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In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, the role of AI in shaping social media strategies and digital marketing has become increasingly significant. Bullish on AI, Shubhranshu Singh, Chief Marketing Officer of Tata Motors CVBU, and Rohan Chincholi, Chief Digital Officer at Havas Media India, share their views on social media in an AI era with Storyboard18's editor Delshad Irani. 

In this episode of Media Dialogues with Storyboard18, dig into how future-facing marketing visionaries and practitioners are looking at the integration of AI tools in media, the balance between automation and authenticity, and the future of AI-driven personalization. Also, explore the challenges, opportunities, and ethical considerations that come with leveraging AI in social media marketing.

Watch and listen. 

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Content is king, but distribution is kingdom: Media Dialogues With Storyboard18

In an era where authenticity and relatability are the cornerstones of effective marketing, Harman Dhillon, Executive Director of Beauty & Wellbeing at Hindustan Unilever and General Manager of Beauty & Wellbeing at Unilever South Asia, emphasises the evolving role of brands like Dove in shaping societal values.


Dhillon highlights that modern consumers are increasingly drawn to brands that resonate with their personal beliefs and values, making it crucial for brands to present a genuine and consistent point of view.


Dhillon notes that Dove, a global beauty brand under Unilever’s portfolio, has long been at the forefront of purpose-driven communication. The brand’s latest campaign, "Mothermonials," is an extension of this ethos, addressing deep-rooted beauty biases that impact women and young girls, particularly within the context of marriage.


Drawing on insights from the 2020 "Beauty Report" conducted in India, Dhillon explains that nine out of ten women of marriageable age reported being adversely affected by societal beauty standards during the marriage process. These biases often start at a young age, pressuring girls to conform to certain physical ideals at the expense of their confidence and self-worth.


<strong>Read More:</strong> <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/quantum-brief/exclusive-unilevers-harman-dhillon-responds-to-backlash-on-viral-dove-ad-2283.htm">Exclusive: Unilever’s Harman Dhillon responds to feedback on viral Dove ad</a> 


The "Mothermonials" campaign, now in its third iteration, seeks to challenge these generational biases by shifting the focus from physical attributes to values and ambitions when considering matrimonial matches. Dhillon points out that this campaign is not just about raising awareness but also about driving societal change, with Dove positioned as a catalyst for this transformation.


The campaign’s latest phase specifically involves mothers taking a stand against the superficial aspects of matchmaking, advocating for a more holistic approach that considers character, values, and mutual respect as the foundation of a strong partnership.


Dhillon also discusses the measurable impact of such campaigns. Dove, being one of Unilever's largest brands, ensures that the campaign reaches a broad audience, with significant engagement already evident in the early stages. According to Dhillon, the current "Mothermonials" campaign has garnered nearly 4 crore views within a week of its launch, along with 1,00,000 visits to the campaign's dedicated website and 13,000 women interacting with the content.


However, beyond these impressive numbers, Dhillon underscores that the true success of the campaign is measured by the increase in women’s confidence and their perception of their beauty. The ultimate goal is to ensure that more women and young girls feel positive about their appearance, aligning with Dove’s long-standing mission to make beauty a source of confidence, not anxiety.


<em><strong>Edited Excerpts</strong></em>


<strong>We know Dove is a very large iconic brand. But where do you take it from here? What does a campaign like Mothermonials do for the brand, the equity, bottom line?</strong>


<strong>Dhillon:</strong> At Unilever we believe that marketing is now moving to being more authentic, it is moving to being more relatable to the target audience and at the same time the brands need to have a view because the consumers are evolving and they really want to be with a brand which resonates with their value systems, which resonates with the point of view that they have in life and that's where having a point of view on a brand like Dove, like we do on a lot of other Unilever brands is going to be very critical and that point of view has to be very authentic because we have to live and breathe that point of view.


In the long run we believe if we are true to the point of view and if we are bringing about products and the regular advertising that we are doing which we are very committed that on a brand like Dove there is no digital distortion that we do, on a brand like Dove we are talking about really the authentic voices across the spectrum that we put out, in the long run that is going to differentiate one brand versus the other.


<strong>Dove has been at the forefront of purpose-driven communication, branding, marketing and you have recently come out with the third iteration which is now an ongoing campaign for you. Tell me a little bit about the insights that have driven this Mothermonials campaign from the start.</strong>


Dove is one of our mega brands and we do believe that this brand is special and unique and the reason for that is that the philosophy behind Dove is that we believe that beauty should not be a source of anxiety for women and this is the brand which really helps bring alive within women and young girls a positivity about how they look.


Actually in 2020, in India specifically, while of course globally the brand has been on this trajectory, in India in 2020 we partnered with a research agency and we published something which is called the “Beauty Report” and in that there were a couple of insights which were very unique to India. The first being, nine out of 10 women in the marriageable age were really getting impacted by the process itself, which was really focusing a lot on beauty biases. 


The second, we realised that this marriage process, while of course, it's a process to get the right partner, but at the same time, it is fraught with beauty biases, which not only start very young and early, it could be at the time of when the girl child, especially is supposed to be studying for tests, she is being nudged to say, can you do X and Y, so that the prospects for her improve. So that was the whole idea and insight. And that's when we decided that we are going to have a long-term campaign, which really addresses each of these biases, each of these moments when we really impact the confidence of young girls and women adversely as a society. And these are generational biases.


So for us what was very clear is, it is critical that we make the society aware of it and we bring about change with Dove being the catalyst. And last but not the least, it is an inter-generational trauma because the latest edition of the campaign, if you see, it's mothers who are really taking a stand to say, of course, we want to find the best match for the daughters. But at the same time, it should not be just about the physical attributes because any strong partnership is built on the value systems. It's built on the ambitions. It's built on how the person thinks, feels. And that's what we are trying to do- look at matrimonials through the eyes of mothers and hence Mothermonials, which is part three of the campaign.


<strong>And so far, what sort of response have you got on it? Are you looking at scale for a campaign like this? And also a second part to that question would be, what are you measuring on such a campaign?</strong>


<strong>Dhillon:</strong> Dove, is one of our largest brands in the country, so it has to have scale and impact. So for scale, we look at ensuring the message reaches maximum number of people. So if I was to just talk about the current campaign which we broke a week ago, we're already looking at almost 4 crore views for the campaign. On the Mothermonials website we are looking at almost 1,00,000 visits already. And we are looking at all the filters, etc., that we have put out, 13,000 women interacting with that, which tells us that so many women and the target audience is looking at it, but at the same time, we don't just stop at that. We measure the scale and impact by actually measuring the attribute of this helps me view myself in positive light in the way I look and feel, that has to go up. Because at the end of the day, why are we doing all this? We are doing all this because, like I started out by saying, Dove really wants women and young girls to feel more positive about how they look. So we measure that very regularly, and that's the impact we see of a campaign. If that's going up, and if we are seeing more and more women feeling more confident in their skin, we are bringing about a change.

<em>(Edited by : Ajay Vaishnav)</em>


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Modern consumers demand authenticity and relatability in brand messaging, says HUL’s Harman Dhillon

In today’s rapidly evolving media landscape, the sheer complexity and fragmentation across platforms like TV, CTV, digital, and influencer marketing can be overwhelming. Kartik Sharma, CEO of Omnicom Media Group India, provides a nuanced perspective on these changes and their impact on advertising strategies.

Sharma highlights that while digital media is experiencing significant growth, it’s crucial not to overlook traditional media. Contrary to the belief that print is obsolete, Sharma emphasises that measuring its impact is essential. "You can't make a sweeping statement that a particular medium is dead or growing without measuring its effectiveness," he asserts.

India's media landscape is in a phase where various categories and media are growing at different rates. Some may see single-digit growth while others might experience double-digit increases.

Sharma highlights that the focus should not merely be on reaching the maximum audience at the lowest cost but on effectiveness and impact. "If I can save a dollar or a rupee for my client, it’s a dollar earned," he explains. This cost-saving can lead to reinvestment in business growth or increased profit margins, thereby significantly impacting a client's overall business strategy.

Turning the spotlight on Connected TV (CTV), Sharma notes that luxury brands and those targeting premium consumer segments are heavily investing in experimentation. CTV provides an avenue for these brands to test their strategies on a smaller scale before committing to larger budgets. "We never tell a client to start very big," Sharma said. "It’s always about testing and learning." This approach allows brands to tailor their strategies based on the unique reactions of different consumer segments.

Sharma’s insights reflect a broader trend towards personalised and adaptable media strategies. Rather than adopting a one-size-fits-all approach, Sharma emphasised the importance of bespoke solutions tailored to each client’s unique needs. "Over generalisation and saying this will paint the entire category with one brush is not going to work," he stated.

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OMG India CEO Kartik Sharma: Brands need to embrace personalised media strategies

In the latest episode of Media Dialogues with Storyboard18, Delshad Irani sits down with Shweta Jain, a prominent Chief Marketing Officer and one of India's most influential marketers.


Jain's career spans significant roles at Diageo, a major player in the alcoholic beverage industry, and now she serves as the Chief Marketing and Sales Officer at The Leela Group, a renowned name in hotels and hospitality. This episode focuses on the evolving role of forward-thinking CMOs.


Jain reflects on the unique opportunities presented to Indian brands today, noting, “We’re witnessing a once-in-a-lifetime moment where Indian brands are capturing global attention. This rare convergence of opportunity is something we haven’t seen in many years, and these years are all about seizing these moments and sharing our stories with the world.”


At The Leela Group, Jain and her team are harnessing these opportunities, especially around the festive season and emerging trends in leisure travel. She highlights how changing patterns in short breaks, longer indulgent holidays, and new travel occasions are shaping their marketing strategies, bringing together a blend of trends and energies for a dynamic approach to customer engagement.



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The Leela Group's Shweta Jain on seizing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Indian brands

<strong>Note to viewers: Revised advisory issued on July 3 by MIB on Food & Health sector only with a provision of an annual declaration.</strong><em> 

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), On June 3, adhering to a Supreme Court directive, announced a new mandate requiring advertisers and ad agencies to submit a Self-Declaration Certificate (SDC) before any ad publication or broadcast. The initiative aims to curb misleading advertisements and protect consumers, but achieving this goal remains a significant challenge.


To delve into the impact of these measures on the advertising industry, Storyboard18's editor Delshad Irani spoke with Gowree Gokhale, Partner at Nishith Desai Associates; Lloyd Mathias, Business Strategist and Investor; Kazim Rizvi, Founding Director of The Dialogue; and Ahmed Aftab Naqvi, Global CEO and Co-Founder of Gozoop Group.


According to Mathias, there is a need for measures that penalise rogue advertisers without compromising freedom of expression. He proposed methods such as temporary bans on advertising for repeat offenders to ensure accountability and integrity in advertising practices.


“The government has kind of, put the onus or responsibility on advertisers, who, in turn, have pushed it to the agencies. And at the second level, they have also put the onus in a sense on broadcasters and media owners, saying, you guys are the second level of defence. However, the real problem is rogue advertisers who have made misleading claims and who have actually misled people, which possibly triggered this whole exercise in the first place. And, therefore, I think the onus has to shift in terms of how do you monitor rogue advertisers without creating a censorship issue,” Mathias stated.


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“I think the idea should be how do we reinforce integrity, and how do you penalise rogue advertisers? If someone has been an offender, I think there has to be a method where he or she gets penalised. If you've deliberately made a false claim, despite certification of which there are regulations in place, do you get banned from media, so to speak, so no advertiser registered in this country can take your communication for a six-month period? That will make advertisers far more cognisant about their responsibility to society. And like I said, there will always be rogue elements, like there is in any society. But I think the issue that needs to be resolved is at that end. What we have really done is right now just complicated the whole issue. At one level, we talk of the ease of doing business, I think this has just needlessly thrown open a can of worms," he added.


He also suggests a system of naming and shaming as a potential solution to enforce integrity within the industry.


Meanwhile, Ahmed Aftab Naqvi pointed to the self-regulatory frameworks of major digital advertising platforms like Google and Meta. These platforms enforce strict guidelines and penalise advertisers who violate them by blacklisting their accounts, which serves as a strong deterrent.


Naqvi suggested that adopting similar punitive measures, such as advertiser blacklisting, could effectively deter deceptive practices in traditional media.


<strong>Read More:</strong> <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/relief-for-advertisers-as-mib-restricts-sdc-for-ads-to-food-and-health-sectors-only-36128.htm">Relief for advertisers as MIB restricts SDC for ads to food and health sectors only</a>

Experts urge govt to penalise rogue advertisers without curtailing free speech

In a chat with Storyboard18's Shibani Gharat, Shailesh Chandra, Managing Director of Tata Motors, Passenger Vehicles and Electric Vehicle Mobility talks about expectations from 2024, what challenges lie ahead, bifurcating the ICE and EV business and being the largest electric passenger vehicle manufacturer in the country what are their plans with the EV business. 

Listen in. 


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Inflation has impacted entry-level segment: Tata Motors' Shailesh Chandra

In Davos at the recently held World Economic Forum, Ingka Group deputy CEO and CFO Juvencio Maeztu said that Ikea is going to cut prices - up to 20 percent price reduction in more than 250 articles. The price cuts will be implemented in the coming weeks. Maeztu said, “We have a long term vision to create a better life for the people. So, we have a long term approach at everything we do and the time is ready with high inflation and high interest rate."

In an exclusive interview with Storyboard18's editor Delshad Irani, Ikea India CEO Susanne Pulverer, commenting on the price cuts, said, "We have seen a positive development when it comes to getting better prices on the products, especially the post-COVID; when we had seen a lot of inflation and increased costs on raw material, transports and everything. So that's what we will immediately give back to customers worldwide. And, of course, that goes for India as well. So, we are currently working on how we can further invest in lowering the prices on a number of products that we know are loved by our customers."

Watch here. 

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IKEA plans for multi-format stores in India: IKEA India CEO Susanne Pulverer

Tata Motors recently became the third Tata Group firm to cross Rs 3 trillion in market cap. In an exclusive client-agency dialogue with Storyboard18's editor Delshad Irani, Shubhranshu Singh, VP and CMO, Tata Motors CVBU, and Mohit Joshi, CEO, Havas Media Group, share how the customer journey has transformed in the commercial vehicles business, the role of media and acceleration of digital sales of CVs, and how the brand and its agencies are reimagining media and marketing for a new Indian consumer. 

Listen in. 

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Media Dialogues with Storyboard18: AI and digital accelerating Tata Motors CV brand and business

French spirits manufacturer Pernod Ricard, known for its brands such as Chivas Regal, Jameson, Absolut and Blenders Pride, recently launched its first premium Indian single malt brand Longitude77. Now as we step in 2024, Pernod Ricard is taking their new Indian single malt brand to global markets. Ahead of their Dubai launch, in a special chat, Storyboard18 caught up with Kartik Mohindra, CMO, Pernod Ricard India, to understand the market for single malt in India, the marketing and advertising strategies that are undertaken to promote liquor, and the key trends to watch for. 

Listen in.

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Pernod Ricard's Kartik Mohindra on crowning India as a premier global whisky maestro

According to Shashank Srivastava, senior executive officer, Maruti Suzuki, by 2030, the penetration of EVs for passenger vehicles in India will be around 20 percent. For Maruti Suzuki and their own powertrain, by 2030 it’ll be 15 percent EV, 25 percent strong hybrids and 60 percent to be a mix of ethanol blended fuel, CNG and biogas. 

There are a couple of challenges when selling an electric future to Indians. Srivastava said that the cost of acquisition needs to be reasonable. Currently this cost is 1.6 times that of ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles. These costs have to be brought down and one solution to this is battery localisation. Secondly, range anxiety which can be solved by charging infrastructure being built.

Listen in. 

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Media Dialogues with Storyboard18: Maintaining continuity In change, Maruti-Suzuki & Mindshare drive ahead

Acer chairman and CEO Jason Chen reveals the company's plans, including venturing into new segments in consumer electronics, eMobility and AI PCs while in conversation with Storyboard18's Shibani Gharat. Chen says he is very excited about artificial intelligence and how it is being very rapidly being implemented.

The company's enthusiasm for the transformative potential of Generative AI is evident in its forward-looking stance. Acer is actively pioneering this technological shift by developing AI-powered PCs poised to redefine user interactions with computers. “We want to be the first one, if not the first then the first batch of suppliers to come into AI-ready PC,” he adds.

Acer's investments in AI extend across diverse applications, including Integrated Chip (IC) design and initiatives in the medical field. “One area where I'd like to invest some time is incorporating artificial intelligence into the medical field. Thousands of AI-related medical reports, known as smart medical research journals and papers, are being published. However, many of them remain as merely good reports without progressing into impactful scientific research projects,” he said, adding that Acer is in a position to commercialise that research into real products that will benefit medical requirements.

Watch the full interview here.

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PC market demand has come back to normal: Acer's Jason Chen

Mathew Chandy, CMD and Sleep Evangelist of Duroflex, in an exclusive interview on Media Dialogues, unveiled the company's ambitious plans, with a particular focus on its impending listing.

Chandy underscored the significance of a balanced mix of promoters and professionals for sustained business growth across generations.

"One of our early goals was to transcend beyond our third generation. I've always believed that the synergy between promoters and professionals is essential for scaling a business, especially across multiple generations. With the business witnessing a tenfold growth in the last decade, the inclusion of Sridhar Balakrishnan marks the next strategic move towards professionalising our operations, clearly demarcating ownership and management," Chandy said.

Sridhar Balakrishnan, Group CEO of Duroflex, spoke on the changing landscape of consumer preferences in India. 

Balakrishnan noted, "The income levels are rising across India, and if one were to look at big consumers in the last few years, there has been a radical shift in the consumer orientation towards the health of which sleep is an integral part. So the way we look at it is that this category is certainly a tailwind category which is likely to see a lot of action in coming times."

Listen in. 

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Media Dialogues with Storyboard18: Duroflex's growth journey

Skechers USA in 2019, bought out Kishore Biyani-led Future Group's 49 percent stake in its Indian joint venture (JV) for an undisclosed sum. in September this year, Skechers announced its association with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) as the ‘Official Sports Footwear Partner of Indian Olympic Association for the Hangzhou Asian Games’. The brand has been making heavy investments in India. Storyboard18 caught up with the management to discuss Skechers India's expansion plans, investment opportunities, India growth strategy, foray into tier 3 cities, partnership with sports & olympics and global expansion plans.

Listen in. 

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Skechers India is growing and willing to invest in India: David Weinberg

In 2019, the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group acquired Nature's Basket from Godrej Industries for ₹300 crore. Nature's Basket currently runs 32 stores as a high-end food retailer. The Artisan Pantry, however, will take things up a notch, offering imported wines, a variety of cheeses, a dedicated section for artisan chocolates, gourmet fruits like Yuzu lemon, multi-coloured corn, Japanese Apple Fuji, and more.

The fancy food store called Artisan Pantry is at Phoenix Palladium Mall in Mumbai. This marks their entry into luxury food retailing, featuring a spacious 12,500-square-foot store.

The store will also include a restaurant and live kitchens. Shashwat Goenka, Chairman at Spencer’s Retail, shared during the launch that this concept store is the first of several planned under Nature's Basket Artisan Pantry.

Watch here. 

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Converting gourmet grocery to luxury grocery: Nature’s Basket unveils experiential concept store

The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) presented the AAAI Lifetime Achievement Award for 2023 to advertising veteran Shashi Sinha. This is the highest honour given to an individual in India for contributions to the advertising industry. Sinha, who has spent nearly four decades in the advertising industry, is a seasoned professional much loved in the ad fraternity. But back when he joined the industry, he never imagined he would spend such a long time in it. “I thought I'll probably quit in a year's time,” said Shashi Sinha, in an exclusive chat with Storyboard18.

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Indian advertising industry’s go-to man Shashi Sinha revisits his four-decade long career

IAMAI organised the 19th edition of MarCon on the 22nd November in Mumbai. This year the focus was on understanding technology’s evolving role in marketing and the emergence of new domains and exciting opportunities for growth and innovation. 

The conference included several stimulating panel discussion, fireside chats and keynote speeches from industry stalwarts on intriguing topics ranging from tech-powered Bharat, regulatory insights and industry collaboration for sustainable growth in digital advertising and marketing, the future of digital platforms, Artificial Intelligence, CTV, content marketing and more. 

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All the highlights from the 19th edition of IAMAI's marketing conclave

When Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL) launched its own in-house ad agency, Lightbox, on April 1 this year, it was responding to a realisation that its internally designed branding had become quite iconic and successful.

Sudhir Sitapati, Managing Director and CEO of Godrej Consumer Products Limited says of LightBox. “It wasn’t a eureka moment. Before I joined GCPL, I was always very impressed with the design and packaging of GCPL products. I found Cinthol packaging quite iconic. When I joined GCPL, I realised that it has in-housed packaging, something that most companies outsource. I was very curious to know the advantages of it."

The design and packaging team had continuity. They had enormous consumer connectivity and they were very close to the people who were running the brand. "That’s why GCPL was able to come up with iconic packaging, and so I thought about how an in-house agency would be for GCPL," adds Sitapati, in a conversation with Storyboard18's editor Delshad Irani.

Ashwin Moorthy, chief marketing officer, GCPL, says there has been a shift in thinking. The level of collaboration is higher. The level of challenge is also quite high. When you have an in-house advertising or creative team, their ability to challenge is a lot more. They are not worried about you as a business, they are worried about the brand as an objective.

Watch here. 

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Bombay is the global Mecca of advertising: GCPL's Sudhir Sitapati

As broadcasters and stakeholders continue to debate over the Ministry's role in content regulation and the new Content Evaluation Committee in the Broadcasting Services Bill, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) clarified its stance. They have no prescriptive intent, said MIB secretary Apurva Chandra, in an exclusive interview with Storyboard18. The committee supports the industry's existing self-regulation model.

“The program code and the advertising code themselves are guidelines on what the proper programming should be and going beyond that will be actually prescriptive, and we should not be doing that,” Chandra told Storyboard18 during the interview. 

“We issue advisories occasionally and only when necessary. For instance when violence happened in Manipur. It's essential to refrain from displaying explicit content such as dead bodies or acts of violence that could incite further harm,” he said.

Crime and such explicit content is good for TRP but it is not ideal for TV channels to show them. However, it's for the channels to decide what they want to show. That is why we feel that these content evaluation committees will be more useful. They can act as a self check,” Chandra added.

Watch here.

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India's ad spending soars by 15.5 percent! Exclusive with MIB’s Apurva Chandra

Storyboard18 kicked off the first edition of The Visionaries recognition program in Gurgaon recently which saw the largest gathering of marketing and business leaders. There was a strong sense of camaraderie as the crowd of industry stalwarts gathered to enjoy each others' company, watch their peers get felicitated and learn more about the bright future of advertising and marketing.

The first chapter of Visionaries opened with a powerful and inspiring speech by Suresh Narayanan, chairman and managing director of Nestle India, who addressed the large gathering of CEOs and CMOs on the importance of purposeful leadership. 

The speech and felicitations were followed by panel discussions on key topics. One of them, moderated by Storyboard18’s editor Delshad Irani included Kulmeet Bawa, president and MD, SAP India; Aseem Kaushik, MD, L’Oreal India; Prativa Mohapatra, VP and MD, Adobe India; Sukhleen Aneja, CEO, Good Glamm Group; Madhav Sheth, CEO, HTECH; and Devendra Chawla, CEO, GreenCell Mobility. The panel shared insights on forging a true partnership between CEOs and CMOs. 

<strong>Catch all our special coverage of The Visionaries <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/the-visionaries">here</a></strong>

The event also included discussions on the state of media quality in India by Saurabh Khattar, country manager, India, Integral Ad Science, and the promising future of generative AI in marketing by Gan.ai’s founder and CEO, Suvrat Bhooshan, both conducted by Storyboard18’s Shibani Gharat.

Storyboard18’s Visionaries was an occasion to celebrate CMOs who have made a deep impact through their work that has catapulted the growth of their respective companies and brands.

<strong><strong>Watch the biggest celebration of marketing leaders here.  </strong></strong>


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WATCH: The Visionaries - The biggest celebration of the brightest marketing minds in the country

Ayurvedic startup Kapiva will reportedly be raising Rs 300-330 crore (about $40 million) to expand operations and grow its market presence.

According to a report by Moneycontrol, existing investor OrbiMed may lead the round while  Fireside Ventures, Vertex Ventures, 3one4 Capital, and others may also participate.

Kapiva was founded in 2016 by Ameve Sharma, a member of the ayurvedic product maker Baidyanath Group, and Shrey Badhani. 


The company sells a range of products like ghee, honey, teas, oils, and other products.

	
<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/advertising/genz-fashion-startup-newme-launches-90-minute-delivery-service-in-delhi-ncr-42227.htm">GenZ fashion startup NEWME launches 90-minute delivery service in Delhi-NCR</a>


As per the Moneycontrol report, Kapiva's valuation will surge to about $130-150 million (Rs 1,100 to 1,250 crore) after the fundraiser.

Kapiva's grew by 95% to Rs 115 crore in FY23 as against Rs 59 crore in FY22. However, its losses widened to Rs 65 crore in FY23 from Rs 48 crore in FY22 as the company expanded its product lines.


The Ayurvedic startup is yet to file FY24 earnings.

So far the company has raised a total of over $40 million from a clutch of investors.  OrbiMed is its single largest shareholder with a stake of over 30 percent, Baidyanath Group owns around 12 percent of the company, and Vertex owns an 11% stake. 

Ayurvedic startup Kapiva to raise Rs 330 crore to expand ops: Report

The ICC have lifted the total prize pool for the 2024 edition to $7,958,080 (US$) — more than double that of the 2023 edition.

This ensures that the winners of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will walk away with a staggering $2.34 million, marking a 134% increase from the $1 million awarded to the champions, Australia, in 2023.


The runners-up will also benefit from a 134% rise, securing $1.17 million in the upcoming edition. The semi-finalists will receive $675,000 each, more than three times their 2023 payout.


The prize money extends beyond the knockout stages, as each group stage win will now be rewarded with $31,154, reflecting a 78% increase from last year’s $17,500.


Furthermore, teams that exit during the group stage, there is a base prize of $112,500 awarded to all 10 participating teams, totalling $1.125 million. 


Teams finishing fifth to eighth will earn $270,000 each, and teams finishing ninth and 10th earn $135,000 each. 


The marquee event is set to go underway on 3 October. All group matches will be completed prior to 15 October, before all eyes shift to the semi-finals scheduled for 17 and 18 October. The victors of semi-final one and two will then face off in the ultimate showdown for the Women’s T20 World Cup trophy on 20 October.


<strong>Read More:</strong> <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/icc-mens-t20-world-cup-2024-ad-strategies-shift-as-mobile-takes-center-stage-31304.htm">ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024: Ad strategies shift as mobile takes center stage</a> 




ICC announces record prize money for Women’s T20 World Cup 2024

Storyboard18 presents FAST FIVE ⬇

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

Click here to know more ?

<strong>EXCLUSIVE: Now ONDC to boost Real Money Gaming industry</strong>

The unicorns that have signed Letter of Intent (LoI) to partner with ONDC include likes of Zerodha, EaseMyTrip, Pristyn Care, Cars24, Physics Wallah, PolicyBazaar, OfBusiness, Livspace and GlobalBees.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/gaming-news/exclusive-now-ondc-to-boost-real-money-gaming-industry-42571.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Read More</a>

<strong>Prasar Bharati's OTT launch date pushed to October 3: Exclusive</strong>

The launch was earlier scheduled for September 15, which is now pushed to October amidst the growing concerns from select broadcasters and streaming platforms.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/prasar-bharatis-ott-launch-date-pushed-to-october-3-exclusive-42573.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Read More</a>

<strong>GroupM predicts record festive growth for TV, Digital and OOH</strong>

Ashwin Padmanabhan, Chief Operating Officer, GroupM, South Asia expects digital media to grow between 15-20% this festive season, and out-of-home (OOH) advertising to see healthy double-digit growth.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/increasing-demand-for-gecs-has-led-to-some-amount-of-price-hardening-groupm-42466.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Read More</a>

<strong>Samir Kumar takes helm as Amazon India's new country manager</strong>

Samir Kumar joined Amazon in 1999 and was part of the core team that launched Amazon.in in 2013. Kumar is an engineering graduate from the National Institute of Technology, Rourkela. He got his master's degree from Utah State University in 1995.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/samir-kumar-takes-helm-as-amazon-indias-new-country-manager-42598.htm" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Read More</a>

<strong>Google wins court case against $1.66 billion EU antitrust fine</strong>

Regulators had alleged that Google — as a dominant online ad broker — illegally prevented rivals such as Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft Corp. from placing ads on third-party websites.

<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ondc-boost-rmg-industry-prasar-bharatis-ott-launch-date-lyqif/?trackingId=9aKGcUQ39zuB6UiEEBqqHg%3D%3D" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Read More</a>

<em>Stay tuned to Storyboard18's FAST FIVE from the world of advertising, marketing and business of brands.</em>


ONDC to boost RMG industry | Prasar Bharati's OTT launch date | GroupM on festive growth for TV, Digital and OOH

The Union Cabinet has approved the establishment of the National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) for animation, visual effects, gaming, comics and extended reality (AVGC-XR) as a Section 8 Company under the Companies Act, 2013 in India with Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry and Confederation of Indian Industry representing the industry bodies as partners with the Government of India.

The NCoE will be set up in Mumbai, Maharashtra and is in pursuance to the Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs’ budget announcement for 2022-23 for setting up of an AVGC Task Force in the country.

It is to be noted that AVGC-XR sector plays an important role in the realm of media and entertainment including filmmaking, OTT platforms, gaming, advertisements and several other areas including health, education and other social sectors. With rapidly evolving technology and increasing internet penetration all across the country, coupled with one of the cheapest data rates, the usage of AVGC-XR globally is poised to grow at an exponential pace.

To keep up with this, the NCoE is being established to act as the pinnacle institution to anchor the AVGC-XR ecosystem in the country. 

Along with offering specialised training-cum-learning programs to equip both amateurs and professionals with the latest skill sets in cutting-edge AVGC-XR technologies, this NCoE will also foster research and development and will bring together experts from various fields like computer science, engineering, design and art that can lead to major breakthroughs in the field of AVGC-XR. 

NCoE will also extensively focus on the creation of India’s IP for both domestic consumption and global outreach, overall leading to creation of content based on India’s rich historical and cultural heritage. Further, the NCoE will function as an incubation centre by providing resources for nurturing startups and early-stage companies in the AVGC-XR field.

By positioning this NCoE as the driving force for the growth of the AVGC-XR industry it will serve as one of the biggest sources of employment for the youth from all parts of the country. This will give an enormous push to the creative arts and design sector and make India the hub for AVGC-XR activities.

The NCoE for AVGC-XR will also position India as a content hub for providing state-of-the-art content thereby enhancing India’s soft power globally and attracting foreign investment into the media and entertainment sector.

Cabinet clears establishment of national centre of excellence for AVGC-XR

Google won a court case on Wednesday against a 1.49 billion euro ($1.66 billion) European Union antitrust fine imposed in 2019 that targeted its online advertising business. The EU's General Court said it was throwing out the 2019 penalty imposed by the European Commission, which is the 27-nation bloc's top antitrust enforcer. 

Regulators had alleged that Google — as a dominant online ad broker — illegally prevented rivals such as Yahoo Inc. and Microsoft Corp. from placing ads on third-party websites. 

"The General Court annuls the Commission's decision in its entirety," the court said in a press release. The commission's ruling applied to a narrow portion of Google's ad business: ads that the U.S. tech giant sold next to Google search results on third-party websites.

Regulators had accused Google of inserting exclusivity clauses in its contracts that barred these websites from running similarly placed ads sold by Google's rivals. The commission said when it issued the penalty that Google's behavior resulted in advertisers and website owners having less choice and likely facing higher prices that would be passed on to consumers.

But the General Court said the commission "committed errors" when it assessed those clauses. The commission failed to demonstrate that Google's contracts deterred innovation, harmed consumers or helped the company hold on to and strengthen its dominant position in national online search advertising markets, it said.

This ruling can still be appealed at the bloc’s top tribunal, the Court of Justice.

Google wins court case against $1.66 billion EU antitrust fine

Criteo, the commerce media company on Wednesday announced a partnership with Swiggy to power its offsite retail media campaigns, across the open internet and OTT platforms.  

According to Criteo, the collaboration has already delivered successful outcomes for brands such as Kellogg’s. Criteo created commerce audiences to meet the brand objectives which include behaviors focused on convenience and nutrition.  The campaign achieved a return on ad spend (ROAS) of 1.9, a new-to-brand rate of 25%. It reached over 50% of the target audience, with further improvements anticipated as the attribution window matures.

Commenting on the partnership, Amitkumar Banka, Head of Growth Marketing at Swiggy, says “Quick commerce is growing rapidly in India, with a 77% YoY growth, and is expected to continue growing at a rate of 40-45%. Our partnership with Criteo will allow our partner brands and non-endemic brands to reach and engage with quick commerce shoppers across the open internet". 

	
<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/swiggy-launches-project-next-to-empower-delivery-partners-with-career-growth-42560.htm">Swiggy launches ‘Project Next’ to empower delivery partners with career growth</a>

Kashish Vasandani, Director of Growth, Swiggy, added, “The success stories with Kellogg's and other CPG brands showcase the effectiveness of Criteo's retail media capabilities that can unlock value for all players in the advertising ecosystem".

	
<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/swiggy-launches-incognito-mode-for-users-to-order-privately-41640.htm">Swiggy launches ‘Incognito mode’ for users to order privately</a>


Medhavi Singh, Country Head, of India, added, “Criteo has a leading market footprint in retail media, including 65% of the top 30 retailers in the Americas and 50% of the top 30 in EMEA, and we are broadening our retail media presence in India and APAC.​ We are proud to partner with Swiggy, one of the leaders in the quick commerce space, to power their offsite retail media campaigns to further scale in the industry. As the needs for retail media in India grow rapidly, Criteo’s retail media solutions powered by its advanced AI and commerce data enable businesses to make informed decisions and optimize media planning for better results in one unified platform".

Criteo and Swiggy collaborate to boost quick commerce advertising

Cashify has announced the appointment of Ujjwal Sinha as Head of Marketing. With over 15 years of extensive experience in the marketing domain, Ujjwal brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the company, further strengthening Cashify’s leadership team. 

In his new role, Ujjwal will oversee and direct all aspects of consumer marketing at Cashify.

Before joining Cashify, Ujjwal served as Associate Vice President of Marketing at CARS24, where he played a pivotal role in driving business growth through innovative marketing strategies.  

Coming from auto industry re-commerce, at CARS24, he led the growth marketing for the supply side, optimizing marketing efforts through data and technology, and spearheading media planning, buying, and offline efforts. His work in enhancing the company’s online reputation and ensuring the brand’s physical presence across multiple cities were significant milestones during his association with CARS24. Prior to his roles at CARS24, Ujjwal held senior marketing positions at AutoPortal India and Tata Motors. 

“We are thrilled to have Ujjwal join our team,” said Nakul Kumar, Co-Founder & CMO of Cashify. “Building a strong team has always been key to our vision, and with Ujjwal on board, we're excited about the growth and opportunities ahead. We are confident that joining forces with talented people will definitely help us grow, innovate and redefine the re-commerce industry in India.” 

AVGC sector applauds govt nod for NCoE, projects $26 billion growth by 2030

This initiative aims to position India as a content hub, providing state-of-the-art content to enhance India's global soft power and draw foreign investments into the media and entertainment sector.

Eyes wide open: The complex dance of meritocracy and diversity in corporate India

TRAI excludes likes of Google, Telegram, WhatsApp from new licensing rules

Mondelez’s Indonesia marketing head joins Tata consumer products

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