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Representational image via Unsplash

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Gaurav Munjal, the CEO of Unacademy recently shared what he feels were the reasons behind edtech company Biju’s’ downfall. Byju's was once the world's leading edtech unicorn and India's most valuable startup. Until its dramatic fall. 

Munjal, who is the co-founder of edtech firm Unacademy said said, “Byju failed because he didn’t listen to anyone. He put himself on a pedestal and stopped listening. Don’t do that. Never do that.”

Munjal shared some of his learnings on X, positioning Byju’s as an example of what could have been done differently. “Don’t listen to everyone but have people who can give you blunt feedback,” he said. 

Sharing his learnings before arriving on Byju’s, the CEO emphasised on the importance of understanding the business’s unit economics on day one itself. He shared that it’s the best thing one can do. 

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Byju failed because he didn’t listen to anyone. He put himself on a pedestal and stopped listening. Don’t do that. Never do that. Don’t listen to everyone but have people who can give you blunt feedback.</p>&mdash; Gaurav Munjal (@gauravmunjal) <a href="https://twitter.com/gauravmunjal/status/1806402278427127821?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Munjal also shed light on the current investor landscape. "Some Investors are assets, some are liabilities. Trick is to figure out the ones who are assets and listen to them,” he said. 

He elaborated saying that not all investors provide equal value beyond their financial contributions. It is important for a founder to have the ability to take into account the advice given by beneficial investors. This can be the deciding factor of a startup’s success or failure, he said. 

There have been mutiple exits at Byju's over the past few months, from employees, to the CEO and other prominent board members. Additionally, founder Byju Raveendran too recently lost his billionaire status, as it was revealed that his net-worth plummeted from a staggering Rs. 17545 crore to Zero. 


'Byju Raveendran put himself on a pedestal and stopped listening': Unacademy CEO Gaurav Munjal

The Podcast Pulse, a comprehensive report on podcast consumption in India developed by UNPAC Research (OPC) Pvt. Ltd. with the support of Ideabrew Studios, offers unprecedented insights into the evolving landscape of podcasting in India.

Despite the gradual adoption of podcasts into daily media consumption routines, a lack of comprehensive data on consumption patterns has hindered its recognition as a powerful platform for connecting with consumers.

India has surged to become the third-largest market for podcast listeners globally, yet only 12 percent of Indians are currently engaged, leaving a vast untapped audience waiting to be explored. The Podcast Pulse addresses this gap by offering actionable insights into consumer preferences, content choices, favored hosts, and preferred platforms.

The methodology behind The Podcast Pulse involved a meticulous blend of quantitative and qualitative research techniques. Engaging 2,170 individuals across 10 cities in India, including Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Indore, Patna, and Jaipur, the report gauged awareness and listenership statistics. Additionally, detailed interviews with 1,800 active listeners provided invaluable insights into their behavior and preferences.

Key findings from the report include:

•       82 percent of respondents were initially unaware of podcasts, highlighting a significant opportunity for awareness-building efforts.

•       78 percent of consumers discovered podcasts less than a year ago, indicating a recent surge in interest.

•       Authenticity and vulnerability in podcast conversations are highly valued by listeners, fostering a deeper connection with hosts and content.

The report also explores consumption patterns, including weekday vs. weekend trends, preferred episode lengths, and the rise of regional language content. Regional podcasts are identified as a driving force in shaping the industry's future, offering audiences a more relatable and culturally resonant listening experience.

Furthermore, The Podcast Pulse profiles the Aware listener – detailing gender, occupation, age, and level of education – and conducts a deep dive into genre dynamics and explores the nuances between audio and video podcasts.  It charts the four stages of podcast enthusiasts’ journey, from their curious Exploration and Discovery phase to Advocacy as they actively promote and champion their favorite podcasts.

Sheetal Choksi, Director, UNPAC Research says, "We believe The Podcast Pulse is a game-changer, providing insights into India’s podcast consumption and offering a roadmap for creators and platforms to navigate the evolving preferences of Indian audiences, empowering industry professionals and stakeholders to unlock its full potential. As a podcaster myself, I experienced firsthand the challenges in accessing comprehensive data about our audience. Beyond some basic data, no one was able to answer questions like who was listening to podcasts, when, why certain genres did well, etc. This realization was the genesis of The Podcast Pulse – an earnest attempt to fill the void and provide actionable insights for the entire industry."

Aditya Kuber, CEO, Ideabrew Studios says, “At Ideabrew Studios, we are passionate about fostering innovation in audio storytelling. The Podcast Pulse not only showcases the immense potential of podcasts in India but also underscores the importance of diverse and authentic narratives in shaping the future of audio entertainment. This report will be a definitive look into podcast consumption data for advertising agencies, brands and everyone looking to meaningfully engage with a large audience.”



India third-largest market for podcast listeners globally; yet only 12 percent Indians currently engaged

GOZOOP HAWK, and online reputation management and customer support agency under the GOZOOP Group, has bagged the listening and digital response management duties for Amazon miniTV, a leading free entertainment service in India.


As part of the mandate, GOZOOP HAWK’s key responsibilities will include handling digital customer support, monitoring online brand chatter, amplifying positive stories, measuring sentiments, providing timely resolutions and deriving actionable business insights for the brand by understanding and tracking valuable web conversations to delight customers. 


Amazon miniTV offers a large library of popular web series, movies, reality shows, dubbed international content, in multiple genres like comedy, romance, slice of life, thriller and more.


Commenting on the partnership Aruna Daryanani, director and business head, Amazon miniTV said, “ORM is an important component of brand building and reputation management. With the right strategy, ideation and creative thinking we can further strengthen our brand presence. We are excited to partner with GOZOOP HAWK and look forward to their expertise to continue to raise the bar on customer experience.”


Commenting on the win, Premkumar Iyer, president, GOZOOP HAWK said, “HAWK has always demonstrated capability of delivering some of the most unconventional listening and online customer support solutions. This habit to push boundaries coupled with Amazon miniTV's disruptive approach towards the dynamic OTT space makes the relationship click. We have already done some stellar work e.g. during Amazon miniTV’s recent launch of dubbed K-dramas, we turned the whole response management strategy to Korean language generating shift in outreach. We look forward to doing more such unconventional work for them in times to come.”


GOZOOP HAWK bags listening and digital customer support mandate for Amazon miniTV

The marketing team within media giant Cox Media Group (CMG) claims it has the capability to listen to ambient conversations of consumers through embedded microphones in smartphones, smart TVs, and other devices to gather data and use it to target ads, according to a review of CMG marketing materials by 404 Media and details from a pitch given to an outside marketing professional. Called “Active Listening,” CMG claims the capability can identify potential customers “based on casual conversations in real time.”

The news signals that what a huge swath of the public has believed for years—that smartphones are listening to people in order to deliver ads—may finally be a reality in certain situations. Until now, there was no evidence that such a capability actually existed, but its myth permeated due to how sophisticated other ad tracking methods have become.

It is not immediately clear if the capability CMG is advertising and claims works is being used on devices in the market today, but the company notes it is “a marketing technique fit for the future. Available today.” 404 Media also found a representative of the company on LinkedIn explicitly asking interested parties to contact them about the product. One marketing professional pitched by CMG on the tech said a CMG representative explained the prices of the service to them.

“What would it mean for your business if you could target potential clients who are actively discussing their need for your services in their day-to-day conversations? No, it's not a Black Mirror episode—it's Voice Data, and CMG has the capabilities to use it to your business advantage,” CMG’s website reads.

The part of CMG advertising the capability is CMG Local Solutions. CMG itself is owned by Apollo Global Management and Cox Enterprises, which includes the ISP Cox Communications. CMG operates a wide array of local news television and radio stations.

With Active Listening, CMG claims to be able to “target your advertising to the EXACT people you are looking for.” The goal is to target potential clients or customers based on what they say in “their day to day conversations,” the website adds. Specifically, those could include:

Clients can “claim” a territory where they want to use CMG’s services, which are available in a 10 or 20 mile radius, the website says. After setup, “Active Listening begins and is analyzed via AI to detect pertinent conversations via smartphones, smart tvs and other devices,” the website adds. CMG also claims it installs a tracking pixel on its client’s website to monitor the return on investment (ROI).

With an audience created, CMG then delivers adverts to these people through streaming TV, streaming audio, display ads, YouTube, and Google and Bing search, the website says.

“The result? Unprecedented understanding of consumer behavior, so we can deliver personalized ads that make your target audience think: wow, they must be a mind reader,” another section of CMG’s website reads.

Claims about this capability raises obvious and immediate legal concerns; intercepting communications without proper consent can violate wiretapping laws. CMG’s website addresses this with a section that starts “We know what you are thinking…”

“Is this legal? YES- it is totally legal for phones and devices to listen to you. That's because consumers usually give consent when accepting terms and conditions of software updates or app downloads,” the website says.

Beyond CMG’s website, very little information is available about the capability, including how exactly the data is gathered, be that via a software development kit (SDK) bundled into apps, or via collection at another point. For its part, Apple does alert iPhone users when an app is accessing the device’s microphone with a small icon in the UI.

The marketing professional pitched by CMG told 404 Media that after a call with the company, they disabled microphone access on much of their own technology: “I immediately removed all my Amazon Echo devices and locked down microphone permissions on things like my phone as receiving confirmation they are doing things like this have confirmed my worst fears and I, for one, will not take part in it,” they said.

CMG says “the ROI is already impressive” and is actively soliciting potential customers, though. On LinkedIn, Chris Marxmiller, a senior sales consultant at CMG, invites people in his bio to “Ask me about our NEW product - ACTIVE LISTENING.” Marxmiller did not respond to a request for comment which asked for more information on the Active Listening product.

CMG lists a number of other companies as its partners and publishers. These include Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. Microsoft declined to comment. Google told 404 Media in a statement that “For years, Android has prevented apps from collecting audio  when they're not being actively used, and whenever an app activates a device’s microphone, there is a prominent icon displayed in the status bar.” Google did not answer 404 Media’s question in its statement.

Amazon said in a statement that “the advertising product being described would not be possible with Echo devices. We do not share voice recordings with third parties.”

CMG said in a statement that “CMG Local Solutions markets a wide range of advertising tools. Like other advertising companies, some of those tools include third-party vendor products powered by data sets sourced from users by various social media and other applications then packaged and resold to data servicers. Advertising data based on voice and other data is collected by these platforms and devices under the terms and conditions provided by those apps and accepted by their users, and can then be sold to third-party companies and converted into anonymized information for advertisers. This anonymized data then is resold by numerous advertising companies.”

“CMG businesses do not listen to any conversations or have access to anything beyond a third-party aggregated, anonymized and fully encrypted data set that can be used for ad placement. We regret any confusion and we are committed to ensuring our marketing is clear and transparent,” the statement added.

Cox Media Group claims to have capability to listen to ambient conversations of consumers for targeted ads

On June 1, 1945, Fritz Sennheiser, a German inventor and entrepreneur, founded the audio equipment manufacturing company that bears his name and went on to become a global brand. Today, Sennheiser has three business units: Pro Audio, Business Communication and Neumann.Berlin. 


In a conversation with Storyboard18, Andreas Sennheiser, the company’s chief executive officer, said, “The first thing is you have to hit a ‘need’. To not get complacent and to not be happy with what we've achieved, we have to keep listening to the customer and at the same time have a creative dissatisfaction with the status quo. So, the achievements of the past should always be seen as just the new standard. From there, we can iterate again.”


Edited excerpts:


<strong>Tell us more about Sennheiser’s India story.</strong>


We started bringing good audio to India in 2007. At the time, it was really hard to understand where the general public was with audio consumption. We found out that listening to music via headphones wasn’t a known principle. 


So, over the last 16 years, I think we've done quite well in developing the taste of enjoying music on the consumer side. For two years, we focused on the pro business only, along with business communication, and then our Neumann products also.


Particularly, in the last one-and-a-half years after the pandemic, we've seen very strong growth. On the live part, everyone wants to enjoy music, festivals, weddings and all kinds of corporate events. But on the business communication side, government, corporate and also higher education facilities are gearing up significantly for hybrid meetings, for remote lectures and also for a digital government.


<strong>Where do you see India in Sennheiser's growth map?</strong>


In the last two years, India has had one of the highest growth levels, with more than 50 percent annual growth.


As far as the general business globally is concerned, we could supply all our customers with products even during the pandemic. So, we were never really out of products.


<strong>From a product lens, what’s the focus?</strong> 


We have several focuses. There’s a general common focus that more and more of the technology that we’re using—it is highly advanced—is hidden behind very simple user interfaces. 


So, we want to make it as simple as possible, come up with seamless integration, plug and play with our installed business like ceiling microphones… This is so that an integrator, a consultant or the end user really doesn’t need to deal a lot with technology but actually can focus on the experience.



<strong>Many global CEOs are surprised by the way Indian consumers have evolved over the last few years. From a price-conscious market, we now are a value-conscious market. So, what are your observations and what is unique about Indian consumers?</strong>


Well, you just gave the right keywords. 


It has evolved from a price sensitive market of buying at the lowest possible level to now buying the highest possible value. So, with that, we are in an excellent position because we love competition. We love the direct comparison of our products with competitive products because usually this is when we win.


That's why value-based buying decisions are very much in our favour, because we provide superior audio quality. 


<strong>Globally, what are the trends in the audio space and do you see the adoption of those trends in India anytime soon?</strong> 


One of the big trends is that high–quality audio is being more and more appreciated. This is particularly when it comes to immersive audio and spatial audio. In the studios, we have more and more Atmos installations with our Neumann speakers. Also, on the playback side, we see a lot of venues now having full arrays of speakers for an immersive experience.


So, the whole appreciation for good audio has significantly increased over the last few years. At the same time, there’s also a strong trend of simplification of workflows. So, we try to focus on making the lives of our end users as simple as possible, particularly because there's also cost pressure on production, music production, news gathering etc. We want to give them the gear that they can operate with the least possible amount of people. 


<strong>What is the brand perception of Sennheiser?</strong> 


Sennheiser has a brand reputation of being extremely reliable, creating remarkable audio experience and being a highly innovative brand. 


The topmost factor is always reliability. In a meeting room, you don’t want to spend 20 minutes getting the system to work. An artist in front of 50,000 people, the only thing he or she can hold is a microphone, and that should not fail.


<strong>In terms of marketing, what are the big plans for India and what are the investments like?</strong> 

Our main investment is in people and education. So, it's people on our end and education on the customer side.

We see that the more there are highly talented technicians, audio engineers and people who know the difference between an okay system and a great system.

During the pandemic, we produced 200 tutorial videos: how to use our microphones, how to set up gear in general, and how to build a studio. A lot of things to just help the audio community do a better job.


<strong>In India, startups have been weaving a very different story in the last few years. As a family-owned company and one of the oldest startups in the audio space, do tell us what it takes to make a successful business and your advice for startups here. </strong>

The first thing is you have to hit a ‘need’. This is not only true in a startup, but also when a company like ours gets older. Now, we’re closer to the 80th year of our existence. To not get complacent and to not be happy with what we've achieved, we have to keep listening to the customer and at the same time have a creative dissatisfaction with the status quo.

So, the achievements of the past should always be seen as just the new standard. From there, we can iterate again. 

<strong>There are a bunch of profitable startups in the audio space here in India. What impresses you about them and are there any lessons that you can pick from them? </strong>

When startups have a platform economy in mind and then scale that up, they can very quickly cover a very broad demand, be it with fintech platforms or be it any other integration.


That is an approach that I find highly attractive because it's not product and gear oriented, but really platform oriented. And this is also a strategy that we're adopting more and more. We are not just selling gear to our customers, but we actually provide the control platform with it to make it as easy as possible. 


That has been a strategy for a couple of years—to have a lot of allies in the industry in order to allow a seamless integration for the end user. So, the platform is really the main focus. And, what we're selling in terms of gear is just an endpoint to the whole platform.

<strong>Has the target audience of Sennheiser evolved over time?</strong> 

Yes and no. Our target audience grows with us.

While there was an entry target audience a decade back that has now matured in age and in income, they are now being lifted to the next level.

I had a chance to meet with music composer duo Salim-Sulaiman. We had a chat about technology particularly, and they stressed upon how they started with simple gear and then moved to higher-grade gear.

Andreas Sennheiser: We have to keep listening to the customer and have a creative dissatisfaction with the status quo

Gen Z consumers are 50 percent more likely to take their friends' recommendation over an influencer or a celebrity when making a purchase decision, revealed a study from Yuvaa – the Indian Gen Z-driven youth media, impact, and research organization.

An Economic Times report states that the findings are based on a report titled 'Not All Gen Z'. The findings are based on responses from over 900 Gen Z participants, spanning over 20 cities across tier I, II, and III cities and towns of the country. Gen Z represents people born between 1997 and 2012 who show distinctive behavior in their lifestyle and shopping habits. At over two billion, Gen Z forms roughly 25 percent of the global population. It makes up for over 35 percent of India's population, according to Yuvaa.

Their estimated spending power is in excess of €235 billion, according to BCG. 

<strong>Influencers provide brand visibility</strong>

Karthik Srinivasan, a communications strategy consultant, believes that we trust the references and recommendations of the people we trust the most within our family or friends circle. However, influencers have a different role to play.

"They have come to usurp the role of mainstream media and advertising to a large extent and have become predictable sources of visibility more than influence. In other words, influencers (along with mainstream media and advertising) are sources of introducing products or services, use-cases, and giving them visibility, but they may not necessarily persuade people to make the purchase. That's where friends and family (known peers, colleagues too) would come into play," he explains.

Srinivasan tells Storyboard18 that influencers are merely shilling a product for a fee and have long stopped pretending to be actual users of a product to offer use-based/experience-based content/information.

"Even if they claim to offer personal experience-based recommendations, if viewers/followers see the disclaimer about paid content, they'd automatically discount that factor and take that recommendation with a pinch of salt," he adds.

Yuvaa's report findings also highlight a few key aspects of a Gen Z consumer who is not only willing to support brands that support social causes but also cares about sustainability. Around 63 percent of Gen Z shoppers surveyed said they prefer brands that support social causes. 

71 percent of Gen Z prioritize brands that are environment-friendly, and 77 percent consider price when buying something, even if it's not sustainable. Gen Zs are split equally between feminist and non-feminist brands, but 60 percent of women prefer them.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/quantum-brief/amazon-vs-myntra-who-will-win-over-more-gen-z-shoppers-in-india-8247.htm">Read more: Amazon vs Myntra: Who will win over more Gen Z shoppers in India?</a>

<strong>E-com platforms chasing Gen Z</strong>

These trends are being closely followed and implemented in product and marketing strategies by e-commerce platforms in India. Storyboard18 reported that there has been intense competition between online retailers to woo the next generation of shoppers, with e-commerce platforms Amazon and Myntra actively investing in the Gen Z cohort.

Flipkart-backed fashion portal Myntra, for instance, announced the launch of FWD, an in-platform experience offering additional brands and styles curated for Gen-Z shoppers.

The move comes days after rival Amazon Fashion introduced the ‘Next Gen Store,’ catering to the unique needs of Gen Z shoppers, who seek to experiment with fashion and have varying preferences in terms of styles, sizes, brands, and fitting.

While Nykaa Fashion has not yet launched a dedicated platform for Gen Z shoppers, it has been onboarding brands that target this cohort. Recently, it added MIXT, which offers streetwear-inspired modern apparel options such as bodysuits, corsets, jumpsuits, jackets, cardigans, and footwear. It brought in Cider, a US-based label, expanding its global offerings to Indian consumers.

Gen Z segment has a distinct aesthetic that impacts their brand choices, which have been driving fashion trends – crop tops, ribbed dresses, chunky sneakers, and baggy jeans.

Unlike previous generations, which were heavily influenced by Bollywood and sports celebrities, Gen Z shoppers are more picky about who they follow. Social media influencers have emerged as a significant force in shaping their purchase decisions.

However, there is a catch. This group only follows influencers or celebrities who ‘walk the talk’ and are more trustworthy.

<strong>Value for sustainability, inclusivity</strong>

Bindiya Bhatt, senior director of category management at Myntra told Storyboard18 that for Gen Z, inclusivity, authenticity, and unconventionalism take centre stage as well.

"By embracing these values and catering to their specific needs, businesses can create more meaningful and impactful experiences that resonate with this important and influential demographic," she said.

Technopak Advisors' Ankur Bisen had a deeper insight, saying Gen Z shoppers are community-driven and seek better products rather than stay loyal to brands.

"...they are definitely seeking better products than brands and they are also looking at the consumption of fashion through communities. For example, there are communities towards gaming, nature, and even limited edition products. The spin-off from this trend could be the 'sneaker culture' in India and the craze to buy limited edition sneakers that are being sold online. These are some micro trends that one needs to notice," he said.

Influencers’ influence waning? GenZ listen to friends over social media influencers

Why PepsiCo India’s Lay's launched gourmet chips

Storyboard18 x Momo Media: Let's Talk - Masculinity in Advertising

“We will have another incremental billion dollars in the next three years for the home-grown billion dollar brand Thums Ups,” says Arnab Roy, vice president and head of marketing, Coca-Cola India and Southwest Asia to Storyboard18’s Shibani Gharat. He also talks about the brand’s new advertising campaign #HarHaathToofan.

<iframe title="Coca Cola's Arnab Roy On Thums Up New Campaign 'Har Haath Toofan' | Storyboard 18 | CNBC-TV18" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fXe4to9HL4Q" width="853" height="480" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>

Coca-Cola's Arnab Roy on Thums Up’s new ad campaign #HarHaathToofan

GE's Linda Boff on what it takes to reinvent a 130-yr old brand

Mark Sinnock, global chief strategy-data and innovation officer at Havas Creative, offered crucial insights during an interview with Storyboard18's Shibani Gharat. The discussion covered a range of compelling topics, including the evolving dynamics between advertisers and consumers, the challenges strategy professionals encounter while navigating an ever-changing world, the influence of CMOs prioritizing ROI and data on the role of planners, and the potential implications of the emergence of creative designations such as "Creative Strategist" on the significance of planning.

Watch here. 

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Havas Creative's Mark Sinnock on consumer-marketer relationships, CMO's focus on ROI, fancy designations and more

Mark Sinnock, global chief strategy, data & innovation officer, Havas Creative talks about how the relationship between a consumer and marketer changed in today’s time.

Colgate-Palmolive (India), in its latest ESG (Environmental, social, and governance) report, said has plans to achieve 100% recyclability of its toothpaste portfolio. As of fiscal year 2024, the oral and personal care brand transitioned 50% of its toothpaste portfolio (by volume) to recyclable tubes.

Further, Colgate is ramping up its sustainability goals by installing solar plants at its units. At present, the company has over 2.8 MW of on-site Solar installation. "By 2030, the aim is to transition to 100% renewable electricity across all owned industrial site operations," Colgate-Palmolive (India) said.

The toothpaste brand also stated that over 40 tonnes of dry waste was collected and segregated across 25 villages as part of the company’s CSR Rural Waste Management program in FY 2024. The company extended digital and financial literacy to over 30,000 women and persons with disabilities (PwDs) in FY 2024. Additionally, Colgate said it supported 40 water-stressed villages, in repurposing 46 million litres of water, benefitting over 14,000 beneficiaries.

The Oral and Personal Care brand reported a profit of Rs 1323.6 crore in FY 2024 as against Rs 1047.15 crore in FY 2023. The company's operating revenue stood at Rs 112.77 crore in FY 2024 from Rs 91.91 crore in the previous fiscal year. Colgate posted a domestic growth of 9.5% in FY2024 and an EBITDA margin of 33.7% in the same duration.


"At our core, is the mission to improve the oral health of everyone in India. This is both our fundamental responsibility and a tremendous privilege. Our long-term value creation strategy is intricately designed to balance financial performance with sustainability. The simple mantra of Grow, Strengthen, Simplify underpinned our actions in FY 2023-24.  We delivered a significant step up in our growth trajectory, and we remain resolute in our commitment to enrich lives, foster sustainability, and propel positive change," Prabha Narasimhan, MD and CEO said.  


Colgate eyes 100% recyclability of toothpaste portfolio by FY2025

With the Paris 2024 Olympics starting from Friday, Viacom18 Sports is set to provide an immersive viewing experience on Sports18 and JioCinema. Experts predict that the Paris Olympics will attract 150 million viewers on the digital platform and 120 million viewers on linear TV. Compared to the Tokyo Olympics, there's a 70 percent increase in advertisements and sponsorships, indicating growing brand interest in non-cricket sports events.

Experts also note that, for the first time, digital and TV ad rates are similar for the Paris 2024 Olympics, at approximately Rs 1,40,000 per 10 seconds for both Standard and High Definition TV channels. Around 100-120 million viewers are expected to tune in to Sports18 Network, and about 150 million viewers are anticipated to watch the Olympic Games on JioCinema. 

Viacom18 Sports has onboarded SBI and JSW Group as co-presenting sponsors, Thums Up and Herbalife as associate sponsors, and Aditya Birla Life as the highlights partner. Other brand partners include AMFI, MRF, Bacardi Martini, Punjab National Bank, and Reliance Foundation.


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Several well-known brands have already launched their advertising campaigns in anticipation of the event. For instance, JSW has initiated a robust campaign, setting the stage early. Similarly, brands like Britannia, Thums Up, and Omega are gearing up, ensuring their presence during this global sporting spectacle.


“We are expecting significant growth in terms of CTV viewership. We are very excited about CTV as a medium. Viewers will surely enjoy the CTV experience that we are building during Olympics”, said Siddharth Sharma, Head of Content for Viacom18 Sports. 
  
JioCinema will stream 20 concurrent live feeds for Olympics which includes 17 sports-wise feeds and 3 exclusively curated feeds dedicated to the Indian Contingent in Paris, Global Action, and a special focus on Women Athletes. Viewers can watch India specific feed in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. 

When asked about the response from advertisers, Sharma said, “Response from advertisers is a testament of how there is an appetite for sports as a whole and even beyond cricket. Advertiser interest for the event is up by 70 percent of the previous edition. Also, performance of Indian contingent in last Olympic has raised interest of advertisers and sponsors towards non-cricket sport for both TV and Digital as a medium.” 

Sharma said, "Brands advertising on TV are also opting for Digital and we have received a great response from the advertisers. Our effort towards Paris Olympics will provide immersive experience to the audience." 

<strong>Ad inventory sold out? </strong>

Rashi Bhushan, AVP – Digital Media Planning & Buying, Mudramax elaborates on why advertisers are investing in non-cricket sport and says, "The Tokyo 2020 Olympics, delayed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic which faced unique challenges and offered distinct opportunities for advertisers, which also significantly influenced revenue outcomes. The expected viewership reflects projections estimating around 150 million digital viewers and an additional 100-120 million tuning in on linear TV.”

Elaborating on the ad rates, Bhushan said, "On television, ad rates currently start from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.2 lakh per 10 second. These rates can vary significantly from the initial card rates offered, which are typically influenced by the scale of commitment made in the overall advertising deal. In contrast, on OTT platforms such as Jio Cinema, Connected TV (CTV) options the prices range between Rs 70,000 to Rs 75,000. The cost per thousand impressions (CPM) for handheld devices is priced between Rs 220 to Rs 225, demonstrating a strategic pricing model designed to cater to various advertising needs and platforms.” 

Multiple brands have already initiated their campaigns featuring non-cricket stars, Ahmed Aftab Naqvi, Global CEO and Co-Founder, GOZOOP Group said, "Olympic players are the best talent in the world, any association with them will garner a lot of respect and recognition for brands.” 

JioCinema has also collaborated with ShareChat and Moj for providing diverse and multi-lingual content to the audience via the homegrown short video format platform. Bhushan said, "Media platforms has already been sold, underscoring the high demand. The peak concurrency rates, which are expected to be significant, will likely lead to a sold out status for remaining inventories as the event progresses. Additionally, strategic partnerships with short-form content platforms such as ShareChat and Moj are set to enhance the advertising impact, aiming to deliver a uniquely engaging experience. These collaborations highlight the evolving dynamics of media consumption and the increasing importance of integrating traditional and digital advertising strategies." 

With a substantial increase in both viewership and advertiser interest compared to previous Olympics, showcases the evolving behaviour of audience towards consumption of sports content in the country. 

As the festive season is set to begin in the country, fashion e-commerce platform Myntra has expanded into the gifting category. With occasions like Friendship Day, Raksha Bandhan, and Teachers Day coming up, the Walmart-owned retailer has opened its gifting category with a large selection of more than 70,000 options. 

Besides, Myntra is also looking to offer products from over 100 brands across 50 categories.

Sharon Pais, chief business officer, Myntra said, "Myntra’s gifting segment will give access to a wide assortment of more than 70,000 handpicked products, such as unique selections from renowned brands across accessories, home, beauty, and personal care, as well as fresh products under one roof".

Some of the prominent brands that would be part of Myntra's gifting portfolio are- Giva, Swarovski, Calvin Klein, Kama Ayurveda, Boat, Noise, Zoop, Chumbak, Home Centre, Tied Ribbons, and Kidbea.

The fashion platform has also expanded into fresh categories, offering around 3,000 products such as cakes, flowers, live plants, etc.


Myntra said that some of its products will be delivered on the same day but in 10 cities. It will add more towns for the gifting category in the next few months.

Ahead of festive season, Myntra expands 'gifting' category with over 70,000 options

Kantar has released the 12th edition of its annual Brand Footprint India report. The report ranks the Most Chosen (in-home & out-of-home) FMCG Brands based on Consumer Reach Points (CRP’s). CRP considers the actual purchase made by consumers and the frequency at which these purchases are made in a calendar year. 

<strong>Key findings: In-Home segment:</strong>

With a CRP score of 7980 million, Parle holds the top spot for a record 12th year in a row, followed by Britannia, Amul, Clinic Plus and Tata Consumer Products.  

Consumer Reach Points (CRP’s) continue to grow, however is slightly lower than last year. Overall, CRP’s have increased almost 33% in the last five years.

All sectors have seen a CRP growth slow down, except dairy:

Brands chosen more often have greater probability of growing in CRP:

Haldiram’s and Balaji are the only two brands in the 2024 top 25 in-home brand list to grow by more than 30% in CRPs in 2023.

Sunfeast leads the way in biggest penetration gains in 2023 at 6.4. The following brands make it to the top 10 list:

7 brands in the top 25 in-home rankings show more than 20% penetration increase in the last decade. Britannia leads the way, followed by Surf Excel, Sunfeast, Haldiram’s, Patanjali, Brooke Bond and Vim.


<strong>Key findings: Out of Home segment:</strong>

1. Britannia leads the way in the 2 nd edition of OOH brand rankings with 628Mn CRP’s. It is followed by Haldiram’s, Cadbury, Balaji and Parle. The top 5 rankings are all snacking brands and remain the same as 2023.

2. The five Most Chosen OOH beverage brands in India are Thums Up, Frooti, Amul, Maaza, &amp; Bisleri.

Speaking about this year’s report and rankings, K. Ramakrishnan, Managing Director- South Asia, Worldpanel Division at Kantar said, “Consumer choice is very reliable strength test for a brand across market conditions and Brand Footprint has been a widely acclaimed ranking system to measure this for over a decade now. As we see over the years, consumers are making increasing trips for purchase and that adds their options and in-turn, their choice. This is reflected in the constant increase in CRP’s. We also introduced an out of home rankings last year as OOH consumption is on the rise and has different choice triggers.”

Parle most chosen in-home FMCG brand: Kantar

Canva unveiled insights from a study of more than 500 business professionals on the challenges of fostering creativity within the workplace.

Harvard Business Review Analytic Services conducted a global study in association with Canva and revealed that 96% of survey respondents agree creative ideas are essential to an organization’s long-term success and performance. In addition, 94% agree that organizations that invest in creative tools and technology will be more successful in the future. 

However, while many acknowledge the importance of creativity and seek a creative edge, few are successfully converting innovative ideas into business impact.

Three categories of organizations emerged from the survey responses: leaders, followers, and laggards. These groupings were based on the organizations’ success at identifying creative solutions to business problems according to the respondents, regardless of whether the idea was implemented. Leaders (22%) are those organizations that are “very successful” at identifying and implementing creative solutions to business problems, while followers (56%) are “somewhat successful” and laggards (22%) are “not very successful.”

<strong>Top findings include:</strong>

Workplaces are failing to nurture the creativity of their employees. Nine out of ten (91%) respondents agree that creative thinking is a key attribute for employees to possess yet more than half of laggards (58%) say their organizational culture doesn’t reward creative pursuits. Only 19% of leaders say the same.

Leaders (41%) are more likely than followers (17%) and laggards (8%) to encourage greater creativity by rewarding employees for taking creative risks and thinking outside the box.

Creativity must come from the top. Ninety-four percent agree that having a creative leader increases the creativity of their team. However, despite this widespread acknowledgment, nearly three-quarters of laggards (72%) say the leadership at their organization is not engaged enough in creative thinking to support creativity among employees. Among leaders, only 23% of respondents felt the same.

Creativity needs the right tools to flourish. Ninety-four percent of respondents agree that organizations that invest in creative technology will be more successful in the future. Eighty-seven percent expect their organization’s overall financial investment in creativity-building tools and technologies to increase or stay the same in the next year.

Currently, the most used technologies to unlock creativity among leaders are collaboration platforms (65%), visual communication (64%), and data visualization tools (56%). Collaboration can enhance the creative process by tapping into new ideas, perspectives, and approaches. Leaders are significantly more likely than laggards to facilitate cross-functional collaboration (53% vs. 14%) and encourage different ways of thinking (52% vs.15%).

Generative AI is helping organizations get ahead. Forty-two percent of leaders think gen AI can enhance creativity at their organization to a great extent. For example, according to leaders, gen AI may fuel creativity by: automating repetitive tasks, freeing employees up to focus on more creative endeavors (62%), accelerating idea generation (60%), and creating content with minimal human intervention (49%). While forty-seven percent of leaders are using gen AI tools to foster creativity for the purpose of strategic growth, only 30% of followers and 14% of laggards are doing so.

“In a business world focused on the bottom line, it’s easy to lose sight of the value of creativity. The findings highlight that creativity isn’t just a complement to business growth, it’s foundational to driving long-term success,” said Cameron Adams, co-founder and chief product officer, Canva. “Ultimately, innovation and creativity is what will differentiate the leaders from the laggards; it’s what drives growth in a challenging landscape.” 

Workplaces are failing to nurture the creativity of their employees: Canva

Cognizant's branding hit a wall in April-May 2024. In May, while promoting their internal program BlueBolt, they swapped their social media logo for "Innovate," causing confusion amongst customers as the website logo remained unchanged. This raised the question about the importance of maintaining a consistent visual identity across platforms.

Moreover, a legal challenge in April forced Cognizant to stop using their logo in India when the Bombay High Court ruled against Cognizant in a logo infringement case filed by Bengaluru-based Atyati Technologies.

Paritosh Dhawan, Principal & Founder, Dhawan and Co. says that for entrepreneurs and companies alike, a logo serves as a pivotal magnet for attracting attention and generating interest, leaving a lasting impression. In an era characterized by the rapid proliferation of startups and businesses, registering one's logo with the appropriate authorities becomes an absolutely vital part of the strategy. Consequently, registration can mitigate significant costs and enhance the likelihood of success in cases where your business faces infringement by entities utilizing your brand and its marks, in some way or the other.

Subhash Bhutoria, Founder and Principal, LAW SB says  “The dispute seems to have arisen on account of use of vector art as the inspiration for creating logo design. It is a common issue in designing services, because of which businesses end up adopting and using similar logos. As a practice, before adopting and using any logo for its use in the course of business, the business must conduct pre-adoption conflict searches... Generic Google image search can be extremely helpful in identifying conflicting marks.”

Bhutoria advises to take proper legal advice on use and registrability of a logo. This way, businesses can avoid adverse legal consequences including infringement proceedings, to a large extent. According to him, this also helps in mitigating loss of revenue and of reputation, which is bound to happen on account of any such legal action. It is extremely important to register trademarks including logos and devices as registration grants statutory protection. Also, in case of any dispute involving registered marks, the official examination and the validity of registration can help in supporting an e facie case in favour of the defendant. There are several matters, few of which are reported judgments as well.

Recently, Bhutoria and his team assisted the famous Murthal eatery, Mannat Hotels, in obtaining favourable orders against highway hotels using similar brands and logos. LAW SB provides  pre-adoption brand advisory and strategies on a regular basis, helping business ideate and develop a strong brand and a better protected trademark. Most IP firms keep a watch on the filings before various IP offices, which helps the brand maintain its distinctiveness and exclusivity as also avoid dilution and loss of reputation.

“Any action for infringement (or passing off) requires registration, strong proof of long, continuous and extensive use, evidence in support of enviable goodwill, which is associated with the brand. Business must have sound brand and IP strategy including brand manuals, regular caution notices, registrations in relevant classes and jurisdictions, well drafted IP clauses in contracts etc. which helps in maintaining the proprietary rights and exclusivity in the IP assets,” states Bhutoria.

<strong>Investing in a unique logo through the lens of IP protection</strong>

Brands are the identifications which help customers and consumers recognize and relate the quality and the people behind the products and services to each other. Since a lot of effort and resources are spent on building a brand, it is necessary that the brands are protected. In today’s competitive world is everything about brand identity, image and perception and having a strong and well protected brand, adds to power of the company/people who own the brand and of course a well-protected brand also translates into value and money and success, says Chandrima Mitra, Partner, DSK Legal.
 
Sometimes instead of a full name or a word, a logo - a visual representation that instantly conveys the essence of the brand. However, as the recent case of Cognizant's logo dispute in India highlights, ensuring a company’s logo is truly unique and legally protected is no easy feat, Mitra states.

As per Mitra, it is essential to safeguard the brand assets through proactive measures. Before finalizing a logo design, companies must conduct thorough trademark searches to avoid potential conflicts with existing registered marks. Thereafter the next critical step is to register it as a trademark with the Trademarks office. Registered trademarks entail exclusive rights to use the mark and take legal action against unauthorized use, effectively deterring potential infringers. Evidence of prior registration can be used to demonstrate ownership and direct the infringer to cease from infringing. Conversely, if the logo is found to be too similar to an existing registered mark, the brand may need to consider modifying it to avoid confusion and potential legal battles.

<strong>Being vigilant about brand assets</strong>

Dhawan recommends conducting a thorough trademark search before finalizing a logo to ensure it doesn’t infringe on existing trademarks. This includes searching the country's trademark database, such as the Trade mark registry for India, using databases like WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) for international trademarks, and considering hiring professional trademark search firms that provide more extensive searches, including common law trademarks.

Mitra says that brands should continuously keep monitoring for potential infringement across platforms – online and offline. Conducting regular searches can help identify any instances of infringement as well. Whenever potential infringement is identified, immediate legal action should be taken to stop the infringement.

On the criminal side, similar sanctions come into play in cases of trademark violations in India. Applying a false trademark with intent to defraud is punishable with imprisonment up to three years and a fine up to two lakh rupees. This underscores the importance of taking infringement seriously and taking decisive action to protect your brand.

If a reputed well-known logo is unregistered, then passing off actions can be initiated against misuse of such brand or logo.

 

Unique logo? Ensure legal protection before trouble strikes

To celebrate the release of Marvel Studios ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’, Disney Consumer Products India has collaborated with 25 brands across apparel, accessories, food and beverage, and technology to launch an array of themed merchandise locally. These brands include Adidas, boAt, Coca-Cola, Myntra, NESTLÉ POLO, The Souled Store, Wrogn and more.

Priya Nijhara, Director of Disney Consumer Products, India, said, “Deadpool’s refreshing charisma and irreverent humour has amassed formidable fandom in India, particularly with the Gen Z audience. This reflects Marvel's enduring relevance today and fuels our excitement as we join forces with exceptional brands to roll out an expansive line of Deadpool & Wolverine themed products in celebration of the movie release." 

According to Disney Consumer Products India, Coca-Cola has launched Coca-Cola cans and bottles featuring Deadpool & Wolverine, including 32 other Super Heroes from across the Marvel Universe. 

boAt has curated an audio wear collection themed after Deadpool & Wolverine, blending Marvel’s storytelling with its advanced technology. Belkin will introduce a portable wireless power bank on Amazon on July 27.

Titan has also joined the buzz with its eyewear and fashion accessories, incorporating the signature colours and elements from Deadpool & Wolverine. 

Apparel brand The Souled Store has also unveiled a range of t-shirts, backpacks, and high-top sneakers on the Deadpool & Wolverine theme. Reliance has also launched a lineup through its sub-brands (Yousta, Azorte, and Reliance Trends), offering t-shirts, jackets, and denims featuring Deadpool & Wolverine.

Ahead of ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ release, Disney Consumer Products India teams up with brands, retailers

To mark the 25th anniversary of the Nickelodeon animated series, SpongeBob SquarePants, Viacom18 Consumer Products has geared up for a yearlong celebration featuring new collaborations and merchandise. The licensing and merchandising arm of Viacom 18 has partnered with several artists, such as Raul Urias and Jisu Choi, Daniel Mackey and Berthet One, and Dennis Gabbana and Tik Ka from East.

Sachin Puntambekar, Head - of Viacom18 Consumer Products, said, "SpongeBob SquarePants is an iconic global franchise that has captured the imagination of fans for 25 years. As we celebrate this milestone, we’re excited to tap into the creator and artist economy for unique designs and exclusive merchandise. This campaign is a testament to our commitment towards immersive experiences that extend beyond the screen, transcending into the lives of our audiences." 

 
Viacom18 Consumer Products has planned marketing campaign spanning TV, retail, and digital activations for the SpongeBob SquarePants fandom. This includes SpongeBob and Patrick figurines at retail stores, dedicated character pages on D2C partner websites, collaborations with influencers, and promotional campaigns on popular channels such as Nickelodeon, MTV, VH1, and JioCinema. 

Viacom18 Consumer Products celebrates 25 years of SpongeBob SquarePants

Go Fashion (India) Ltd, which owns the popular women's wear brand 'Go Colors', has drawn a plan to expand by 120-130 Exclusive Brand Outlets (EBOs) every year. The fashion retailer is focusing on adding new outlets in Tier 2 and 3 cities in the north and east regions. At present, the e-retailer has 734 EBO stores, across 164 cities.

The fashion brand opened 20 EBOs on a net basis in Q1 FY 2025 alone.

"In Q1 FY25, we successfully added 20 net new stores to our portfolio, increasing our total store count to 734. We are optimistic about our continued store expansion efforts and aim to open between 120 and 150 new stores during FY25," Gautam Saraogi, CEO, of Go Fashion (India) said.

Go Fashion (India) said the tie-up with UAE-based Apparel Group is on track and is likely to open its first international store in the Middle East by the end of 2024

In an exchange filing on Wednesday, Go Fashion said its average investment in its outlet is around Rs 37 lakh-38 lakh, and the payback period is 15-18 months.

The company expects 80% of revenues from its exclusive brand outlets in the coming few years.

Go Fashion has announced its first quarter result of FY2025 today. The company reported a 9% increase in net profit to Rs 28.7 crore in Q1 FY 2025 from Rs 26.3 crore in Q1 FY 2024.

Go Fashion (India)'s revenue was up by 16% in Q1 of the current fiscal year at Rs 220 crore as against Rs 190 crore in the same period last year.

The sales from the online channel for Go Fashion was Rs 21.8 crore in FY 2024, the company said.

Go Fashion (India) plans to open around 130 new stores every year; Dubai store on the cards by 2024-end

In a trademark infringement complaint brought by German sports and apparel business Adidas AG, the Delhi High Court on July 19 imposed a permanent injunction against a similarly called company operating in diverse commodities, including textiles, as per reports.

The court of Justice Sanjeev Narula also fined Adidas Rs 14.22 lakh in damages, which includes Rs 3 lakh in nominal damages and Rs 11.22 lakh in costs incurred by Adidas in pursuing the trademark infringement case over the previous 13 years.

The defendants, who sold goods labeled as 'ADIDAS', claimed that their use of the trademark was "bona fide and honest," and that their decision to use a mark identical to that of the plaintiff Adidas was "rooted in personal affection."

The defendants went on to say that they chose the name because "Defendant No. 1 (Keshav Tulsiani, partner/director of Adidas Weaving Mills, Adidas Textile Industries, and Adidas Merchandise Private Limited) held deep admiration for his elder sister, addressed as 'ADI' in the Sindhi community." This admiration was so strong that he was referred to as her devotee ('Das' in Sindhi). As a result, the acronym "ADIDAS" was coined, combining 'ADI' (older sister) and 'DAS' (devotee) to symbolize this familial devoion.

The defendants also argued that the plaint must not be entertained on grounds of territorial jurisdiction as they neither reside nor conduct their business in the jurisdiction of Delhi as well as the delay in filing the suit, as well as on the fact that the defendants have been using the mark in all uppercase while the plaintiff uses the mark in all lowercase, as per reports.

Addressing the question of delay - the defendants claimed they had been using the mark since 1987 - the court ruled that the defendants bear the burden of proof and did not produce any evidence to support their claim.

The court ruled in favor of Adidas AG, finding that the defendants had been using an identical mark, which, when paired with the similarity between the goods—textiles and garments—"creates a real likelihood of confusion." Adding that a word like ‘Adidas’, which has no inherent linguistic meaning and is a coined term which is a unique word, “they are thus deemed to have a high degree of distinctiveness and are given a wide ambit of protection under trademark law.

Havas Creative's Mark Sinnock on consumer-marketer relationships, CMO's focus on ROI, fancy designations and more

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