IMPACT Marketing 40 Under 40, 2023 honoured the best marketing professionals in Mumbai. The glittering evening saw eminent leaders, and industry experts gather to celebrate the remarkable achievements of the future faces of the marketing industry.

The inaugural edition of the list recognized leaders who are under 40 years of age and have demonstrated exceptional skills, innovation, and leadership in the marketing field. It put the spotlight on individuals who have made a significant impact with their groundbreaking work, shaping the industry’s landscape.

The list saw a healthy representation of both men and women achievers from across sectors. There are 16 women, who’ve made it to the list while the number of men is 24. The consumer goods sector saw the highest representation with a total of eight winners, followed by FMCG and digital-first business with six and four winners, respectively.

The list was put together by a jury of esteemed industry leaders, led by CVL Srinivas, Country Manager – India, WPP. Other eminent names on the jury were Nawal Ahuja, Co-founder, exchange4media; Lloyd Mathias, Angel Investor & Business Strategist; Aditi Mishra, CEO, Lodestar UM; Agnello Dias, ex- Creative Chairman, Dentsu India; Avik Chattopadhyay, Co-founder & Partner, Expereal India; Debraj Tripathy, Marketing Communication Consultant; Shefali Chhachhi, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Hearth Ventures; Ashok Lalla, Digital & Marketing Advisor; Sanjay Trehan, Digital & New Media Consultant; Jaskaran Singh Kapany, Advisor to Startups; Sanjay Tripathy, Strategy and Brand consultant; Jacob Kuruvilla, Head of Marketing, Amazon Ads India; Satish Kadu, Founder & CEO, YOptima and Dippak Khurana, Co-Founder & CEO, Vserv.

Please find the full list of winners below:

IAB Tech Lab has formally announced the creation of its Advanced TV Commit Group, which will lead the development of technology frameworks, technical standards, and market strategy to make every TV environment addressable.

The group aims to drive interoperability and standardization across the entire TV ecosystem.

The inaugural members include:

● Extreme Reach
● Paramount
● EW Scripps
● NBCUniversal
● GroupM
● The VAB
● Warner Bros. Discovery
● Xperi
● Publica
● Nielsen

Several other members are pending and expected to join the Commit Group.

"What distinguishes the Advanced TV Commit Group from other initiatives is its comprehensive and collaborative approach to addressable TV advertising," said Anthony Katsur, CEO of IAB Tech Lab. "The Advanced TV Commit Group aims to partner with various initiatives across the industry, bringing together all stakeholders to establish a portfolio of solutions. We are focused on developing technical framework(s) that ensures holistic reconciliation, a unified measurement framework, and consistent ad experiences across digital video and TV environments. This includes traditional linear environments like cable, satellite, and over-the-air broadcast, as well as emerging IP-enabled TV platforms, more commonly known as CTV."

The Advanced TV initiative was launched in response to the rapid evolution of how consumers view video content and the increasingly blurred lines between Connected TV (CTV) and linear TV. The initiative aims to achieve the following objectives across all TV environments:
● Interoperability for frame-accurate ad delivery and ad break management to ensure consistent cross-platform ad break and ad slots signaling
● Universal addressability and reconciliation for audience measurement across all screens
● Complete cross-environment audit for advertising campaign delivery
● Ad measurement for delivery and client-side viewability verification on the TV
● Omni channel sales management for programmatic buying and selling of upfronts and spot buys

Initially, the Advanced TV Commit Group will work toward deliverables in 2023 that establish a firm foundation for meeting the above objectives. Tasks such as standardizing interoperability across creative IDs and how metadata is used in systems that handle ad placement and measurement are mandatory for enabling an interoperable advertising market across all TV environments.

"With the right standards and technology frameworks in place, networks, broadcasters, MVPDs, and other video publishers can expand their addressable inventory and enhance their product offerings," said Katsur. "This will create a strong foundation for buyers to reach their target audiences and accurately measure campaign results. The Advanced TV Commit Group is dedicated to driving the industry forward and setting new technical standards for addressable TV advertising through its commitment to interoperability, universal addressability, audit, and measurement. We invite all TV original equipment manufacturers and other interested parties to join the Advanced TV Commit Group and play a crucial role in achieving this goal."

“The VAB is thrilled to be a part of, and collaborate with, the IAB Tech Lab and Advanced TV Commit Group members,” said Ben Vandegrift, VP of Measurement Solutions, VAB. “The implementation of standards and innovative technical solutions that provide data consistency will further transform and simplify the TV ecosystem. This will ultimately empower marketers to make better-informed buying decisions throughout the campaign lifecycle.”

“Warner Bros. Discovery is proud to support the IAB Tech Lab’s efforts to define and recommend standards that will power next-generation addressability across linear and streaming,” said Jim Keller, EVP of Digital Advertising Sales & Advanced Advertising at Warner Bros. Discovery. “We believe collaboration is key when it comes to creating a future where interoperability and standardization help our advertisers and agencies better reach their desired audiences and campaign goals.”

"Our past work, including our groundbreaking study quantifying CTV impression overcounts, has highlighted the importance of accurate measurement and verification in the rapidly evolving TV advertising landscape,” said Karen Chan, Group Director, Investment Innovation at GroupM. “By joining forces with industry stakeholders, we are dedicated to creating best practices and needed technical standards for the industry as a whole. With our focus on innovating with tech advancements and driving accountability, we are excited to drive impactful results for our clients by contributing again in shaping the future of video advertising."

“At NBCUniversal, we’re committed to building a multi-currency future and enhanced cross-platform measurement that leads to better consumer experiences and greater advertising effectiveness. Interoperability and standardization are fundamental to enabling this. From creative identifiers to brand taxonomy and more, standardization allows for a more automated and scalable advertising ecosystem. It also leads to greater interoperability that is vital for more effective measurement, insights and greater efficiencies for advertisers, in the premium video environment. Which is why we’re committed to partnering with the IAB Tech Lab and other industry leaders to redefine the future of television advertising,” said Ryan McConville, EVP Advertising Platforms & Operations, NBCUniversal.

"As a member of the IAB Advanced TV Commit Group, Nielsen is looking forward to working on the structures and strategies that will help shape the future of TV," said Scott L Brown, Nielsen SVP, Strategy & Technology.

Disney Star, the official broadcaster for the ICC World Test Championship Final (WTC), has signed advertising deals worth close to Rs 100 crore for the ongoing test tournament, sources have told e4m.

Disney Star signed 15 sponsors for Star Sports Network and 13 sponsors for Disney+ Hotstar across categories.

The tournament started on June 7 and will conclude on June 11.

“TV inventory has sold out for the test tournament. The network has signed close to Rs 100 crore from advertising and sponsorship, TV and digital put together. Advertisers who couldn’t get spots on TV are now buying them on digital,” said a senior media planner on the condition of anonymity.

As per industry estimates, the ad rates for 10 seconds have been priced at Rs 1.8- 2.3 lakh. The rates for associate sponsorship are between Rs 2-3 crore.

“The TV inventory is sold out so the broadcaster is likely to get closer to Rs 100 crore. The advertisers have shown interest and it's clearly seen in the number of advertisers they have roped in,” said another media planner.

Star Sports’ sponsors include Bajaj Allianz, LAYER'R SHOT, Pokerbaazi, MRF, Samco Securities, Jindal Panther Steel, Ultratech Cement, DBS Bank, Atomberg Technologies, Maruti Suzuki, Charged By Thums Up, Hero Motocorp, Cadbury Dairy Milk, Livguard Energy Technologies, Allied Blenders and Distilleries. In addition to the 15 sponsors, Star Sports has also onboarded 40 advertisers and over 45+ brands.

Baazi Games has come on board as the co-presenting sponsor and ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund is the co-power sponsor on Disney+ Hotstar. A legion of national and international brands like Bajaj Allianz, Scaler Academy, Policy Bazaar, Paisa Bazaar, Club Mahindra, Coca-Cola, HSBC, Maruti Suzuki, Uber, L’Oreal and Castrol have been signed as associate sponsors.

Account Based Marketing (ABM) is a B2B strategy in which sales and marketing efforts are focused on high-value target accounts. Unlike a broad marketing campaign that reaches a mass audience hoping to make a connection, ABM identifies key targets and markets custom campaigns against a very narrow list.

We learnt all this and more during a conversation with Lara Brownlow, Head of Channel Sales APAC and Gil Burgmans, Senior Partnerships Lead, LinkedIn. They spoke about how leading brands are leveraging ABM, how different are LinkedIn ads from Facebook ads, what specifically LinkedIn focuses on, why advertising on LinkedIn is expensive compared to other platforms, and how ABM benefits brand marketing.

“Account Based Marketing helps in shifting from traditional B2C to B2B marketing. Moreover, it makes us understand the right audience when we are selling the products to companies rather than to buyers. Briefly, ABM involves a process in which we target different companies at different stages to understand and cater to the wider demands of the company,” Burgman said.

Focusing on how brands are leveraging ABM in connecting marketers with sales, Brownlow said, “Our larger portion of customers is B2B and we are working with a lot of companies across tech, finance, and many other verticals. If we deep dive into the data, we find how Adobe reframed a lot of their marketing approach to have ABM strategy with dedicated kinds of processes and brought their sales team and marketing teams to have much tighter collaboration. Across the board, we've got customers starting on their ABM approach and then we've got some of our largest global technology companies that are much more sophisticated and further on in that journey.”

Elaborating on the results brands are getting after implementing the ABM model, Burgman said, “We see tons of brands on LinkedIn having an incredible engagement on their pages and they are freely sharing the content related to their companies and employees.”

Asking how LinkedIn uses the ABM model, Brownlow said, “ABM is something that has been around for a long time, but the advancements in technology and our marketing technology partners that are coming on board now to offer better functionality around measurement, around campaign set up and experimentation and implementation, that's advancing. Moreover, in today's current economic climate, the return on investment is being scrutinized more than ever and we know that a focused approach on the highest valued accounts is always going to be something that is the core to a marketing strategy in these tougher times.”

Talking about how ads go on LinkedIn, Burgmans said, “Unequivocally, LinkedIn provides a professional platform for an individual to gratify their professional needs. It is an environment where we try to create economic opportunities for brands, businesses, job creators, and job seekers. The professionals come on LinkedIn to build connections and to learn more in their respective fields. Moreover, it is a great learning hub both for job seekers and companies. Companies willingly invest on LinkedIn because they are aware of the ROI they get from the ad spends.”

On why advertising on LinkedIn is expensive compared to other platforms, Burgmans said, “The ROI of ad spend is much higher on LinkedIn and that’s why the ad spend on LinkedIn is expensive as compared to other media platforms. By judging it on the face value that the brand puts in place, attribution putting in place, the whole ecosystem of partners, connecting your CRM system, connecting your sales teams to it, you can see that it drives a ton of value for the cost that you're paying.”

Brownlow also discussed what differentiates LinkedIn from other platforms. “I have been at LinkedIn for 10 years and certainly, when I joined the business a long time ago, people still thought of LinkedIn as a kind of a static, digital resume and it was sort of more of a recruitment kind of site. Where we are today, it is much more of a professional network. It's where business and mostly business is done and that's going to continue to evolve over the next period. We don't even really consider ourselves a social network. We're a business platform and we've seen a lot of advances. We will continue to see a lot of advancements in our marketing products and our solutions for customers with sales and marketing alignment and the work that we do with Sales Navigator and partners is a big part of that.”

Meesho, an e-commerce marketplace, has revealed a new brand identity to reinforce how the e-commerce platform helps every Indian derive absolute joy by making a value-first purchase decision. 

“The company aims to strengthen its positioning as a one-stop horizontal platform that meets the everyday needs of millions of Indian shoppers. The brand revamp also aims to showcase the e-commerce platform’s inclusivity with a vast collection of value-first products, and how it’s helping consumers across income segments, geographies, languages, genders and age groups realize their shopping aspirations,” mentioned a release. 

The new color palette features hues of ‘Jamuni’ and ‘Aam’, which encapsulate the vibrancy and grandeur of India’s diversity. According to color theory, Jamuni has an association with aspiration while Aam is seen as inviting and welcoming. The refreshed color palette aims to evoke personality traits of confidence and approachability among Meesho consumers and sellers. However, the logo retains Meesho’s iconic ‘M’, albeit in a more colorful and interconnected avatar – which has been strongly associated with the brand since its inception in 2015. 

As part of this initiative, Meesho has leveraged auditory touch points to build an emotional connect with users. Built on the premise of 'all good things arrive with a ting tong', the company’s sonic identity beautifully captures the anticipation and excitement that one experiences while expecting the delivery of an online order. Meesho’s peppy signature track plays during all legs of the customer journey, from clicking on the e-commerce application to receiving a push notification to placing an order. The sonic identity will also be launched in eight languages (Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam and Odia) for a more authentic experience. 

“We are thrilled to introduce our revamped brand identity, which symbolizes our transformation into a genuinely inclusive and egalitarian e-commerce platform. The new color palette and sonic identity will add a powerful new dimension to our brand identity, a critical component of how people recognise Meesho today and in the future. We believe there is enormous opportunity for mass adoption of e-commerce in India, and the next wave of growth will come from making it pertinent for all shoppers. With this brand revamp, Meesho will progress further on its journey to become the go-to e-commerce platform for the next billion consumers in India.,” said Vidit Aatrey, Founder & CEO, Meesho.

“With e-commerce steadfastly gaining traction across geographies and socioeconomic backgrounds, Meesho continues to boost access and affordability for the country’s heterogenous customer base. Every design decision was evaluated from a consumer lens to arrive at a refreshed brand identity that signals the joy that consumers experience when interacting with the brand. We explored a wide range of possibilities before finally arriving at the chosen solution, which captures the brand's ethos of inclusivity and aspiration. We believe Meesho's brand experience is set to evolve in a myriad new and exciting ways. It was an absolute delight for Landor & Fitch to partner with the Meesho team on this brand transformation.” added Lulu Raghavan, Managing Director, Landor & Fitch.

McDonald's India (West and South) has signed NTR Jr as its brand ambassador. The brand has launched an action-packed TV commercial conceptualized by DDB Mudra, featuring the actor wherein he is seen driving the message #DontExplainJustShare in his quintessential cheeky style.

The brand film highlights this proposition of ‘just sharing’ the McSpicy Chicken with everyone without any need for explanation, as the delectable spicy flavour must be experienced by all.

This TV commercial features a delightful surprise with the actor in a playful and whimsical setting. With a touch of magic and a cheeky remark, NTR Jr perfectly captures the essence of the #DontExplainJustShare theme of the new offerings. In the TVC, he is seen tinkering with the moon charismatically to make sure his favorite McDonald’s store remains open so that he can keep devouring the McDonald’s McSpicy Chicken sharers with his friends.

Arvind RP, Chief Marketing Officer, McDonald’s India (West and South), said, “We are ecstatic to have NTR Jr join the McDonald's India family as our brand ambassador. His incredible on-screen presence, charismatic personality, and relatability among the youth and families complement our vibrant brand and this new offering very well. We look forward to captivating our fans with our latest campaign that spotlights the joy of sharing our delicious McSpicy Fried Chicken with friends and family.”

NTR Jr said, “I'm happy to join McDonalds’s (W&S) as their brand ambassador for McSpicy Chicken Sharers! It is an iconic brand that resonates with millions of people across the world, and to be a part of this journey feels amazing. I have always believed in collaborating and sharing, and the McSpicy Chicken Sharers speaks volumes about this spirit - #DontExplainDontShare.”

Rahul Mathew's, Chief Creative officer and Executive Director, DDB added, “In NTR Jr we have an icon who has changed how the world sees Indian cinema. And with McSpicy Chicken Sharers we’ve changed the way the consumer looks at fried chicken. We wanted to make sure that NTR Jr’s inimitable style comes through in our communication.”

exchange4media Group is coming back with the Delhi edition of its flagship property - Pitch CMO Summit. The upcoming edition of the conference will be held on the 14th of June 2023 from 10 am onwards. The conference is Co-Powered By Times Network while Zoom is the Co-Gold Partner, Kantar and Radio City are the Associate Partners. The Co-partner for the summit is Teads while Spotify is the Celebratory Partner. Lemma is the lounge Partner for the summit.

Pitch CMO Summit 2023 - Delhi Edition brings India's most reputed brands and their top management to interact and share insights on their game-changing success stories under one roof. 

The theme of this edition of the conference is ‘Reimagining Purpose In A Tech-Enabled World’.

With marketing strategies as invigorating as a morning jog, Healthians is leading a health-conscious revolution. Their wellness-inspired creativity fuels the drive for a healthier lifestyle, serving up campaigns that are as refreshing as a vitamin-infused smoothie. Bringing in a blend of expertise in the digital healthcare segment and marketing prowess, Deepak Sahni, Founder and CEO, Healthians will be delivering the keynote address at the Pitch CMO Summit. The audience will get a chance to dive into a world where health meets tech as he shares his insights and unveils the secrets behind Healthians' phenomenal success.

When it comes to marketing, Maruti Suzuki knows how to rev up the engine of success. Their strategic fuel,  injection of creativity and drive put them in the fast lane of brand excellence. Fasten your seatbelt for an exciting ride as Shashank Srivastava, Senior Executive Officer - Marketing and Sales, Maruti Suzuki will be joining the conference. With his visionary leadership and decades of automotive industry experience, Srivastava has revolutionized marketing strategies and driven Maruti Suzuki's success. In his address, he will share invaluable insights on customer-centricity, brand building, and digital transformation.

That’s not all, the agenda for the event day is jam-packed with one interesting session after another. Stay tuned as we reveal more speakers soon! 

For more details, please check out the microsite:

https://e4mevents.com/pitch-cmo-summit-delhi-2023/

To attend the summit, register here (https://e4mevents.com/pitch-cmo-summit-delhi-2023/register)

For any queries regarding RSVP, get in touch with

nitin.dhadwal@exchange4media.com or kapil.ramudamu@exchange4media.com