January 2025 – Page 24

Omnicom is devouring IPG, Publicis might devour parts of Dentsu. WPP is weak too, says Sir Martin Sorrell

Storyboard18 at Davos: In conversation with Moneycontrol’s Chandra Srikanth at the WEF 2025 in Davos, Sir Martin Sorrell, Founder, and Executive Chairman, S4 Capital, points out how Publicis and Omnicom are set to devour the ‘weak’ agencies— Dentsu, WPP, IPG, and Havas, going forward.

Patanjali Ayurved’s misleading ads case: Kerala Court issues a bailable warrant against Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna

Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna approached the court to quash the proceedings against them where one of their argument was based on the violation of the limitation period, stated a Bar and Bench report.

This development comes after the Supreme Court warned States and Union Territories of contempt of action for not initiating proceedings against companies and individuals, who were responsible for misleading advertisements.

Consolidation: Ad agency’s survival instinct I India a huge consumer market: WAVES CEO I MIB amends CTN Rules

The mergers of today may be a prelude to even larger changes in the years to come, as agencies are forced to navigate a rapidly evolving and increasingly competitive landscape.

Storyboard18 brings you top five news updates from the world of advertising, marketing and business of brands.

Donald and Melania Trump launch rival meme coins ahead of presidential inauguration

Melania Trump announced her cryptocurrency, $MELANIA, on Sunday via social media platform X, sending $TRUMP, unveiled two days earlier, into a sharp decline. (Image: YouTube)

$TRUMP and $MELANIA debut on the Solana blockchain, sparking volatility in the cryptocurrency market.

India’s coffee exports hit $1.29 Billion as global and domestic demand soars

In the first half of January 2025 India exported over 9,300 tonnes of coffee with top buyers including Italy, Belgium, and Russia.

Modi, a master marketer: Martin Sorrell praises India’s strong global presence

Martin Sorrell, executive chairman, S4 Capital has said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi understands branding and is a great ad man

Sorrell’s enthusiastic endorsement underscores India’s growing importance on the global stage, driven by its economic resilience, strategic positioning, and strong leadership.

BBC Studios considers exiting India content production amid tough market conditions

Industry experts note that as broadcasters and OTT platforms tighten their budgets and focus on profitability, the number of projects being greenlit has declined.

Nazara raises Rs 495 crores from existing investor Axana Estates LLP

ReelSaga targets India's mobile-first youth with short, serialized video series. The app will offer bite-sized entertainment, with episodes lasting one to two minutes, and monetize through per-episode microtransactions and subscription options for high-spending users.

The Nazara board today approved the acquisition of the intellectual property rights of two popular mobile gaming titles, ‘CATS: Crash Arena’ and ‘King of Thieves’ from Barcelona-based game developer and publisher ZeptoLab for a total consideration of USD 7.7 million (~INR 67 cr).

Paytm names Bimal Julka as Non-Executive Independent Director

Bimal Julka has 41 years of experience with a demonstrated history of leading projects across Ministry of Defence, Civil Aviation, Information & Broadcasting, External Affairs, Finance, Commerce and Public Relations in Govt. of India. He is skilled in strategic planning, business development, business strategy and service delivery management.

Bimal Julka is an IAS officer of 1979 batch of Madhya Pradesh cadre.