Month: March 2023

Why is Krafton taking aim at the Indian gaming market with Road to Valor: Empires?

KRAFTON’s self-developed new titles are set to connect with fans, starting from 2024. Among these, ‘Dark and Darker Mobile,’ an extraction RPG independently developed by Bluehole Studio, and ‘inZOI,’ a life simulation game featuring realistic graphics, will be the first to meet the fans. (Images sourced via Steam, Epic Games and Krafton)

Global gaming major Krafton is set to launch India-specific customizations for Road to Valor: Empires, in a bid to capture a slice of India’s rapidly growing gaming market.

“Note” able advertising: Iconic ads of yore that said it with music

Titan watches and Garden Vareli sarees are examples of different brands united by a universal form of communication – music. While Titan retained the original classical piece in its commercial to celebrate its timepieces, Garden Vareli used a tune rooted in tradition to contemporize traditional attire. (Stills from ads)

For brands like Titan and Garden Vareli, music became the thread which helped them forge a relationship with the audience. The role of music, which is to influence emotion and drive brand associations and consumption stands universal. Further, it awakens a nostalgic factor or remembrance for the brand, whenever the tune played in advertisements.

Nostalgia of cable TV and the rise of connected TV: How technology is changing the way we watch

The jingles, sound effects, and even the advertisements are nostalgic reminders of a time when watching the telly felt like coming home. Some of the most iconic ads from that era are still remembered fondly. The ‘Hema Rekha Jaya aur Sushma’ spot from Nirma, the Cadbury cricket ad, the Pepsi commercials celebrating new generations, the Amul ads, and the Zoozoos of Vodafone, are some timeless campaigns from the years gone by. (Representative Image (from left to right): Olena Sergienko and Nicolas J Leclercq via Unsplash)

As entertainment technology continues to evolve, the shift from traditional cable TV to connected TV appears to be an inevitability. The growing interest of brands in connected TV is only accelerating this shift.

Bookstrapping: The Fun Habit by Mike Rucker

The author divides our activities into four quadrants: pleasing, living, yielding and agonising. He encourages to maximise the former, and recognise and minimise the latter. (Image source: Amazon)

The book taps on the importance of making space for fun, developing strict self-discipline for it, and to make it a habit. Further, the book also lists down tips on how to have fun. Rating-3.5 stars

Weekly Shorts: Tips for influencers to meet standards and expectations of brands

The process for empanelment of influencer marketing agencies was initiated by MyGov in March, with the aim of broadening the dissemination of information and enhancing citizen engagement regarding various government schemes, campaigns, and initiatives.

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.

Dentsu promotes Anita Kotwani to CEO Media, South Asia; Divya Karani moves on

This announcement closely follows last week’s appointment of Harsha Razdan, Dentsu South Asia’s new CEO, as the business continues to strengthen its leadership team in the region. (From left to right: Anita Kotwani and Divya Karani)

Most recently, Anita Kotwani was CEO, Carat India, a position she has held since 2020. Divya Karani will be transitioning off the media business to pursue personal interests.

Creativity in God’s Own Country: What’s the advertising culture like in Kerala?

It is critical that agencies start enabling strong regional brands to shed their local moorings and identify new consumer contexts and conversation sets that are more pan-India. (Representative Image: Annie Spratt via Unsplash)

Agency On Map is Storyboard18’s new series that will feature agencies and the advertising culture of various regions of India. First up is the coastal state of Kerala. We see how creative shops there are attracting work and talent.

Exodus at Disney Star as several executives quit

Catz in his call, did not talk about how the business will be brought to a halt. (Representative Image: Tarik Haiga via Unsplash)

Top execs in the Star Sports team of the Disney Star network have exited. Highly placed sources informed Storyboard18 of this. The exits are likely due to the global restructuring that the network is going through to reduce costs that will eventually lead to layoffs.

Smriti Mandhana, Mithali Raj knock it out of the park; the duo score high on popularity, likeability: Hansa Research

Smriti Mandhana and Mithali Raj have excelled on a variety of metrics against some of their male counterparts on fit/energetic/has stamina, and overall personality parameters. (Representative image via Twitter)

Smriti Mandhana and Mithali Raj are currently the most likeable and popular female sports personalities in the nation surpassing some of the popular and young male cricketers such as Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant and Prithvi Shaw. Storyboard18 brings to you highlights from the Brand Endorser Report by Hansa Research.