Author: Kashmeera Sambamurthy

Akshay Kumar: I’ve been wearing athleisure when people didn’t know what athleisure is

Athleisure has picked up since the pandemic as hybrid working has pushed consumers to opt for comfort clothing. The company wants to start its expansion journey from urban centers and then take it to Tier 2-3 markets. (Still from an ad)

Akshay Kumar launches flagship store after introducing his athleisure-wear brand Force IX earlier this year. Plans to expand to ten stores by the end 2023. Storyboard18 caught up with Kumar on the sidelines of the store launch.

Throwback: Raymond’s journey to ‘The Complete Man’

Each television commercial was an event or scene from ordinary life, largely without any dialogue or voiceover, except for the gentle melodious notes of the theme music. Some of the commercials were poignant, some warm and some just fun. Each advertisement showed various facets of a complete man. He did not flaunt, nor show off, he just was. (Stills from ads)

Raymond’s advertising is a great example of using self-concept in building a brand. The advertisements showed the quiet confidence of a man who wore Raymond’s. He embodied the very aspects of being a good human.

Bookstrapping: Can the mind be quiet?

Steve Jobs famously said that we must do that which we enjoy. Krishnamurti emphasises that doing something of enjoyment is love itself. In love, there is no conflict. Only when the fear of losing what you're experiencing sets in, is there conflict. (Image source: Amazon)

Written by Jiddu Krishnamurti, philosopher, speaker and writer, the book throws light on the difference between knowledge and learning, the definition of intelligence, the beauty of meditation and various other aspects. Rating – 4 stars

Godrej Consumer Products acquires Raymond’s FMCG business

Recognizing the need for organic storytelling amidst the clutter of internet memes and GIFs, Gosalia launched TTT to bring meaningful and relatable content to digital audiences.(Representative Image: Cytonn Photography via Unsplash)

As per Sudhir Sitapati, managing director and chief executive officer of GCPL, “Raymond is a leading player in the deodorants and sexual wellness categories with brands like Park Avenue and KamaSutra. This acquisition allows us to complement our business portfolio and growth strategy with under-penetrated categories that offer a long runway of growth.”

Weekly Shorts: Decoding the basics of affiliate marketing

In today's digital landscape, consumer trust is approaching an all-time low. High-profile data breaches and privacy scandals have eroded confidence in online platforms and advertising practices-Anil K Pandit (Representative Image: Toa Heftiba via Unsplash)

What’s buzzing in influencer marketing and the creator ecosystem? What’s the next big thing coming down the line? Catch the big trends and hot topics in our weekly shorts.

Pepsi’s new ad featuring Samantha Ruth Prabhu breaks gender stereotypes

This spot also breaks gender stereotypes challenging how women are perceived in a societal set-up. Pepsi ad follows the evolved female portrayal in advertising which brands such as Tanishq, Ariel 'Share the load' and Fastrack have been highlighting. (Stills from the ad)

Pepsi’s new campaign aims to inspire every woman to own their life with unwavering self-confidence, authenticity, and mettle.

Alphabet and Meta lure back advertisers, Snap Inc. likely to struggle

These findings come on the heels of HCLTech's strategic brand transformation efforts initiated 15 months ago. (Representative image by Kelvin Han via Unsplash)

As per MAGNA, the social media market is expected to grow by six percent to $66 billion. Last year, the market grew by two percent due to Apple’s privacy updates making it difficult for advertisers to gather data about users for targeted ads.

Infomo appoints Himanka Das as country director, elevates Rohit Verma to global chief of strategy

Himanka Das began his career at Madison World, building his career working at Initiative, Lintas Media Group, FCB Ulka of IPG and Starcom of Publicis Media. Rohit Verma is a 25-year pioneer in the Indian mobile advertising industry. In 2015, he was co-founder and CEO of TorcAI (now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Infomo), a global data science company and provider of audience infrastructure, programmatic and in-housing solutions. (From left to right: Himanka Das and Rohit Verma)

Previously, Himanka Das held leadership roles at Dentsu International India, and Rohit Verma served as the global vice president and business head for telecom commerce at mobile advertising company Vserv.

9 in 10 Indian SMB marketers are spending on AI and automation: LinkedIn

Forty one percent SMBs are implementing new creative solutions or technology in their marketing strategy moving forward due to the economic downturn or changing budgets, it’s clear that there is an appetite to explore new ways to connect with customers. (Representative image: Kelly Sikkema via Unsplash)

As per the research conducted by the professional network LinkedIn, some of the top priorities of businesses are to expand their customer base by 44 percent, increase business revenue and market share by 43 percent and build brand loyalty by 36 percent.

Bournvita row: NCPCR asks Bournvita to remove ‘misleading ads’

Bournvita claims that the video put out by the influencer has created panic and anxiety and questions the trust that consumers have bestowed on brands like Bournvita. (Stills from ads)

The development comes days after a recent video made by an influencer claimed that the health drink contains high percentage of sugar and contents that may cause harmful impact to the health of children.