Author: Aashrey Baliga

How brands made a splash with movie associations

Minister for Information and Broadcasting carrying forward the vision of the PM, also recognised the Indian Cinema being a significant contributor to India's soft power, promoting Indian culture, society, and values globally.

Last year saw a record number of brands partnering with movies; FMCG, tech, and consumer durables led the way.

Social media influencer Dolly Singh: Don’t be insensitive. Read the room

Dolly Singh currently has 1.5 million followers on Instagram and almost 700 thousand subscribers on YouTube. There isn’t a video on YouTube or reel on Instagram of hers that hasn’t gone viral. She is one of the most loved influencers in the space today. (Image via Instagram - @dollysingh)

From weirdest brand collaboration requests, the much loved Colgate ad and authenticity within the creator community. Here’s everything comedy content creator Dolly Singh had to say in an interview with Storyboard18.

Leo Burnett’s Rajdeepak Das and Dheeraj Sinha on the agency’s vision for the future

Rajdeepak Das, CEO & CCO at Leo Burnett, South Asia and Chairman, Creative Council, Publicis Groupe - South Asia and Dheeraj Sinha, CEO Leo Burnett - South Asia & Chairman, BBH India. (Images via LinkedIn - @dheeraj_sinha & @rajdeepakdas)

Rajdeepak Das and with Dheeraj Sinha of Leo Burnett, share their views on the dream run the agency has had over the past year. They also talk about the agency’s plans for the future.

Byju’s will not renew its branding partnerships with BCCI, ICC and FIFA, says CEO Raveendran

Byju’s has been looking to cut costs aggressively since last year after it reported a net loss of Rs 4,589 crore in FY21 (2020-21), the largest by a startup in India for that year. In October last year, the company laid off over 2,500 employees, or about 5 percent of its workforce across departments, in order to reduce "redundancies" and turn profitable for the current fiscal year FY23 (2022-23).

Byju’s currently has three large branding partnerships with the BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India), ICC (International Cricket Council), and FIFA (Federation Internationale de Football Association) that will be up for renewal, but the company will not renew any of them, according to co-founder and CEO Byju Raveendran.

Uorfi Javed: Consistency is the key to stay in fashion, in conversations and in business

"No brand wanted to work with me. None of the designers, none of the brands. But it was really hard to ignore the numbers I started bringing to the table. Now I'm working with Amazon, I am working with Netflix, and there are big designers who want to work with me. There are some music companies too that have approached me. Everyone realizes that at the end of day its numbers, numbers and numbers." - Uorfi Javed

Uorfi Javed talks about going from zero brands wanting to work with her to cracking big brand deals, despite her polarizing appeal.

Simply Speaking: Aping trends is wannabe. It is not what great brands do

Apple is the most valuable enterprise on the planet but you could put Apple’s entire product portfolio together on your desk. It has built value through immense focus and brand identity. Each facet of the brand experience inspires people through both tangible and intangible means. Most Apple users feel a part of a community that is elevating for them. (Representational image by Daryan Shamkhali via Unsplash)

Buck the trend of marginal futility and create something bigger and enduring.

Consumer Affairs Ministry’s rules for social media influencers: Disclaimers, disclosures, up to Rs 50 lakh fine, 6-year penalty

The content as per the ministry should also not contain statements or visual presentations that directly, by implication, by omission, by ambiguity, or by exaggeration are likely to mislead consumers about the product advertised or the advertiser or any other product or advertiser. (Representational image by Goh Rhy Yan via Unsplash)

Consumer Affairs Ministry releases endorsement guidelines for social media influencers sharing any content that might influence buyers’ decision.

Davos 2023: Sir Martin Sorrell on why ChatGPT could be a threat for media agencies

The advertising guru added that amid the geopolitical issues involving the US and China, the Russia-Ukraine situation, and the intense conflict in the Middle East, India has emerged as the go-to market and an alternative to China in Asia. (Representative image via Twitter by @ForbesCMO)

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Sir Martin Sorrell shared his views on the impact of tech like ChatGPT on ad holding companies.

Did Zomato copy a decade-old McDonald’s outdoor ad campaign?

Taking creative inspiration in all forms is absolutely fine but not without awarding due credit where necessary. However, is there a line that one mustn’t cross when deriving inspiration? And where does one draw it? When does inspiration turn into plagiarism? (Images by Ujjwal Anand via LinkedIn)

Some ad industry folks seem to think Zomato copied a McDonalds outdoor ad campaign from 10 years ago, without acknowledging the latter.