ago where the agencies were again not split into media and creative and the concept of full service agencies was in picture. But as digital advertising grew in India the mainline media agencies saw opportunity to capitalize on the growth of this new media and expand their prowess across online media channel as well.

Digital media by virtue of having several platforms has always had many websites, mobile sites and apps that one could advertise on and hence media planning was always a specialized task in Digital. Creative too was unique as it was not about one creative format but many formats in social, banners, website and also about multiple messages.

Today many clients have different agencies handling their digital media spends and their digital and social creatives. But unlike mainline advertising which follows an assembly line model where a creative is first made, then approved and then released; Digital Advertising is a whole different game.

Digital has grown into a medium where multiple creatives get uploaded across multiple platforms and the feedback is in realtime. The media spend on these creative also is not static in nature like mainline spends. In print ads or in TV one blocks spaces or spots and that’s a fixed buy, but in Digital one can be flexible to an extent where one can even test a creative for a small budget before deploying more spends on it. For more inventories on search and social, which forms 50% or more of online inventory, the buys are ongoing and not fixed.

The kind of nimbleness possible and demanded for a great campaign on digital requires a hybrid thinking when it comes media and creative. The traditional divide of media and creative duties being separate is not only detrimental to digital success but also creates unnecessary wastage of time in approvals and communication which could have been saved and invested in making decisions.

Though different agencies give the edge of perceived specialization, what it takes away from integrated thinking is loss enough which in turn never helps the campaign.

For digital advertising success today what is needed is a hybrid thinking wherein creative ideators, media specialist and technologists work hand in hand on one table to crack the brief. This can be achieved most efficiently if your agency is a hybrid agency which has these three specialists sitting together.

The challenge is also to get them to work together and agree with each other but that’s an operational challenge. The bigger challenge is that very few agencies can boast of understanding media as well as creative as well as technology. Most agencies have strengths and they play to their strengths. True hybrid full service offerings are rare to find. One of the challenges I face is at WATConsult is to continuously upgrade each of the creative, media and tech teams and to ensure that they collaborate seamlessly together rather than working in an assembly line fashion.

I truly believe the future of advertising is digital and within digital, it is integrated thinking. Compartmentalization of social, media, creative, data analytics, technology etc only creates complicated team structures that hinder true collaboration and speed of delivery. Specialization without isolation is what is needed in digital and that will only come when people start thinking hybrid. It is when a creative thinks media strategy as well while a media guy understands creative mindset and when technologists think beyond code and think advertising. This kind of cross thinking is possible more and more when these different people collaborate more and more.

(The author is Founder and CEO, WATConsult)

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e4m Digital Marketing Leaders Awards laud contributions of 33 industry pioneers

The leaders have been honoured for their successful digital strategies, campaigns and innovations

By exchange4media Staff | Jun 9, 2023 9:14 PM   |   3 min read

digital award

The exchange4media Group hosted the inaugural edition of the e4m Digital Marketing Leaders Awards on Friday, June 9, at the Taj Santacruz in Mumbai. The star-studded award night recognized and felicitated the game-changers in the digital marketing domain for their outstanding and impressive contributions to the industry. The awards celebrated the best minds in the digital marketing space for their successful digital strategies, campaigns and innovations that leverage new technologies.

A total of 33 digital marketing leaders were awarded at the dazzling awards night. The occasion was graced by top leaders, industry heads and experts from a wide cross-section of marketing, media and brands. Spotify Advertising is the Celebratory Partner of the event while Lemma is the Networking Partner.

The winners who were honoured with the award include Abhishek Mehta, Digital Marketing Lead, FMCG- Jubilant Foodworks, Altamash Khan, Digital Lead- Kellogg India, Ankit Desai, Head - Media & Digital Marketing (India & Global Centre of Excellence)- Marico., Anvesha Poswalia, Head of Digital & E-commerce - Home Care- Unilever, Apoorva Maheshwari, Head of Marketing- Bestseller, Deepa Krishnan, Director - Marketing, Category, Loyalty, Digital- Starbucks, Dipti Sudhir, Head- Digital Marketing & PR- Britannia Industries, Divya Batra, Head of Marketing- Haldiram’s, Girish Hingorani, Senior General Manager & Head – Marketing & E-commerce Cooling & Purification Appliances Group- Blue Star, Jahid Ahmed, Senior Vice President and Head of Digital Acquisition/ Website/ Content & Social Media Marketing- HDFC Bank. 

The other winners are Madhu S Dutta, Head of Marketing & GM- Brand, Media, & Digital Social- Raymond, Madhur Acharya, Vice President E-commerce- Lenskart, Manik Mahajan, Director - Digital Marketing and E-Commerce- Versuni, Niranjan Mutkekar, Associate Director - Digital Marketing- Purplle, Pierre de Greef, Digital Marketing Director- Pernod Ricard India, Priyanka Gandhi, Associate Director - Integrated Marketing Communication & E-commerce Marketing- Colgate Palmolive India, Priyanka Sethi, Director - Head of Marketing- Haier Appliances India, Proshanjit Dey, Marketing Head- Strategy & Innovation, ATL, Digital & Social Media, Nutrition- India & EM Markets- Dr. Reddy's Lab, Puneet Gupta, Business Head - Digital & Marketing- Nuvama Wealth and Rajeev John, Vice President Marketing- Health Care & Strategic Investments- Dabur India.

Adding more to the winner list were Ritu Mittal, Head of Marketing & Digital- Bayer, Sachin Mishra, Digital Marketing Lead- Cipla Health, Sachin Vashishtha, Chief Marketing Officer- Paisabazaar, Sadhana Daswani, Head Brand and Digital- JSW Paints, Saurabh Saini, Head, Digital Marketing & Communication- Havells India, Shaktipriyo Sikdar, Head - Digital Marketing- Emami, Sheena Kapoor, Head - Marketing Corp Comm & CSR- ICICI Lombard, Sunil Nat, Head of E-commerce & Digital Marketing- Galderma, Urmesh Chandra, Head - Digital Marketing- PolicyBazaar.com, Vidya Kailasam Hangal, India Consumer Digital Leader- Mondelez International, Vikram Jeet Bhayana, Head of Marketing- Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, Vinay Dholakia, General Manager - Digital Marketing & Media Head- Tata Motors and Vishal Gaba, Associate Director - Marketing- Bira 91.

Here’s the complete list of winners:




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Disney+ Hotstar offers free streaming of Asia Cup, ICC Men’s Cricket WC on cellphone

Both tournaments will be held later this year

By exchange4media Staff | Jun 9, 2023 11:10 AM   |   1 min read

Disney Star

Disney+ Hotstar has announced that Asia Cup and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup tournaments being held later this year will be made available as free-to-view to all mobile phone users accessing Disney+ Hotstar.

“Disney+ Hotstar has remained at the forefront of the rapidly evolving OTT industry in India and the various innovations we have introduced to continue enhancing the viewer experience has allowed us to delight our audiences across the region. Making the Asia Cup and ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup available to a wider audience, we believe, will help us grow the overall eco-system,” said Sajith Sivanandan, Head of Disney+ Hotstar.

We reached out to Disney+ Hotstar for a comment on the same but are yet to receive a response.

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e4m-ESP Indian Online Gaming Landscape 2023 Report: Glimpses unveiled

The report seeks to decode the growth of the online gaming landscape in India and focus on how brands can leverage this billion-dollar industry

By exchange4media Staff | Jun 9, 2023 10:54 AM   |   2 min read

Game On

India has witnessed a digital revolution over the past decade, driven by various factors such as technological advancements, government initiatives, increasing internet penetration and the rapid adoption of smartphones. With over 750M active internet users in 2022, the country has become a prime destination for the open internet and all that digital media entails. 

The key driver of India’s digital revolution is gaming, with the country being home to close to 500M individual gamers. The ever-evolving gaming market in India is fuelled by devices, data and digital penetration, all of which are getting cheaper, better, and faster. 

The e4m GameOn Online Summit held in Mumbai today gave a sneak-peek into the much-awaited e4m-ESP Indian Online Gaming Landscape 2023 report. The comprehensive report serves as a compass, guiding stakeholders through the vast opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in the gaming sphere. The detailed report is set to be unveiled soon and will be available for public use.  

Gaming has emerged as a powerful force and the industry has experienced remarkable growth in recent years. 2022 has been a game changing year for the gaming industry in India with publishers, streaming platforms, esports organizers, and teams coming together to create a very healthy gaming ecosystem. It is believed that with professional teams training to compete and win in global tournaments, 2023 may well be a crucial year for esports.

The gaming industry in India has created bundles of opportunities for gamers, making them economically independent. Moreover, e-sports has gained substantial popularity in India and is poised for significant growth in the coming years. The emergence of professional teams, increased prize pools, and a growing fan base, esports is expected to become a mainstream form of entertainment and a lucrative industry in India.




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Sociowash bags eBay India’s integrated digital mandate

The agency will develop performance media strategies while deploying its video production and influencer marketing verticals

By exchange4media Staff | Jun 8, 2023 2:41 PM   |   1 min read

ebay

Sociowash, an integrated advertising agency, has won the integrated digital mandate for eBay India. The agency will be responsible for enhancing the brand’s overall digital presence by developing creative tactical strategies. The account was won in a multi-agency pitch and will be handled by the agency’s Mumbai team, stated a release.

As part of this strategic partnership, Sociowash will be responsible for creating awareness about the brand and executing campaigns to onboard more sellers onto the platform. The agency will provide end-to-end solutions and services for the brand's creative, performance media, video production, and influencer marketing needs while resonating with its target audience and helping them achieve their business objectives.

Pranav Agarwal, the co-founder of Sociowash, commented on the win, "eBay India is a prominent leader in the e-commerce industry. We are elated to have been chosen by them to manage their digital landscape. Our team's extensive experience and expertise will redefine and elevate the brand's digital positioning. Together, we can create an impact that goes beyond what has been achieved before, setting new benchmarks and adding genuine value for the brand"



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Meta Verified now in India

As per reports, the subscription is available for ₹699 monthly on iOS and Android3

By exchange4media Staff | Jun 8, 2023 11:35 AM   |   1 min read

Meta

Meta has said that Meta Verified will now be available in India.

The announcement was made in a post by Mark Zuckerberg who also mentioned that previously verified accounts will maintain the status for free.

Meta Verified in a subscription bundle on FB and Insta.

Subscribers will get a badge indicating their account has been verified with a government ID, extra protection against impersonation, direct access to customer support and more visibility, the company had earlier said.

As per media reports, this subscription is available for ₹699 monthly on iOS and Android3. The company also plans to introduce a web purchase option for ₹599 a month.

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e4m GameOn Summit to explore the future of gaming

The conference will be held on June 9

By exchange4media Staff | Jun 8, 2023 8:55 AM   |   2 min read

GameOn

The gaming market in India is dynamic and is a rapidly evolving ecosystem. Gaming has emerged as a powerful force and the industry has experienced remarkable growth in recent years and continues to expand at a rapid pace. The widespread availability of affordable internet access, affordable data plans, has led to a surge in online gaming, allowing people across the country to access and engage with various gaming platforms. In order to explore the gaming industry further, e4m has announced the third edition of the e4m GameOn-Online Gaming Summit. The conference is set to be held on June 9 in Mumbai. The Presenting Partner of the event is AnyMind, the Growth Partner is Mobavenue while AdScholars is the Co-partner.

At the conference, top leaders from the gaming ecosystem will come together and share insights on key topics under the theme ‘Online Gaming, The Next Big Thing?’. The summit will also give a sneak-peek to the much-awaited e4m-GroupM ESP Report on the Indian online gaming landscape. 

As per industry experts, 2022 was one of the landmark years for the Indian esports and gaming industry, as publishers, streaming platforms, esports organizers, and teams came together to create a very healthy ecosystem. It is believed that with professional teams training to compete and win in global tournaments, 2023 may well be a breakout year for esports.

Click here to see the full agenda: https://e4mevents.com/e4m-GameOn-2023/agenda 

Due to the advancements in technology, the gaming market is only getting bigger. Top leaders and experts from the gaming industry are set to come together under one roof to discuss the opportunities, challenges and the future of the gaming industry in India. The e4m Summit explores the industry’s rapidly growing revenue streams, the drivers of growth, the changing demographics of the gaming universe, and ways brands can seize the opportunity to target consumers.

To ensure you don’t miss out on valuable insights, click here to register: 

https://e4mevents.com/e4m-GameOn-2023/login 




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e4m Digital Marketing Leaders Awards: Inaugural edition on June 9

The awards recognize and honour digital marketing leaders for their impactful strategies, campaigns and innovations

By exchange4media Staff | Jun 8, 2023 8:51 AM   |   1 min read

digital marketing awards

Digital marketing leaders play a crucial role in shaping the industry and driving innovation. Their expertise, insights, strategies and vision help others advance their knowledge and understanding of digital marketing practices. These leaders inspire the next generation of marketers and help the industry grow. 

With an aim to honour the great minds in the digital marketing sphere, the exchange4media Group is hosting the first edition of the e4m Digital Marketing Leaders Awards on June 9 in Mumbai. The awards night will celebrate and acknowledge the stars of the domain in India and witness the coming together of some of the best brands, individuals and agencies. Spotify Advertising is the Celebratory Partner of the event while Lemma is the Networking Partner.

e4m Digital Marketing Leaders Awards acknowledges the great leaders who have developed & implemented successful digital strategies, campaigns, and innovations by leveraging new technologies for digital marketing. The awards aim to inspire leaders to stay ahead of the curve and unlock their full potential as digital marketers by felicitating pioneers in the digital marketing sphere.

The star-studded awards night is a perfect opportunity to network with the best and brightest minds from the digital marketing ecosystem, expand knowledge and get an overview of the functioning of several digital marketing agencies.

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