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Meet the female trailblazers at the top of the world's most famous ad agency - Ogilvy

Representational image via Unsplash

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Pernod Ricard, the world's second-largest wine and spirits seller, is set to sell its Imperial Blue whisky brand as part of a strategic shift to emphasize its premium portfolio. The portfolio includes high-end brands such as Glenlivet, Jameson, and Chivas Regal.

The company has enlisted Goldman Sachs to facilitate the sale of the brand, which enjoys substantial popularity in India with sales reaching 20 million cases annually.

This decision aligns with Pernod Ricard's long-term strategy to enhance its presence in the premium sector, a move similar to that of its main competitor, Diageo. Diageo previously streamlined its portfolio by offloading several low-margin brands, including Haywards, Honey Bee, and Romanov, to better focus on more lucrative premium offerings.

Sources close to the matter revealed that the sale was initiated three weeks ago. Pernod Ricard could potentially garner up to Rs. 5,000 crore from this divestiture, marking a significant reallocation of resources towards more premium, high-margin brands.

Pernod Ricard to sell Imperial Blue in shift towards premium brands

French Spirits Giant, Pernod Ricard, plans to divest from its popular Imperial Blue whisky brand in India, focusing on upscale labels like Glenlivet and Chivas Regal.

Don’t fly into a rage. Don’t rant on LinkedIn. Don’t be passive aggressive. Neither, be manic depressive. Don’t comfort eat. Don’t hit the bottle. Don’t do drugs. Don’t kick animals. Don’t rage quit. Don’t unalive yourself. Don’t unalive your CD. Just, don’t. Simply, be. 



It’s not a personal attack. Yes, we pour ourselves into our work. But our work like our children, comes through us, and this is an important but, it is not us. 



Like our children, our ideas can be quite charming, alternatively, sometimes, they need manners taught. And here’s the thing. Unlike children, sometimes, no matter how good an idea is, it’s not the right one for the task at hand. 



This, is what separates the children, from the adults in the creative department. 



Yes, creativity is a thing that we worship at the altar of. And yes, ordinarily, a gorilla on a drum kit waiting to crash into the cataclysmic solo of Phil Collins’ ‘In The Air Tonight’ ought not to be anywhere near a brand. Least of all Cadbury. 



However, when it is and please frame this word, ‘relevant’ then it could be the only thing you need. 



A good creative leader knows when the bridge between a consumer and a brand can be crossed. And when it can’t be. And when the idea you have on the table, is magnificent from a purely creative point of view. And yet, it will simply not, Worli and Bandra, link. 



So when your creative director is saying no, even when you have a fantastic idea, see it from his or her eyes. Understand what they’re seeing and trying to show you. Anxiety is a thing among all generations in Creative, I don’t see why Gen Z alone should have the monopoly on it. Any creative endeavour by virtue of us offering up our work for scrutiny is enough to trigger the butterflies in the best of us. At any and every point in our career. So when they’re saying the work doesn’t work, trust their judgement. They’re trying to guide you to a better place. 



If you see it from your Creative Leader’s point of view, a few coffees later, you should automatically recalibrate and find a whole new horizon that leads into entirely new thoughts and ultimately, ever more powerful ideas on the creative scale and the perfectly working one on the ‘does it work for this brief’ scale. 



That’s the hardest one to swallow for most mid to senior creatives and the rejection has to be done with a fine mix of empathy, passion and inspiration. You can’t critique it randomly, you have to persuade the creator to see where it’s meandered off brief and simultaneously create a new flight plan for a new runway of possibilities . 



Junior to mid creatives have other issues on the way up. The most common fallacy is thinking what you’ve thought of, is the hottest thing since Bernbach. But, if your Group Head has spent any time at all in this biz, there’s nothing more humbling than realising most ideas were done way, way before you were born, on bigger budgets than you can dream of, with better execution skills than you can dream of (yes, even with AI) and because the trails of creativity are eerily similar from the same start points, your idea is up against every idea, every creative team has created from the 1960s onwards. 



And so, chances are you’ll hear this, ‘it’s been done’ phrase and I know it gets your goat especially for the young ones for whom there simply isn’t this thing called the past. 



Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/advertising/inspiraytion-advertising-is-a-discipline-that-uses-many-mediums-37570.htm">InspiRAYtion: Advertising is a discipline, that uses many mediums</a>



But, there is. So be a student of what happened and when. Know that everything builds on continuity. Every campaign that wins at Cannes, builds upon the titans of the past and so jurors see it as a fresh new breath of air. And reward it accordingly. Use the past, to illuminate your future. Find new trails, or forge your own. Doctoral students push the boundaries of all human knowledge ahead one thesis at a time. Advertising practitioners especially creatives, push our collective stories ahead, one imaginative leap at a time. 



Tomorrow when you get into work, lighten up about rejection. One day, you’ll see it for what it is, a stepping stone to stardom. Help your creative leader help you. They want to be a ‘friend of the new’. Be a creative’s creative. You’ll realise ideas are infinite within you and automatically spout ever more where you think things have dried up. And that, will take you places. To the top generally. 



Caveat: I’m talking about the CDs who actually want to grow you, and make you the best version of yourself you can be. The ones who want to stifle you, the ones who are horribly insecure and political animals, tend to be present as well and sadly, that’s a level of pain to be endured for as long as it takes to find good people to work with. Recognising who’s who, will help you considerably in your career path and learning. 



And there’s something I’m going to leave you with. Never delete an idea. Put it in your file, stash it away in your cloud storage. Because one day, each and every one of those ideas will find the perfect brief to be presented for again. And on occasion, they will fly and soar into the world as they were meant to the first time around in your head. But, this time, they will be so so right for the brief. 


My best wishes for you to stick around long enough for that to happen. Enjoy the ride!


Rayomand J Patell is an advertising veteran and InspiRAYtion is a weekend column on everything about advertising and marketing.

InspiRAYtion Seven:  What to do when your creative leader rejects your work

When the creative team at Ogilvy & Mather (O&M) presented the first edit of the Hutch TVC featuring Cheeka the pug, the soundtrack was a piece of international music. Piyush Pandey, then group president and national creative director, was delighted, and said, “I love the film. It is fantastic. But write a song.”


And that suggestion, says Rajiv Rao, former National Creative Director, O&M, lifted the film.

 
Following Pandey’s suggestion, Mahesh V, the then Senior Creative Director, penned the lyrics, and Suraj Jagran sang the song ‘You and I, in this beautiful world.’ The music was by Roopak. 

 
This was in 2003.


The genesis


Orange was launched by Hutchison Essar in the year 2000 in Mumbai. In other telecom circles like UP West and Uttarakhand, Punjab, Kolkata, Gujarat, and Delhi, the brand was marketed as Hutch. In 2005, nationwide, the company changed its name to Hutch.
 


Harit Nagpal, the then Marketing Director of the company approached O&M with a brief. Rao remembers that as the brand was new and was expanding all over the country, the plan was to reassure people that it still had the best network. “The thought was that it doesn't matter where you are and where you go, the network is going to be very strong,” he explained.



Rao, along with the late Mahesh V, the then Senior Creative Director, O&M, brainstormed and came up with the idea of a younger sister following her elder brother around. The idea was presented to the client, who loved it.

 

Post the presentation, when the creative was being discussed at the agency, Hephzibah Pathak, the then global brand director, suggested using a dog instead of a girl, said Rao.

 

The creative nobs at the agency loved the idea and decided to go with the dog as they felt that that would make the ad more appealing. 

 

Rao explained: “It was never about showing one guy holding a phone and talking to another guy. It was about finding interesting ways of telling people how our network is so reliable, it follows you everywhere.”


The making


Prakash Varma, Founder Partner and Principal Director, Nirvana Films, has fond memories of his childhood spent in Kerala. During his holidays, after all his visiting cousins would leave, Varma along with a stick would walk around town and sometimes make friends with a dog somewhere. He tried to recreate that in the film, he told Storyboard 18.

 
Varma mentioned that he tried to shoot in and around Kerala, but it was not feasible. However, Goa was. “I managed to zero in on a couple of locations in Goa. Few ads were shot in Goa those days,” he recollected.


Jayaram, who was Varma’s neighbour in Bangalore, was cast as the boy in the film. As for the dog, the first option was a fox terrier, the second, a pug. On the first day of the shoot, much to everyone's dismay, none of the dogs cooperated.


“The dogs would not follow the boy. We did everything to get the dogs to follow. We lost a chunk of one day of shooting,” said Rao.


For a shoot, managing kids and dogs can both be challenging. You have to think like a kid, or like a dog. That means you need to have a lot of patience,” said Varma.


Cheeka came later that day. As Varma bonded with the dog and got a good vibe, they immediately went to the location and started shooting. 

 
Rao added, “It was like love at first sight for the boy and the dog. The dog instantly took to the boy and started following him, and we shot the whole film. It was supposed to be a two-day shoot, but we managed in one day.”


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Varma explained, “My storyboard is very detailed. I captured what the dog and the boy should do in every shot, hence the shoot was very well planned. But there are happy accidents. For example, the dog slipping on the steps. These things are not planned, but they're amazing shots. One after the other, I got 10 great shots.”

 
In one shot, Jayaram comes home and lies flat on his bed. Varma wanted the dog to also lie flat on the bed, but being a small and somewhat heavy breed, it’s difficult for pugs to do so. However, the shot came out beautifully, though Varma ended up rolling the camera for about four hours for a three-second shot.


“Cheeka’s owners were at the shoot throughout. After every shot, the dog would go back to them, and they would take care. The dog would always be in an AC environment,’’ said Rao. Varma recalled that Jayaram was initially not interested in being part of the film, and would lose it completely after three to four takes.


The tagline ‘Wherever you go, our network follows’, was coined post the making of the ad film. According to Rao, the telecom brand spent heavily on the campaign, where print, outdoor, and radio accompanied television advertising. 


The aftermath

 
The film tasted instant success on release, as did the dog. The price of a pug went up from around Rs 7,000 to over Rs 35,000, said Rao, and added that pugs came to be popularly known as the `Hutch dog.’

 
Indeed, the ad became so popular that they were spoofed, and in 2005, Cheeka was the most downloaded wallpaper among Hutch customers. He featured in various other ad films of the telecom brand, and Goa became one of the more popular shooting locations. “The ads won a long list of awards in India, but unfortunately, didn't do well internationally,” bemoaned Rao.

 
According to Pandey, the success of the ad was because of the bravery of the client, who backed an idea that said nothing about telecom, yet it said everything about telecom. And it was also because of magic wrought by the trinity of Mahesh, Rao, and Varma.

 
“The most memorable thing is we were so moved emotionally,” reminisced Pandey.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/advertising/fish-fevikwik-why-this-iconic-ad-is-still-stuck-in-our-heads-40521.htm">Fish & Fevikwik: Why this iconic ad is still stuck in our heads</a>

Bow, Wow: How Cheeka the pug made Hutch a household name

Coca-Cola, in partnership with WPP Open X and Ogilvy, has reinvented the often mundane experience of waiting in line into a refreshing and delightful one.

The brand's latest experiential campaign, "Happy to Queue," brought a giant Coca-Cola bottle installation to Andheri Cha Raja, one of the most popular Ganesh Utsav celebrations in Mumbai. Festivalgoers were greeted with mist fans, aromatic Coca-Cola bubbles, and chilled bottles of the iconic beverage, making the wait for darshan a truly enjoyable experience.

"At Coca-Cola, we believe there is real magic in people coming together, celebrating shared moments and living the vibrance of our rich culture. With “Happy to Queue”, we wanted people to enjoy the festive cheer in a new way, celebrating togetherness and the effervescence of life, much like sharing a chilled bottle of Coke,” said Kaushik Prasad, Senior Director, Marketing for Coca-Cola category at The Coca-Cola Company's India and Southwest Asia Operating Unit.

“Real Magic is when you can make standing in a line exciting & refreshing. This festive season Coke Happy to Queue gave people a chance to experience what it feels like to be inside a Coke bottle. Uplifting them to feel one with the fizz and the bubbles”, remarked Sukesh Nayak, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy India.

Coca-Cola's "Happy to Queue" campaign with Ogilvy turns waiting lines into festive experiences

In a traditionally male-dominated industry, Ogilvy is standing out by fostering an inclusive culture where women are not only thriving but leading the charge. From Devika Bulchandani to Maria O'Keeffe, these inspiring female leaders are at the helm of creative innovation, brand strategy, and agency growth, pushing boundaries and redefining what success looks like in the modern advertising world. From managing global accounts to steering ground-breaking campaigns, the top women at Ogilvy are paving the way for future generations, while contributing significantly to the agency's renowned legacy of creativity and impact.

Let's get to know the woman leaders at Ogilvy:

Devika Bulchandani - Global Chief Executive Officer

Devika Bulchandani (popularly known as Dev) is a globally renowned advertising leader known for her passion, purpose, and unwavering commitment to creating meaningful impact. As the Global CEO of Ogilvy, she oversees all aspects of the agency's expansive business, spanning advertising, PR, Consulting, Experience, and Health across 124 offices in 88 countries. Prior to joining Ogilvy, Bulchandani spent 26 years at McCann in various leadership roles including President of McCann North America. 

Bulchandani's leadership is characterized by her belief in creativity as a powerful tool for social good. She has championed several notable campaigns at the intersection of brand-building and social impact, including the iconic "Fearless Girl" campaign promoting female leadership, the "Morning After Island" initiative that helped overturn a Honduran ban on emergency contraception, and the "WOMAN CORP" effort in support of the Equal Rights Amendment in the U.S. She also led Ogilvy's work with Dove to combat race-based hair discrimination through the CROWN Act.

She was the driving force behind Mastercard’s long-running “Priceless” campaign as well as “True Name,” a first-of-its-kind feature launched in 2019 that empowers transgender and non-binary people to display their chosen name on their Mastercard. Known for ideas that capture the cultural zeitgeist, Dev also helped launch “Fearless Girl,” an iconic and beloved symbol of women’s equality; the campaign became one of the most awarded campaigns in the history of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. 

Born in India, Bulchandani earned her Bachelor's degree in English and Psychology from St. Xavier's College in Mumbai, followed by a Master's degree in Communications from the University of Southern California.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/watch-listen/ogilvys-devika-bulchandani-liz-taylor-on-their-relationship-with-each-other-personal-goals-and-more-9786.htm">WATCH: Ogilvy's Devika Bulchandani and Liz Taylor on their relationship, personal goals and more, in conversation with Storyboard18's editor Delshad Irani</a>

Liz Taylor - Global Chief Creative Officer

Liz Taylor is one of the most-awarded creative leaders in the advertising industry, renowned for her championing of borderless creativity and ideas. As the Global Chief Creative Officer of Ogilvy, she oversees the creative output across 131 offices in 93 countries, guiding the agency's five business units: Advertising, PR, Experience, Health, and Consulting. Under her leadership, Ogilvy has achieved unparalleled success, being named CLIOs Network of the Year in 2023, Cannes Network of the Year in 2022, and WARC Creative 100's top-ranked Network in 2022 and 2023.

Prior to Ogilvy she was Global Chief Creative Officer for Leo Burnett and Chief Creative Officer for Publicis Communications North America where she was a Founding Partner at Le Truc, a new business model threaded across the Publicis Groupe. 

Taylor has an Emmy nomination to her credit for her ground-breaking campaign "Lost Class" with Change the Ref, which was honoured in the Outstanding Commercial Category.

Taylor's influence extends beyond her own work, as she has served on numerous prestigious juries, including Cannes Lions, The One Show, and D&AD. She is also an advocate for workplace equality, serving as an inaugural chair for the Athena Advertising Awards in partnership with the 3% Movement.

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin and Portfolio Center, Taylor is based in her native Chicago, where she lives with her husband and her two kids when they are home from college. When she’s not writing for work, she’s writing a memoir that she hopes will one day be published. And when she needs a break from writing, you can find her indulging in any number of her favorite things—whether binge-watching, fashion obsessing, pop culture devouring, vintage t-shirt collecting, mid-century modern furniture shopping or poker playing. 

Stacey Ryan-Cornelius - Global Chief Financial Officer

Stacey Ryan-Cornelius serves as the Global Chief Financial Officer at Ogilvy, where she oversees all financial operations across the company's global network. 

Prior to her current role at Ogilvy, Ryan-Cornelius was the Global Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Geometry Global. Before that, she held the position of Global Chief Financial Officer at WPP Health & Wellness.

Ryan-Cornelius first joined Ogilvy in 1999 and held several regional and global leadership roles, including Worldwide Controller, until 2018. Her career debuted at PriceWaterHouse Coopers, where she consulted on financial statement audits, mergers, and acquisitions, and IPOs for clients such as Simon & Schuster and Viacom's MTV Network.

Recognized as one of Black Enterprise Magazine's 75 Most Powerful Women in Business, Ryan-Cornelius is a vocal advocate for diversity and inclusion in the marketing and communications industry.

Fiona Gordon - Global Chief Executive Officer of Advertising

Fiona Gordon has been recently promoted to Global CEO of Advertising at Ogilvy. She will be responsible for ensuring the creative network's advertising, brand, and content capabilities are constantly adhering to meet the demands clients face in today's dynamic marketing landscape. 

Gordon will report to Devika Bulchandani, Global CEO of Ogilvy, and join the agency's Global Executive Committee. Previously, Gordon has served as CEO of Ogilvy UK since 2021.

Gordon has been with the Ogilvy Group and WPP across her career and previously led the WPP team for WBA in the UK for 4 years, leading on Boots and Global Brands. Prior to that she was Group Transformation lead at Ogilvy London. 

Gordon was in Asia for seven years, first in Hong Kong in a regional brand management role and then as Group Chairman of Ogilvy Singapore. Gordon also sits on the Advisory Board of Stella, WPP's Women's Network.

Sophie Hoffstetter - Chief Client Officer

London-based Sophie Hoffstetter is the Global Chief Client Officer at Ogilvy, responsible for working with leaders across the network to nurture and grow the agency's top 20 global clients. During her tenure, she has led two of Ogilvy's top five global clients, including Nestle and Unilever, to remarkable success. 

In addition to her client-focused responsibilities, Hoffstetter is a key leader in Ogilvy's Sustainability Practice, where she helps clients develop impactful sustainability strategies at both corporate and brand levels. She is also a passionate advocate for diversity, evidenced by her mentorship and recruitment efforts, as well as her commitment to building diverse teams.

Hoffstetter is an active member of Stella, WPP's female leadership group, where she champions female empowerment and leadership growth. With an international background that spans France, West Africa, Canada, and countries such as Morocco, Spain, and Thailand, Hoffstetter's global perspective enriches her approach to leadership and client partnerships. 

Maria O'Keeffe - Global Chief People Officer

Maria O'Keeffe is a seasoned executive leader specializing in innovative talent programs and inclusive workplace strategies. As Global Chief People Officer at Ogilvy since March 2022, O'Keeffe has been instrumental in reshaping the employee experience to be very modern and inclusive.

Before Ogilvy, O'Keeffe spent 25 years at Edelman, where she held various talent leadership roles, including Global Chief Talent Officer of Practices, Sectors & Clients, and CTO for the U.S., Canada, and Latin America regions. 

O'Keeffe is highly skilled in change management, mediation, and organization design. She is a certified trainer in Situational Leadership® II and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® and holds her SPHR certification. She has earned her Bachelor's degree in Management from Illinois State University.

Patou Nuytemans - Chief Executive Officer EMEA of Ogilvy

As Chief Executive Officer EMEA of Ogilvy, a post she has held since September 2021, Nuytemans is responsible for driving all aspects of Ogilvy’s business across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, spanning public relations, consulting, advertising, health, and experience. 

Nuytemans joined Ogilvy in Belgium in 1993, and has steadily risen through the ranks of Ogilvy, taking on management roles of increasing responsibility. She has worked on three continents across a broad range of disciplines, categories, and clients. Her multidiscipline expertise has helped her serve as a leading contributor to Ogilvy's global digital strategy, integrating the group’s digital capabilities across the network. Prior to being named CEO of EMEA, Patou was Global Chief Growth Officer of Ogilvy Consulting from January to September 2021. In the short period she was in that role, she made significant impact to that business, operationalizing the network and its marketing function for growth. 

Before bringing her talents to Ogilvy Consulting, Nuytemans served as CEO of the Middle East and North Africa region for four years, where she grew Memac Ogilvy financially, operationally, and reputationally. Prior to her move to Dubai, Nuytemans combined her role of EMEA Chief Digital Officer with that of CEO Ogilvy & Social.Lab Brussels. As Chief Digital Officer, a role she had for over 15 years, she played a pivotal role in developing and implementing the strategy that transformed Ogilvy into a digital-age agency group and led numerous digital transformation projects for some of the world’s leading brands, including British Airways, IBM, IKEA, Nespresso, Nestlé, Philips, Unilever, Vodafone, and many more.

Julianna Richter - Global CEO of Ogilvy PR

As Global CEO of Ogilvy PR, Richter oversees all aspects of Ogilvy’s earned, social and influencer communications which span brand, advocacy, media, corporate and employee experience. Richter also serves as Chief Communications Officer of WPP Open X where she helps to assemble and lead integrated global teams across the agency network and partners with global clients to scale their business. 

An industry veteran, Richter is a strategic communications and operations leader with over 20 years of experience. Most recently, Richter was a partner at Waypoint Partners, a global growth advisory and M&A firm, that works with high growth companies to scale their business by increasing capabilities, capacity and capital. 

Prior to that, she spent over 17 years at Edelman. Before departing in 2018, she served as U.S. Chief Operating Officer responsible for driving growth and operational efficiency of the largest region and had management oversight of US practices and business functions including human resources, diversity and inclusion, client excellence, marketing, innovation and learning and development. Prior to her role as Edelman’s U.S. COO, Richter was President of Global Client Management where she was responsible for strategic growth and market expansion of the firm’s global client portfolio. Richter has worked with leading brands such as AstraZeneca, Genentech, Paypal, Campari, Cigna, Starbucks and Taco Bell to develop PR and communications strategies, launch consumer campaigns and manage company-wide issues and crises.

Lauritz Knudsen Electrical and Automation, formerly known as L&T Switchgear, has partnered with L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, a part of Publicis Groupe India, as its new advertising agency. 
 

Directed by filmmaker Ashim Ahluwalia and featuring an anthem by musician Shankar Mahadevan, the film takes the viewer on a journey through houses, hospitals, agricultural lands and various geographies to show how L&T Switchgearhas contributed to the country’s growth through its partnerships and products, stated the company.


Rajat Abbi, VP-Global Marketing, CMO, Schneider Electric India said, “Lauritz Knudsen Electrical and Automation, Formerly L&T Switchgear, boasts a remarkable 70+ year legacy in powering the electrical industry and resonating with the heartbeat of the nation. Despite the name change, our core identity remains unchanged – it's only the trust of our customers and partners that now carries a new name. Collaborating with L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, we're happy that the team aligned with our values and helped us bring our vision to life. Effective storytelling is pivotal to any campaign, and our new brand film weaves together our entire journey and our key offering, beautifully. We eagerly anticipate the creativity that L&K Saatchi & Saatchi will bring to the table next.”


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Rohit Malkani, Chief Creative Officer, L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, said, “One doesn’t often get to work with a musical genius, a renowned filmmaker and a voice that has moved millions, all in one TVC! That’s precisely what Lauritz Knudsen offered us in terms of an opportunity. The film has really been the icing on the cake after a toughly contested pitch. The challenge was to not just establish the new name and identity strongly but also tell the story of L&T Switchgear and its journey in building India. The result is a seamless piece of storytelling, weaving all practices in one symphony.”


Atin Wahal, Executive Director, L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, said, “It is our privilege to partner with Lauritz Knudsen Electrical & Automation, a brand with a rich 70-year legacy in India, at this pivotal stage of their rebranding journey. At L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, we prioritise understanding our client’s business and delivering impactful results. This campaign underscores the brand’s legacy of trust while highlighting its continuous evolution towards a brighter future. The campaign is reassuring, uplifting and beautifully integrates the core values of both the brands.”


The campaign has been rolled out across TV and digital platforms, ensuring broad reach and engagement. It also includes a partnership with India’s game show Kaun Banega Crorepati. 


The campaign is being broadcast in multiple languages — Hindi, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, and Kannada.


Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/meet-lk-saatchi-saatchis-kartik-smetacek-and-rohit-malkani-find-out-what-the-mandate-for-ccos-is-today-27571.htm">Meet L&K Saatchi & Saatchi's Kartik Smetacek and Rohit Malkani: Find out what the mandate for CCO's is today</a>

Lauritz Knudsen Electrical and Automation onboards L&K Saatchi & Saatchi as advertising partner

One month after a judge declared Google’s search engine an illegal monopoly, the tech giant is facing another antitrust lawsuit, this time focused on its advertising technology. This latest lawsuit, filed by the Joe Biden administration, has the potential to reshape the global Adtech industry.

In court, the Department of Justice, joined by several states, argued that Google has built and maintains a monopoly over online advertising technology. Regulators claim that Google controls both the buying and selling sides of online ads, allowing the company to keep up to 36 cents for every dollar spent. They also allege that Google dominates the ad exchange market, which connects advertisers with publishers.

“It’s worth saying the quiet part out loud,” said Justice Department attorney Julia Tarver Wood. “One monopoly is bad enough, but what we have here is a trifecta of monopolies,” she added, as quoted by the Associated Press.

Google, however, argues that the lawsuit is based on outdated technology. Google’s attorney, Karen Dunn, likened the government’s case to “a time capsule with a Blackberry, an iPod, and a Blockbuster video card.” She cautioned that actions taken against Google may not help small businesses and could instead benefit other large tech companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and TikTok.

Notably, Google’s revenue from its ad tech division has actually decreased in recent years, dropping from $31.7 billion in 2021 to $31.3 billion in 2023, according to its annual reports.

The trial, which began on Monday in Alexandria, Virginia, is being overseen by U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema.

This case follows a recent ruling that declared Google’s search engine a monopoly, along with another case where its Android app store was found to be monopolistic. The government has yet to propose specific remedies for the search engine ruling.

In the Virginia trial, witnesses for the government are expected to include executives from major newspaper publishers and online news sites. They argue that Google’s practices harm publishers by imposing high fees, which forces them to place more ads on their sites or put content behind paywalls.

Tim Wolfe, an executive at Gannett Co., testified that despite the high fees, Gannett feels compelled to use Google’s ad tech products because they provide access to a large pool of advertisers.

In a 2023 blog post, Google stated, “No one is forced to use our advertising technologies—they choose to use them because they work.” The company also highlighted increasing competition in the ad industry as evidence that the market is still dynamic and not solely dominated by Google.

Google disputes the claims of excessive fees and argues that its integrated technology ensures faster ad delivery and improved security. Additionally, the company asserts that the government’s case fails to account for the rise of mobile and social media advertising.

Google faces new antitrust battle over advertising tech monopoly

In an unexpected turn of events, several CRED users who believed that they had won the fintech platform's anticipated Friday Jackpot were left frustrated after their winnings were abruptly cancelled.

The company cited a technical "bug" as the reason behind the cancellations, sparking an outcry among users who took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to share their dismay.

Aviral Sangha, one of the affected winners explained his dismay in a detailed post. "Even though I do not fall for the CRED jackpots, yesterday I just played the Friday jackpot without having any hope of getting anything meaningful. But I scored the JACKPOT, and it wasn't a small one. It included a MacBook, iPad, AirPods Max, and a TUMI bag worth INR 3.2L."

Sangal elaborated that after being instructed to provide his PAN details for tax purposes, he was contacted by CRED, informing him that the jackpot had been nullified due to a "technical issue."

As a consolation, the platform offered to refund the points he used for the entry and gave a goodwill gesture of Rs 1,000 cashback, which Sangal rejected.

Other users shared similar woes. Saurabh Sharma, another apparent winner, stated, "Yesterday, I won the CRED Friday. It was a Tech bundle of a MacBook, iPad, and AirPods Max. Today, I got a call from CRED support saying this was due to a bug, and now the jackpot is cancelled."

Sangal further revealed in a follow-up tweet that CRED had told him 200 users had won the jackpot because of the technical glitch. However, instead of resolving the issue by honouring the winnings or pausing the jackpot, CRED cancelled the entire event.

A string of reactions garnered on the post with some expressing absolute disappointment. "I guess nobody is supposed to win as per their algorithm but the technical glitch let you win but now they don't have the products so they are just spinning around like this. Very mature product you have @CRED_club," commented a user on X. "1k Goodwill for 3.25 lac jackpot @kunalb11," said another.

As of now, CRED is yet to issue an official response. 

CRED faces backlash after cancelling Friday jackpot winnings due to 'technical bug'

The Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA), rolled out the ISA Media Charter. This initiative is aimed at enhancing transparency, security, and collaboration within the country’s fast-growing digital advertising landscape. The event saw the launch of the four key playbooks addressing Brand Safety, Viewability, Ad Fraud and First-Party Data. 

Sunil Kataria, Chairman of ISA and CEO-Lifestyle Business, Raymond Ltd., stated, “With over 70 years of advocating for advertisers, the Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA) has continually pushed the boundaries within the advertising ecosystem, promoting effective & effective advertising practices." 

Kataria said that the launch of the ISA Media Charter is a landmark initiative that addresses the critical pillars of Brand Safety, Viewability, Ad Fraud, and First-Party Data.

He added, "As we embrace this next phase of digital transformation, the charter will play a crucial role in enhancing collaboration between advertisers, agencies, and publishers, ensuring that India’s digital advertising landscape grows stronger, safer, and more transparent."

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/how-it-works/broadcasters-resistance-casts-shadow-on-isecs-prospects-for-this-year-40288.htm">Read more: Broadcasters' resistance casts shadow on ISEC's prospects for this year</a>

Tejas Apte, ISA Media Forum Head and General Manager - Media, South Asia, Unilever, added, "The media charter released last year called out key priorities for ISA’s Media Forum. Over the last few months we have worked with members of the ISA, agency partners and publishers to co-create four playbooks." 

Through the implementation of these playbooks, ISA wants to make digital advertising safe, transparent and trustworthy for advertisers while improving the experience for end users.

The ISA Media Charter is also meant to empower advertisers to make more informed decisions, said Ankit Desai, ISA Media Forum Co-chair and Head - Media, Digital Marketing and Brand PR (India & Global Centre of Excellence), Marico. 

Desai said, “As we navigate the complexities of the digital world, the ISA Media Charter will serve as a compass, guiding us towards more effective, ethical, and consumer- centric advertising practices. It's a testament to our commitment to fostering an ecosystem where innovation thrives alongside responsibility.”

Read More: <a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-makers/raymonds-sunil-kataria-elected-as-chairman-of-isa-15050.htm">Raymond’s Sunil Kataria re-elected as chairman of ISA</a>

ISA rolls out Media Charter for digital ad ecosystem to address ad fraud, first-party data, brand safety

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has identified and shared 700 ads from illegal betting and gambling companies with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) between April and August 2024. Storyboard18 recently reported that Real Money Gaming (RMG) players have claimed that offshore illegal gambling firms have been using the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) as a sporting platform for surrogate advertising.

In a letter to Sanjay Jaju, Secretary of MIB, Real Money Gaming (RMG) players raised concerns that illegal and offshore betting platforms like Melbet, Dafabet, Vegas11, Fun88, and 1xBet are engaging in surrogate advertising under names like Melbat, Dafanews, Vegas11 Sports News, Fun88 News, 1xbat, and Batery.AI.

The RMG operators also allege that Dafa News, a surrogate of Dafabet based in the Philippines, and Parimatch News, a surrogate of the betting platform Parimatch, based in Cyprus, are official partners of the PKL. Moreover, they claim that these platforms allow its users to place their bets on live PKL matches. 

In 2024, Pro Kabaddi League viewership crossed the 200 million mark during its 90th match, making Kabaddi the second sport after cricket to reach this milestone multiple times. The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) Season 11 kicks off on October 18, 2024.

Manisha Kapoor, CEO and Secretary General of ASCI, said, “We have raised the issue of betting and gambling firms advertisements with the MIB. We report it to the government by sending them ad links. We have also noted that in some cases, the links are not active anymore and the content has been pulled off by the platforms on being directed to do so by the government.”

Kapoor added, “In the 2023-24 financial year, we identified 1,311 ads for illegal betting and gambling. From April to August 2024, we have shared 700 such ads with the government.”

An RMG operator, speaking anonymously, said, “We are pleased that the self-regulatory body, ASCI, is taking a strong stance on curbing promotions of illegal betting and gambling companies. The government should take stricter action after receiving such complaints. We also plan to meet with MIB through our gaming federations to request an advisory be issued to broadcasters and streaming platforms to curb the surrogate advertising of these platforms.”

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday that GST collection from online gaming has increased by 412% in six months since October 1, 2023, when a 28% tax was imposed on these services.

A spokesperson from another RMG company stated, “As an industry, we are paying taxes to the government, while these offshore illegal betting and gambling companies are growing their user base through surrogate advertising and marketing strategies. If this issue is not addressed, many RMG companies will be forced to shut down.”

During a media briefing, Sitharaman mentioned that revenue from online gaming has surged by 412%, reaching ₹6,909 crore in just six months. This amount is compared to the ₹1,349 crore collected before the notification on online gaming was issued.

ASCI escalates issue of illegal betting and gambling platforms' ads to MIB

In a striking update from the Hurun India Rich List 2024, Infosys co-founder and former CEO Senapathy 'Kris' Gopalakrishnan has overtaken fellow co-founder, N.R. Narayana Murthy in net worth, setting new records among Bengaluru's elite.

According to the latest figures, Gopalakrishnan boasts of Rs 38,500 crore, positioning him ahead of Murthy, who has assets worth Rs 36,600 crore. This financial ranking places Gopalakrishnan and Murthy at the fourth and fifth spots, respectively, among the wealthiest individuals in India's tech capital, while Murthy also claims the 69th position among India's richest overall.

Who is Senapathy 'Kris' Gopalakrishnan?

A luminary in the Indian tech scene, Kris Gopalakrishnan is not only noted for his pivotal role at Infosys but also for his extensive involvement in supporting and nurturing new technology enterprises through Axilor Ventures. His tenure at Infosys as CEO from 2007 to 2011 and subsequent role as vice-chairman until 2014 marked a period of significant growth for the company. 

At present, he is the Chairman of Axilor, a company that has invested in startups such as EnKash, GoodHome and Kaagaz, among others.

Gopalakrishnan's influence extends beyond corporate leadership. He is deeply embedded in the Indian and international tech ecosystems. HIs accolades include being voted as the top CEO in the IT Services category by Institutional Investor and receiving the prestigious Padma Bhushan award from the Government of India in 2011 for his contributions to technology and business.

Moreover, his current roles span across various influential boards and councils, including the Reserve Bank of India Innovation Hub and the International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore. 

"Kris" as Gopalakrishnan prefers to be called, also champions the Itihaasa Research and Digital initiative, documenting the history of the Indian IT Industry and promoting research in brain sciences and aging-related disorders through his family's philanthropic efforts.

An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, with Master's Degree in Physics and Computer Science, Gopalakrishnan is recognized as a Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineers and an Honorary Fellow of the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers of India. 

Hurun India Rich List 2024

The 2024 edition of the Hurun India Rich List reflects a broader trend in the country's wealth landscape. India's billionaire count has surged to 334, with a combined wealth reaching a staggering Rs 159 lakh crore, as per reports. 

The list saw a record-breaking addition of 272 new entrants this year, demonstrating the nation's escalating scale of wealth creation and the increasing number of self-made billionaires, which now represent 65% of the list.

Pernod Ricard to sell Imperial Blue in shift towards premium brands

French Spirits Giant, Pernod Ricard, plans to divest from its popular Imperial Blue whisky brand in India, focusing on upscale labels like Glenlivet and Chivas Regal.

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