Author: Delshad Irani

Brands to demand accountability from OOH vendors after Mumbai hoarding incident

PCMC has called for rules and regulations in place by stating that the advertisers and landowners should check whether permissions, especially from sky signs and licenses department were obtained.

Marketers must take stringent calls and check bona fide credentials of the OOH vendors they choose to work with, say experts. Industry specific associations like the ISA and AAAI should also lead the effort to clean up the industry.

Publicis Groupe names Nannette LaFond-Dufour as Chief Impact Officer in newly created global role

A leading industry figure over the course of her 30-year career, Nannette LaFond Dufour joins Publicis Groupe from McCann Worldgroup where she was Chief Client Officer and McCann’s inaugural Chief Sustainability Officer, responsible for driving sustainability goals across its global environmental footprint.

Nannette LaFond-Dufour’s appointment underscores Publicis’ ongoing commitment to creating positive change through environmental and societal impact, the company said.

Microsoft chairman Satya Nadella: AI is democratizing expertise across the workforce

Use of generative AI at work has nearly doubled in the past six months. LinkedIn is seeing a significant increase in professionals adding AI skills to their profiles, and most leaders say they wouldn’t hire someone without AI skills.

Microsoft and LinkedIn release the 2024 Work Trend Index on the state of AI at work. New data shows most employees are experimenting with AI and growing their skills.

UK newspaper groups warn Apple over planned “web eraser” tool to block ads: Report

The NMA's letter reportedly said that "ad-blocking is a blunt instrument, which frustrates the ability of content creators to sustainably fund their work."

UK media industry body NMA has sent a letter to Apple’s government affairs chief in the UK, about the planned AI-based ‘web eraser’ tool’s threat to the future of journalism, the Financial Times reported.

Sony restructures leadership of games business; PlayStation gets Hideaki Nishino and Hermen Hulst as new CEOs

Effective June 1, 2024, Hideaki Nishino will be appointed CEO of SIE’s Platform Business Group, and Hermen Hulst will be appointed CEO of SIE’s Studio Business Group. Hiroki Totoki, who has been serving as interim CEO of SIE, will serve as Chairman of SIE in addition to his role as President, COO and CFO of Sony Group Corporation. Nishino and Hulst will report to Totoki and intend to collaborate closely to strengthen each core business while maximizing synergies at SIE. (From left to right: Hermen Hulst (Gamesindustry.biz) and Hideaki Nishino (PlayStation.blog))

New leadership structure formed at Sony Interactive Entertainment. Hideaki Nishino appointed CEO, Platform Business Group; Hermen Hulst appointed CEO, Studio Business Group.

TVS lines up new EV launches in upcoming quarters, appealing to various customer segments

EV sales registered a growth of 42% with sales increasing from 20,356 units in September 2023 to 28,901 units in September 2024.

TVS Motor Company’s director and CEO, KN Radhakrishnan highlighted the company’s performance, stating that 2023-24 was the year where TVS Motor Company achieved significant milestones in terms of sales, revenue and profit.

Gujarat-based Gopal Snacks plans to increase marketing spends; retail grows to over 5.50 lakh touchpoints

Gopal Snacks Limited (GSL) operates three primary manufacturing facilities located in Rajkot (Gujarat), Nagpur (Maharashtra), and Modasa (Gujarat). These facilities produce a variety of snacks including Gathiya, Namkeen, Wafers, and Snack Pellets. Their product range encompasses Extruded Snacks, Premium Namkeen Range, Rusk, Papad, Spices, and Flour.

Gopal Snacks had three new product launches in the past three months as it deepens its product offerings, accelerates penetration and expands to newer markets.

HUL appoints Vipul Mathur as Executive Director, Personal Care

Vipul Mathur joined HUL in 2003 as a management trainee after completing his MBA from the Indian Institute of Management - Calcutta. In a career spanning over two decades, he has worked in Customer Development and Marketing, across Home Care, Personal Care and Nutrition.

Hindustan Unilever (HUL) has elevated Vipul Mathur to Executive Director, Personal Care. Mathur is presently Head – Growth & Transformation for South Asia.

Honasa Consumer’s The Derma Co. partners with UK-based Dr V for new skincare range

ASCI has urged brands to ensure that their contracts (with influencers) require disclosure labels to be mentioned, and blacklisting influencers who do not adhere to these instructions.

Ghazal Alagh, Chief Innovation Officer & Co-Founder, Honasa Consumer Limited, said, “Skin Renew by Dr V, range has been formulated along with Dr Vanita using best ingredients appropriate for the Indian consumer… We are confident that this collaboration is going to add value to our commitment to excellence in the skincare industry.”