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<ul><li>The campaign stands to break the cultural misperceptions around <keyword id="6357332" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="gaming" source="Orion">gaming</keyword>.</li><li>The short Film - centered in a futuristic world, brings the skills developed through gaming alive and shows that gamers are better humans.</li></ul>To empower and acknowledge the passion of Indian gamers, HP has launched ‘<keyword id="12341248" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gamerkind" source="Orion">Gamerkind</keyword>, Humankind needs you’; its first campaign highlighting the OMEN portfolio. With this, HP intends to emphasize the life skills that gaming provides and celebrate gamers' passion for play while also challenging cultural stereotypes.<br /><br /><div type="Youtube" id="ZdkcPgUFBVo" title="Gamerkind, Humankind Needs You" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZdkcPgUFBVo/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br />HP has also released its new short film titled ‘Better Human’ with <keyword id="31951" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="boman-irani" source="Orion">Boman Irani</keyword>. The film is focused at ‘center for better humaning’ – a futuristic center where gamers are shown developing skills through gaming. The protagonist of the film – Director of Center for better Humaning is played by popular Bollywood actor Boman Irani – a non-gamer, but a believer in gaming; who shows the skills that gamers develop through gaming - focus, multi-tasking, and reflexes etc. It also highlights that because of the skills, gamers make better humans and they are the ones who we need to help humanity reach the next level of progress.<br /><br />The gaming landscape in India has been growing in the last couple of years. However, gaming in India is seen more as a hobby, with Indian gamers downplaying their passion for gaming, largely due to societal factors. The HP India Gaming Landscape Report 2021 revealed the various roles gaming plays such as helping in skill development, multi-tasking, improving mental health and enhancing decision-making. According to the findings, over 90% of people agree to explore more gaming opportunities or work in the <keyword id="739806" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gaming-industry" source="Orion">gaming industry</keyword>. In addition to this, over 92% respondents agreed that gaming helps relieve work / study pressure while reducing stress and inducing positive feelings.<br /><br />Prashant Jain, Chief Marketing Officer, HP India market said “Gaming enthusiasts have been stuck in the basement for far too long in India. This despite the research which time and again has proven that gaming helps develop skills like focus, multi-tasking, precision etc. OMEN is proud to champion gamers and acknowledge their passion towards this eSport. We want to trigger meaningful conversations around gaming and how it makes you better.”

HP launches a new campaign with Boman Irani to challenge cultural stereotypes around gaming

<ul><li>The <keyword id="21087685" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-PC-market" source="keywords">Indian PC market</keyword> has recorded a 7.1% year-on-year growth in shipments in Q2 2024.</li><li>This makes it the fourth consecutive quarter where the shipments have grown.</li><li><keyword id="20113893" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="HP" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="HP" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="HP">HP</keyword> continues to lead the Indian PC market with a share of over 30%.</li></ul>The Indian PC market, which includes <keyword id="20900694" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="desktops" source="keywords">desktops</keyword>, <keyword id="21286468" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="notebooks" source="keywords">notebooks</keyword>, and workstations recorded a growth of 7.1% year-on-year in Q2 2024, marking the fourth consecutive quarter to record growth.<br /><br />According to a report by the International Data Corporation (IDC), 3.39 million devices were shipped in India in Q2 2024, with all three categories of desktops, notebooks and workstations recording good growth.<br /><br />In Q2 2024, desktops recorded a 5.9% year-on-year growth, notebooks recorded a 7.4% year-on-year growth and workstations recorded a 12.4% year-on-year growth.<br /><br />“Vendors kickstarted the back-to-school/ college campaigns, and good demand was seen in the e-tail channel as well during online sales. Vendors stocked the channel to prepare for upcoming Independence Day sales, which gave a healthy growth in consumer PC shipments,” said Bharath Shenoy, research manager, IDC India &amp; South Asia.<br /><br /><h2>Indian PC shipments</h2><br /><table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #374139 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #49564c 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #374139 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #374139 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#49564c;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Company<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #49564c 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #49564c 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #374139 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #374139 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#49564c;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q2 2024<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #49564c 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #49564c 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #374139 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #374139 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#49564c;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q2 2023<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #49564c 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #374139 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #374139 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #374139 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#49564c;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Change<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #374139 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #374139 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#ffffff;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">HP<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #374139 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#ffffff;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1,075<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #374139 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#ffffff;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">987<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #374139 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #374139 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#ffffff;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">8.9%<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #374139 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f8f9fa;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Lenovo<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f8f9fa;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">595<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f8f9fa;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">512<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #374139 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f8f9fa;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">16.2%<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #374139 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#ffffff;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Dell<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#ffffff;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">501<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#ffffff;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">485<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #374139 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#ffffff;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">3.3%<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #374139 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f8f9fa;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Acer<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f8f9fa;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">497<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f8f9fa;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">360<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #374139 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f8f9fa;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">38.3%<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #374139 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #374139 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#ffffff;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Asus<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #374139 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#ffffff;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">241<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #374139 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#ffffff;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">228<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #374139 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #374139 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#ffffff;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">5.4%<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><em>Shipments in thousands, Source: IDC</em><br /><br />HP leads the market in terms of shipments, with over a million devices shipped in Q2 2024, recording an 8.9% year-on-year growth in shipments. The company led both the commercial and consumer segments with shares of 33.5% and 29.7%, respectively.<br /><br />Acer recorded the highest growth in shipments at 38.3%, while Dell recorded the least growth in the top five at 3.3%.<br /><br />“The onset of AI PCs and several launches in the last few months has definitely brought a wave of optimism in the PC market. While AI PCs may not bring significant consumer demand in the near term, it is likely to make gamers and content creators consider an AI PC in the medium term. AI PCs will also drive refresh commercial orders from 3Q2024 onwards,” said Navkendar Singh, associate vice president, Devices Research, IDC India, South Asia &amp; ANZ.<br /><br /><h2>Indian PC shipments <keyword id="20038792" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="market-share" source="keywords">market share</keyword></h2><br /><table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #284e3f 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #356854 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #284e3f 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #284e3f 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#356854;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Company<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #356854 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #356854 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #284e3f 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #284e3f 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#356854;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q2 2024<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #356854 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #284e3f 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #284e3f 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #284e3f 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#356854;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q2 2023<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #284e3f 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #284e3f 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#ffffff;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">HP<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #284e3f 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#ffffff;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">31.7%<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #284e3f 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #284e3f 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#ffffff;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">31.1%<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #284e3f 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f8f9fa;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Lenovo<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f8f9fa;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">17.5%<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #284e3f 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f8f9fa;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">16.2%<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #284e3f 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#ffffff;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Dell<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#ffffff;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">14.8%<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #284e3f 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#ffffff;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">15.3%<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #284e3f 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f8f9fa;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Acer<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f8f9fa;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">14.7%<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #284e3f 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#f8f9fa;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">11.4%<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #284e3f 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #284e3f 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#ffffff;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Asus<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #284e3f 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#ffffff;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">7.1%<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;border-right:solid #284e3f 0.39999975pt;border-bottom:solid #284e3f 0.39999975pt;border-top:solid #cccccc 0.39999975pt;vertical-align:middle;background-color:#ffffff;padding:2pt 6pt 2pt 6pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">7.2%<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><em>Source: IDC</em><br /><br />HP leads the Indian PC market with nearly a one-third share, recording a 31.7% share in shipments in Q2 2024, up from 31.1% in Q2 2023.<br /><br />Lenovo is second with a market share of 17.5% in Q2 2024, up from 16.2% in Q2 2023. Dell has reported a decline in its market share, from 15.3% in Q2 2023 to 14.8% in Q2 2024.<br /><br />Acer has recorded good growth, with its market share rising from 11.4% in Q2 2023 to 14.7% in Q2 2024. Asus on the other hand reported a slight decline from 7.2% in Q2 2023 to 7.1% in Q2 2024.<br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:<br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/indian-smartphone-market-records-7-2-growth-in-the-first-half-of-2024-vivo-leads-the-market-in-q2/articleshow/112629172.cms">Indian smartphone market records 7.2% growth in the first half of 2024, Vivo leads the market in Q2</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/interarch-building-products-ipo-price-band-to-risk-factors-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/112626468.cms">Interarch Building Products IPO – Price band to risk factors, all you need to know</a><br /><br /></strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/ipo-scam-two-victims-from-hyderabad-lose-over-11crore-in-fake-ipo-scams/articleshow/112488051.cms"><strong>IPO scam – Two victims from Hyderabad lose over ₹11 crore in fake IPO scams</strong></a><br />

Indian PC market records 7.1% growth in Q2 2024, HP leads with nearly a third market share

Kolkata (West Bengal) [<keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>], November 4 (ANI): India's campaign at the ongoing Cricket <keyword id="22177" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="world-cup" source="Orion">World Cup</keyword> suffered a body blow after star all-rounder <keyword id="6354903" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="hardik-pandya" source="Orion">Hardik Pandya</keyword> was ruled out of further participation in the tournament. The star all-rounder had hurt his left ankle while bowling during India's World Cup match against Bangladesh in Pune.<br /><br />The 30-year-old will now miss the rest of India's campaign at the World Cup after he failed to recover in time, according to a press release from ICC. <br /><br />His place in India's squad will be taken by <keyword id="3068560" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="prasidh-krishna" source="Orion">Prasidh Krishna</keyword>, the fast bowler was added to the playing group after being approved by the tournament's Event Technical Committee on Saturday.<br /><br />Krishna has just 19 white-ball appearances to his name for India and was last seen at the international level when he picked up the prized wicket of David Warner in taking 1/45 from nine overs against Australia just prior to the World Cup.<br /><br />While Krishna has shown signs of promise in the past with 33 international wickets, the right-arm quick is going to be competing with the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj for a place in India's pace attack.<br /><br />With the Event Technical Committee approving India's replacement player on Saturday, it means Krishna is available for selection for Sunday's crucial World Cup clash against fellow tournament pacesetter South Africa.<br /><br />India and South Africa currently occupy the top two places on the World Cup standings and the winner of Sunday's match in Kolkata will be in the box seat to finish the group stage of the tournament in first spot.<br /><br />India's Updated Squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Prasidh Krishna, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan, <keyword id="496245" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="suryakumar-yadav" source="Orion">Suryakumar Yadav</keyword>.<br /><br /><b>SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/gadgets/news/hp-omen-16-gaming-laptop-review/articleshow/104945732.cms" target="_blank"></a></b><br /><br /> <b><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/gadgets/news/hp-omen-16-gaming-laptop-review/articleshow/104945732.cms" target="_blank">HP Omen 16 laptop review – A powerful laptop with a fine display</a></b><br /><br /> <b><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/india-q3-smartphone-shipments-apple-gains-34-pc-market-share-in-india/articleshow/104907807.cms">Smartphone shipments: Apple gains 34% market share in India as Samsung, Xiaomi decline</a></b><br /><br /> <b><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/how-to-use-two-whatsapp-accounts-on-one-phone/articleshow/104641592.cms">How to use two WhatsApp accounts on one phone? A step by step guide</a></b><br />

Hardik Pandya out of World Cup, Prasidh Krishna comes in as replacement

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">Former HP CEO Carly Fiorina has suspended her presidential campaign.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Good morning! Here's the technology news you need to know this Thursday.</p><p><strong>1. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/twitter-earnings-q4-2015-2016-2">Twitter reported earnings last night and user growth has stalled.</a></strong> Monthly active users stayed at 320 million.</p><p><strong>2. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/marc-andreessen-enrages-indians-discussing-colonialism-on-twitter-facebook-free-basics-a16z-2016-2">Venture capitalist and Facebook board member Marc Andreessen caused outrage over his comments about colonialism in India.</a></strong> He was debating India's crackdown on Facebook's Free Basics internet service.</p><p><strong>3. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/tesla-earnings-q4-2015-2016-2">Tesla reported fourth-quarter earnings with revenues below expectations.</a></strong> However, the stock was up 10% in after-hours trading due to the company's strong projections.</p><p><strong>4. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/carly-fiorina-dropping-out-2016-2">Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina has suspended her presidential campaign.</a></strong> She took just 4.1% of the vote in the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday.</p><p><strong>5. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/r-yahoo-announces-first-round-of-layoffs-as-it-trims-15-percent-of-workforce-2016-2">Yahoo's layoffs have begun.</a></strong> It announced yesterday that it is laying off 107 employees, and it's expected to cut over 1,500 people in total.</p><p><strong>6. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/twitter-rolls-out-timeline-change-to-show-missed-tweets-2016-2">Twitter rolled out its new algorithmic timeline feature.</a></strong> It shows users popular tweets that they may have missed.</p><p><strong>7. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/zynga-q4-earnings-2015-2016-2">Zynga stock was down 11% after it announced weak Q4 earnings.</a></strong> It estimated that Q1 revenue in 2016 will be lower than expected.</p><p><strong>8. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/salesforce-ceo-marc-benioff-owns-5-of-fitbit-2016-2">A new filing shows that Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff owns 5.3% of Fitbit.</a></strong> The company's stock jumped 7% on the news.</p><p><strong>9. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/hackers-steal-valuable-twitter-accounts-including-god-vagina-due-to-bug-2016-2">Hackers were able to gain control of some valuable Twitter accounts after a bug revealed email addresses on the site.</a></strong> Accounts including @god and @emoji were broken into.</p><p><strong>10. <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/soundcloud-reports-a-loss-of-almost-40-million-in-2014-2016-2">Streaming service SoundCloud reported a loss of almost €40 million (£31 million) in 2014.</a></strong><a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/soundcloud-reports-a-loss-of-almost-40-million-in-2014-2016-2"> </a>The result means that in the three years from 2012 to 2014, SoundCloud lost almost €75 million (£58 million).</p><p> </p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/be-like-bill-facebook-meme-blobla-privacy-risk-stealing-personal-information-2016-1">The 'Be Like Bill' Facebook memes driving everyone crazy have a darker side no one is talking about</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="lyamlpMDE6LxYBJUge6BRt76OXL15rxJ" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

10 things in tech you need to know today

<ul><li>Marked with great fanfare and fervour, Diwali is the season of not just lights, colours, and sweets but also family reunions and bonding sessions. It is the festival of homecoming and togetherness.</li><li>Brands also make the most of this shopping festival to connect with consumers and put together the biggest advertising carnival.</li><li>Here is a list of advertisements that stood out in the clutter.</li></ul>Traveling back home to spend time with our family, trying to make the perfect rangoli, untangling fairy lights to brighten up your home, and dancing after a sugar rush -- these are just a few things that make Diwali special. It is also one of the widely celebrated festivals in India that has turned into the biggest shopping festival. <br /><br />It is also an advertising carnival which brings up an opportunity for brands to reconnect with consumers as the overall market sentiment drastically improves. Brands pour in big monies on television, Out of Home, and digital mediums to reach out to consumers at multiple touchpoints. <br /><br />After a long-dry-spell, brands are making sure that they don’t miss this opportunity to reconnect with consumers and market sentiment has already picked up, as revealed by Axis My India report. Its November net CSI score, calculated by percentage increase minus percentage decrease in sentiment, was recorded at +9, up from +7 last month. It has been rising at a constant pace over the last three months, indicative of a positive shift in consumer consumption metrics. Consumers are also more willing to step out now and shop locally. The report’s mobility net score reflects a constant improvement over the last four months. 88% of families said that they are going out the same or more on getaways/staycations /malls/restaurants, with travel bans being lifted and double vaccination providing easier movement opportunities. The overall mobility score is at -4, which is an improvement over last month at -5. This reflects slow but consistent progress in people’s sentiments for engaging in out-of-home activities. <br /><br />This Diwali, many brands decided to shine a spotlight on heroes who went unnoticed during the most difficult phase of this pandemic. They urged consumers to support different sectors of our society who have been badly impacted by COVID-19 and are struggling to make ends meet. <br /><br />A few of them also reminded consumers to keep aside crackers that harm the environment and celebrate the festival of lights and kindness with their four-legged companions. All brands played a joyful role by uplifting consumer sentiment and encouraging them to enjoy the festive season once again with their heartwarming campaigns. <br /><br />Here are a few campaigns that caught our attention: <br /><br /><keyword id="136808" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cadbury-india" source="Orion">Cadbury India</keyword><br />                  <div type="Youtube" id="5WECsbqAQSk" title="Supporting Local Retailers This Diwali | Not Just A Cadbury Ad Campaign Video" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5WECsbqAQSk/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><strong>HP India</strong><br />              <div type="Youtube" id="wxXhvjFvn_A" title="Diye Se Diya Jalao" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wxXhvjFvn_A/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><strong>Mother Dairy</strong> <br />              <div type="Youtube" id="CwhFSJDD0ks" title="Naya Riwaaj Dhara ke Saath" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/CwhFSJDD0ks/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><strong>Supertails</strong><br />            <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Video"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div><br /><strong>Tanishq</strong><br />              <div type="Youtube" id="KzVQ_nY2M9k" title="Tanishq presents #Utsaah" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/KzVQ_nY2M9k/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><strong>Greenply </strong><br />        <div type="Youtube" id="crC5iEXzFXI" title="The Table - #YahanRishteBasteHain" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/crC5iEXzFXI/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><strong>Vivo India</strong> <br />              <div type="Youtube" id="x7ab0tdj5Vk" title="Celebrate the #JoyOfHomecoming this Diwali" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/x7ab0tdj5Vk/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><strong>Wiggles <br /></strong>              <div type="Youtube" id="EwjkAqY_3aM" title="Umeed Bhari Diwali | A Wiggles.in Initiative" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EwjkAqY_3aM/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><strong>ZEE</strong><br />  <div type="Youtube" id="hV3Jaxhb4VU" title="Yeh Diwali Kisson Wali - Vocal For Local - Zee Diwali" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hV3Jaxhb4VU/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><strong>Greenlam</strong><br />              <div type="Youtube" id="irGY9KWsAH4" title="Celebrate Diwali at home" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/irGY9KWsAH4/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><strong>Godrej</strong><br /><div type="Youtube" id="7if8VXEy4A8" title="The recipe of #CookingGoodness | Godrej Group" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7if8VXEy4A8/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><strong>Havells</strong> <br />              <div type="Youtube" id="IZqiI-lJH0o" title="Havells Hexo Mixer Grinder | Powerful Mixer Grinder | Tamil" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/IZqiI-lJH0o/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><strong>LG Electronics</strong><br />              <div type="Youtube" id="Yxzbjl5WZ5E" title="Roll Out The Future With LG OLED #OLEDNSRK" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Yxzbjl5WZ5E/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><strong>Pickrr</strong> <br />              <div type="Youtube" id="JuO-Q-gTwSM" title="This Diwali celebrate happiness with your loved ones #KhushionKiTarakki by Pickrr" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JuO-Q-gTwSM/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><strong>CottonKing</strong><br />      <div type="Youtube" id="w9WsnJCQp0c" title="CottonKing | Bhaubeej Film | Tejashree Pradhan | Abhijeet Khandkekar | Mayur More | ADbhoot" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/w9WsnJCQp0c/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><strong>Spice Money</strong> <br />              <div type="Youtube" id="7w_Hjda5Adg" title="Spice Money wishes everyone &quot;Dil se Diwali&quot;!" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7w_Hjda5Adg/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br />

Hope shines the brightest in Diwali advertising campaigns this year

<ul><li><strong>The <keyword id="829523" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="indian-pc-market" source="Orion">Indian PC market</keyword> has reported a decline for the fourth consecutive quarter.</strong></li><li><strong>The PC market has declined by 15.3% year-on-year in Q2 2023.</strong></li><li><strong>The outlook is optimistic as import restrictions will begin in November.</strong></li></ul> The Indian PC (personal computer) market has reported a decline for the fourth consecutive quarter, reporting a decline of over 15% year-on-year. In Q2 2023, the Indian PC market consisting of desktops, notebooks, and workstations shipped 3.2 million units.<br /><br />According to a report by International Data Corporation (IDC), while the Indian PC market reported a quarterly growth of 5.4%, there was a 15.3% year-on-year decline.<br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Decline across categories" comment="subhead" text="Decline across categories"><span data-til="noop">Decline across categories</span></cmsannotation><br />Q2 2023 witnessed a decline across all segments. The notebook category which has the highest market share declined by 18.5% year-on-year, while the desktop category declined by 7% year-on-year. The consumer and the commercial segments also declined by 17% and 13.8% year-on-year respectively.<br /><br />While the premium notebooks category reported a 30.7% decline year-on-year, it grew by 39% in Q2 2023 compared to Q2 2022.<br /><br />“The India consumer PC segment has started showing signs of recovery as market sentiment is improving. Despite a YoY double-digit decline, it clocked a strong double-digit QoQ growth. PC vendors successfully ran college campaigns and got good traction,” said Bharath Shenoy, senior market analyst, IDC India.<br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Government-driven education segment grows" comment="subhead" text="Government-driven education segment grows"><span data-til="noop">Government-driven education segment grows</span></cmsannotation><br />The government-driven education segment reported a growth of 43.7% due to orders from states like Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.<br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Companies with the highest market share" comment="subhead" text="Companies with the highest market share"><span data-til="noop">Companies with the highest market share</span></cmsannotation><br /><br /><table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Company<br /><br /></td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q2 2023 market share<br /><br /></td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#000000;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Q2 2022 market share<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">HP<br /><br /></td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">31.1%<br /><br /></td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">30.8%<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Lenovo<br /><br /></td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">16.2%<br /><br /></td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">19.6%<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Dell Technologies<br /><br /></td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">15.3%<br /><br /></td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">21.6%<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Acer Group<br /><br /></td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">11.4%<br /><br /></td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">8.9%<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">ASUS<br /><br /></td><td style="border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">7.2%<br /><br /></td><td style="border-right:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6260872500000001pt;vertical-align:bottom;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:0pt 5pt 0pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">6.1%<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody></table><br /> <em>Source: IDC</em><br /><br />HP continues the PC market, occupying a 31.1% market share in Q2 2023, up from 30.8% in Q2 2022. Lenovo is second on the list with a 16.2% market share, down from 19.6% share in Q2 2023. Dell has reported a huge decline in market share at 15.3% in Q2 2023, down from 21.6% in Q2 2022.<br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Import restrictions may boost sales in Q3" comment="subhead" text="Import restrictions may boost sales in Q3"><span data-til="noop">Import restrictions may boost sales in Q3</span></cmsannotation><br />While the sales have been sluggish in Q2 2023, analysts expect Q3 2023 to be better. One of the reasons for this is the<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/india-puts-curbs-on-laptop-and-tablet-imports-heres-how-it-could-impact-you/articleshow/102430014.cms"> upcoming import restriction</a>, which will now come into effect from November 2023.<br /><br />“The PC market has been sluggish over the last few quarters as enterprises and SMEs have been delaying their PC procurement. However, with import restrictions expected to kick in from November, we expect vendors to push channel inventory in both the consumer and commercial segments,” said Navkendar Singh, associate vice president, devices research, IDC India, South Asia &amp; ANZ.<br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:<br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/india-crosses-the-2-billion-mark-in-its-journey-to-become-a-smartphone-manufacturing-powerhouse/articleshow/102760757.cms">India crosses the 2 billion mark in its journey to become a smartphone manufacturing powerhouse</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/gadgets/news/with-smartwatches-leading-the-pack-indian-wearables-market-grows-over-50-in-the-first-half-of-2023/articleshow/102638102.cms">With smartwatches leading the pack, Indian wearables market grows over 50% in the first half of 2023</a><br /><br /></strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/auto-sales-slip-5-percent-in-july-companies-build-up-inventory-ahead-of-the-festive-season/articleshow/102494498.cms"><strong>As auto sales slip in July, dealers pin hopes on upcoming festive fervour</strong></a><br />

Indian PC market declines for fourth consecutive quarter, reports 15% decline

Senior pacer <keyword id="19895336" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mohammed-shami" source="keywords">Mohammed Shami</keyword> has been ruled out of next month's <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword>n Premier League owing to a left ankle injury, for which he will undergo a surgery in the UK, a BCCI source told PTI on Thursday. The 33-year-old, who is not part of the ongoing Test series against England, last played for India in the ODI World Cup final against Australia in November. <br /><br /> "<keyword id="19929077" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shami" source="keywords">Shami</keyword> was in London in last week of January to take special ankle injections and he was told that after three weeks, he can start light running and take it from thereon. <br /><br /> "But the injection hasn't worked and now the only option left is surgery. He will shortly leave for UK for surgery. IPL seems out of question," a senior BCCI source said on the condition of anonymity. <br /><br /> Shami, who was one of the architects of India's stupendous World Cup campaign with 24 wickets, played through pain as he had problems with his landing but didn't let it affect his performance. <br /><br /> Shami, who was recently conferred with the Arjuna Award, has 229 Test, 195 ODI and 24 T20 wickets in his decade-long career. <br /><br /> The development raises a question mark about the injury rehabilitation management programme planned by the National Cricket Academy (<keyword id="19901707" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nca" source="keywords">NCA</keyword>) for Shami. <br /><br /> Now it is highly unlikely that the pace bowling artist would be able to make a comeback before India's Test matches at home against Bangladesh and New Zealand (October November). <br /><br /> His target could be the marquee away series against Australia. <br /><br /> People in the know of things believe that the NCA's conservative line of thinking has not worked in Shami's case. <br /><br /> "Shami should have gone directly for surgery and that should have been NCA's call. Just two months of rest and injections wouldn't have worked well and that's what has happened. He is an asset and the Indian team would need him in Australia," the source said.<br /><br /><b>SEE ALSO:</b><b><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indian-pc-market-down-by-6-6-in-2023-hp-leads-the-market-while-acer-gains/articleshow/107906820.cms" target="_blank"></a></b><br /><br /> <b><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indian-pc-market-down-by-6-6-in-2023-hp-leads-the-market-while-acer-gains/articleshow/107906820.cms" target="_blank">Indian PC market down by 6.6% in 2023, HP leads the market while Acer gains</a></b><b><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/iqoo-neo-9-pro-with-snapdragon-8-gen-2-launched-in-india-will-take-on-the-oneplus-12r/articleshow/107908049.cms" target="_blank"></a></b><br /><br /> <b><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/iqoo-neo-9-pro-with-snapdragon-8-gen-2-launched-in-india-will-take-on-the-oneplus-12r/articleshow/107908049.cms" target="_blank">iQOO Neo 9 Pro with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 launched in India, will take on the OnePlus 12R</a></b><b><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/from-usernames-to-secret-codes-for-locked-chats-here-are-the-upcoming-whatsapp-features/articleshow/107885651.cms" target="_blank"></a></b><br /><br /> <b><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/from-usernames-to-secret-codes-for-locked-chats-here-are-the-upcoming-whatsapp-features/articleshow/107885651.cms" target="_blank">From usernames to secret codes for locked chats, here are the upcoming WhatsApp features</a></b><br />

Mohammed Shami ruled out of IPL, to undergo ankle surgery

<ul><li>While the first half of the year was so unusual and unprecedented that the ad industry took a nosedive to as low as -60%, research studies have shown that the consumer sentiment is picking up and so are ad spends. </li><li>Diwali has brought an opportunity for brands to reconnect with their consumers, woo them again and remind that we are all in this together. </li><li>And Indian brands have not disappointed. From Mondelez and BYJU’s to HP, brands have made beautiful advertisements as a tribute to the working class that continues to struggle. </li><li>We reached out to experts to discuss their favourite ads from this Diwali and some of the reasons that make them special. So, here is a listicle compiling the best ads of this year. </li></ul>Diyas and rangolis, food and family, gifts and greetings – this is what makes Diwali truly special. It is also an advertising carnival which brings up an opportunity for brands to reconnect with consumers as the market sentiment improves. Brands pour in big monies on traditional mediums to reach out to consumers at a larger scale. Every year, categories like FMCG, apparel, auto, e-commerce and consumer durables become the biggest spenders during Diwali. <br /><br />However, 2020 is unusual. Coronavirus still hasn’t left our country and people continue to be cautious about stepping out. So, this Diwali won’t be about bursting crackers on the street and meeting your family to exchange sweets. It will all be virtual, about being there for each other in tough times and celebrating small victories while maintaining a safe distance. <br /><br />So this year, brands have looked beyond family and home. After spending the first half of the year jobless, locked inside four walls, there are many who won’t get to celebrate the festival of light in its true spirit because they would be busy searching for small opportunities to support their family. The ironman, painter, watchman, delivery personnel and many other Indians will continue working, some bound by their circumstances and others by their duties. <br /><br />COVID’s economic disruption has adversely impacted the collective optimism for festivities. Yet, all it takes is the determined optimism of hope and celebration to cheer someone. Therefore, many brands decided to shine a spotlight on these heroes who go unnoticed. They urged consumers to support different sectors of our society who have been badly impacted by COVID-19. <br /><br />Common themes of togetherness, compassion, positivity, generosity, uplifting each other and supporting small businesses, emerged this year and took over the advertising canvas. Brands reminded their audience to help bring light and joy not just inside their homes but also outside their lives by sharing a little part of their happiness. After all, that's what festivals are all about.<br /><br />So like this unusual year, we decide to do something different. We reached out to experts to find out their favourite advertisements and the reasons why they loved them. Here is what they had to say about creativity this Diwali: <br /><br /><strong>Ronita Mitra, Founder and Chief Strategist, Brand Eagle Consulting:<br /></strong><br />Most brands have been warm, telling stories of togetherness and bonding with family, friends and neighbours. In that sense, all brands are playing their role in uplifting the sentiments of consumers, encouraging them to enjoy the festive season once again.<br /><br />However the campaign that stands out for me is the Cadbury's campaign. The brand has weaved in "togetherness and inclusiveness" into the very heart of the campaign idea. and gone beyond merely producing an engaging ad with a well told, warm story. The Cadbury's brand has taken the idea of togetherness to a different level by involving and doing something meaningful for a segment of society that has been badly impacted by Covid - the local neighbourhood retailers. It has played the role of a truly responsible, inclusive brand that believes growth is sustainable when the eco system grows together. The idea entails high level execution effort in terms of integrating the gathering database with advanced technology to make the idea come alive in a real way for every consumer.<br /><br />The campaign is an inspiring coming together of idea, execution and technology at every stage from conceptualization to the hyper personalised media plan.<br />              <div type="Youtube" id="So16ZBPK6mo" title="This is not just a Cadbury ad" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/So16ZBPK6mo/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><strong>Roshan Abbas, Founder &amp; MD, Geometry Encompass:</strong><br /><br />I just saw a lovely HP Print ad on DiwaliDilWali, it was beautiful and emotional. A follow up to their earlier campaign 2 years ago on supporting local sellers, it brings together the beauty of innovation, emotion and has a fabulous performance by Seema Pahwa. While everyone is harping on supporting small sellers the route and product integration is what makes this different.<br />              <div type="Youtube" id="2uA1r8gaRik" title="#YeDiwaliDilWali" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2uA1r8gaRik/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><strong><keyword id="247533" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Karthik-Srinivasan">Karthik Srinivasan</keyword>, Social Media Expert and Independent Brand Consultant: <br /></strong><br />I have seen a few Deepavali/Diwali ads and so far liked 2 of them more than the others.<br /><br />Both have the same theme, of not stopping the kind of work/purchases that we do during Deepavali because of the pandemic. Whether that sells consumerism or is coated as restarting the seller-buyer ecosystem is a different question.<br /><br />The first one is by Birla White, a brand that doesn't really have a say in Diwali, but brings itself very contextually and meaningfully into the Diwali discussion. This is by Autumn Grey.<br />              <div type="Youtube" id="FKnAmnyf_eo" title="Deewarein Sajengi Tabhi Toh Tyohaar Ki Rangat Badhegi" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/FKnAmnyf_eo/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br />The second is a surprise since it is not from India! This ad is for the Malaysian bank, RHB that features Tamilians (Malaysian Tamils) and Tamil language, by FCB Kuala Lumpur. The theme is very similar to the Birla White story in that both use the father-daughter dynamics for emotional appeal.<br />              <div type="Youtube" id="gaUtaD-uzyg" title="RHB Deepavali 2020: Light In a Time of Darkness" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gaUtaD-uzyg/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><strong>Heeru Dingra, CEO, WATConsult: </strong><br /><br /> Out of all ads that seem to have gone live so far, Phillips’ Diwali campaign ‘Khushiyon Ki Ladi’, weaves a very beautiful and relevant story for the audience. Instead of approaching the festival directly, they took the viewers on a journey showcasing an interlinked chain of festivities, which surrounds all of us. With very relatable scenes like receiving a delivery, or purchasing sweets at a store, the video basically taught us the economy and dependency that businesses have on each other. With its smooth story narration and the ingrained feel good factor, the campaign did what it set out to do – make us associate Diwali with a feeling of community and interconnectivity. <br />    <div type="Youtube" id="GGd_g9MT0oY" title="Philips | #KhushiyonKiLadi" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GGd_g9MT0oY/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br /><strong>Vishnu Srivastav, Vishnu Srivastav, Creative Head, DDB Mudra South:</strong><br /><br />My favourite Diwali campaign this year is ‘Not Just a <keyword id="3275564" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cadbury-Ad">Cadbury Ad</keyword>’ by Cadbury. A large brand using its large platform to help other businesses in need. What could capture the Diwali spirit and Cadbury’s ethos of spreading cheer better? It’s data driven advertising with a deeply human impact.<br /><br /><strong>Janhavi Iyer, Associate Director- Content Strategy, Gozoop:</strong><br /><br />The Not Just a Cadbury Ad by Cadbury definitely caught my attention this year. Not only is it supported by the use of sound media technology with the pin-code based personalization but it also meets one of the most important criteria for a great ad and that is actionability. With Covid leaving small and local businesses suffering, Cadbury’s ad was not just on brand but its simple message of buying local capitalized on the predominant sentiment of the nation, at a time when it was needed most. This year, as I stepped outside to shop for Diwali, I went to all my local stores, a conscious action sparked by a simple and insightful campaign. <br /><br />I’d also give a shout out to Oppo’s Be The Light campaign. From a storytelling perspective, the short film struck all the right chords without pushing the product too much, making it a delight to watch.<br />              <div type="Youtube" id="KHxc8QkSwiQ" title="OPPO F17 Pro - #BeTheLight To Spread The Light | Diwali'20" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/KHxc8QkSwiQ/mqdefault.jpg"></div><br />

Experts share their favourite Diwali campaigns from 2020

<ul><li>It is after a long time that we have consistently seen <keyword id="2727" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rahul-dravid" source="Orion">Rahul Dravid</keyword> in the brandverse.</li><li>After his association with CRED, Dravid has signed up a few more brand deals with Piramal Realty, Practo, Orchids, to mention a few.</li><li>According to TAM sports, Dravid had about a 4% share in television advertisements during the first half of 2021. He was also the eighth most-loved sports celebrity in India this year.</li><li>So, as the Former Indian captain dons a new role in Indian cricket history and bags more brand deals, we speak to brand custodians to find out the reasons behind his comeback and decode his equity as a brand endorser.</li></ul>Rahul Dravid, team India’s newly appointed head coach, has found his space back into the brandverse after his clutter-breaking and memorable performance in <a href="https://twitter.com/imvkohli/status/1380451732690411521?s=21">CRED’s campaign</a>. The brand had unleashed Dravid’s unseen side and the audience was astonished! Apart from breaking other bowlers’ patience, we have never seen Dravid break anything or lose his calm at all. We certainly did not expect the zen Rahul Dravid to react as we do in traffic. This Indiranagar ka Gunda won millions of hearts with his acting skills and his ad went on to become the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/advertising/brands/article/creds-ad-featuring-rahul-dravid-was-the-most-viral-ad-in-ipl-2021-report/articleshow/87279382.cms">most viral ad during IPL 2021. </a><br /><br />Since Dravid’s association with CRED, his popularity seems to be growing steadily. He has signed up a few more brand deals with Piramal Realty, Practo, Orchids, to mention a few.<br /><br />On the field, he was fondly referred to as ‘The Wall’ or ‘Mr Dependable’ for acting as the team’s silent saviour and guiding them out of troubled waters time and again. He was also known as one of the most disciplined cricketers with a sound technique and at one point, he was a bowler’s nightmare. However, he lived under Sachin Tendulkar’s shadow during his entire career and in the last decade, after he resigned from international cricket, he was replaced by MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli in the marketing world too. After experiencing a dry spell in the ad industry for years, he has finally made a comeback. According to TAM sports, Dravid had about a 4% share in television advertisements during the first half of 2021. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/advertising/media/article/top-10-sports-celebrities-of-the-brandverse-in-2021-as-per-tam/slidelist/85649566.cms">He was the eighth most-loved sports celebrity in India. </a><br /><br />Telling us the reasons behind Dravid’s rising popularity, Lloyd Mathias, Business Strategist and former marketer at HP, Motorola and PepsiCo, said, “Rahul has always been a thinking cricketer known for his poise, balance and maturity and his batting best described by the moniker ‘the wall’ have always been the mainstay of India’s cricket through the late nineties and 2000s. So even after his retirement from international cricket, his association with the game as the captain of IPL team Rajasthan Royals and as the head of the National Cricket Academy NCA continued. Another reason for the renewed brand interest is the fact that Dravid is now the Head Coach of the Indian cricket team, one of the key positions in Indian sport. This brings him Centerstage as he helps navigate India’s cricket team over the next few years.”<br /><br />Athletes and sports personalities disappear from the limelight once their sporting career comes to an end. However, Dravid has managed to stay relevant. <br /><br />N. Chandramouli, CEO, TRA is confident that Dravid’s brand value will only rise in the coming years. <br /><br />He said, “Rahul Dravid has kept his brand relevant, but not over-exposed, and therefore even at 48 years, he is likely to see his brand value grow over the years.”<br /><br />So, what’s the secret behind this? Chandramouli says, “Sportspersons usually have a short shelf-life for endorsements, and it declines sharply after their sporting careers are over. However, the two-decade career of Rahul Dravid has had glittering successes and his dependability on the field is legendary. His calm, non-controversial demeanor is at its batting best off the field too. He is a brand’s dream as an endorser, especially for those who want to show dependability.”<br /><br />Shashwat Das, Founder and Director, Almond Branding said that The Wall of Indian cricket will never go out of fashion and the CRED campaign has only strengthened his position as an endorser. <br /><br />He said, "Just last week the batting legend has been officially appointed the head coach of the Indian cricket team. That clearly shows that he has miles to go as far as his contribution to Indian cricket is concerned. The same holds true for the brandverse! I would say his PR team has been doing a commendable job and is a big force behind not only his comeback to the brandverse but also pushing him beyond his typical gentlemen arena. Jammy’s act of breaking things as “Indranagar ka Gunda” was clearly breaking the internet. After CRED, we suddenly are ready to see much more from him. I am sure we will see many more of his brand endorsements in the coming year."<br /><br />With 18.9k followers on Instagram, Dravid’s social media following also adds to the potential consumer base for the associated brands, especially during the lockdown when most of the brands had little to no access to the traditional channels of advertisement.<br /><br />Over the years, Dravid has also managed to stay clean from any controversy -- making him a safe bet for brands. He has endorsed everything from grooming products to insurance brands, staying four feet apart from pan masala brands. In fact, he was a part of a<a href="https://youtu.be/6fOUNhW1YVY"> Tobacco control campaign</a> that helped him reiterate his principles and ethics to consumers. It is his charming personality and tactical acumen that he has always held a special place in India’s marketing world. He has emerged as the perfect option for brands who want to establish themselves as the ‘pillar of strength and trust.’<br /><br />“Dravid’s allure for brand is his mature and untarnished reputation who has always played fair both on and off the field. A player who despite his awesome achievements has remained controversy-free, stayed low profile and shunned the limelight. This archetype is generally rare among sportspersons and movie stars and makes for a brand endorser that many stable brands would opt for. I think his personality makes a great fit for categories that work around tradition, and value trust and dependability - BFSI, Technology, FinTech and Education/EdTech,” said Mathias. <br /><br />He also said that Dravid’s equity might see a hike after his recent appointment as India’s Head Coach.<br /><br />Mathias added, “Dravid's brand equity should see an upsurge with the Indian cricket head coach role. Brands may see the appeal of someone who’s nationally revered, had a great playing career, morphing into an astute administrator and coach combined with a positive and untarnished reputation as a great rub off.”<br /><br />While we all know that brands chase numbers, some celebrities live forever. Dravid, the wall of Indian Cricket Team, is one of those stars who will shine for years to come. His brand image, relatability and followership continue to remain strong and experts expect the same trend going forward.<br />

Decoding Rahul Dravid’s rising popularity among brands

<ul><li>Food delivery app Swiggy’s response to a tweet from a parody Nirmala Sitharaman account around the ongoing farmers' protest stirred up a new row of controversy on social media. </li><li>However, unlike other brands, Swiggy hasn’t withdrawn its tweet after the <keyword id="10363840" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="boycott-trend">boycott trend</keyword>. </li><li>We spoke to experts to find out if brands should dare comment at all around a political controversy or ignore the online trolls to keep talking about issues that matter. </li><li>Experts also shared with us the ideal ways of dealing with online trolls. </li></ul>Yet another brand has found itself in the crosshairs of a boycott trend on social media. Food delivery app Swiggy’s response to a tweet from a parody Nirmala Sitharaman account around the ongoing farmers’ protest was the talk of the town on December 01. The conversation soon snowballed and erupted into a controversy leading to #BoycottSwiggy trending on Twitter. <br /><br /><div type="twitter" handle="Cryptic_Miind" handlename="Nimo Tai 2.0" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1325128957138591744/J0qHZI5a_normal.jpg" favoritecount="16107" retweetcount="1636" status="Had an argument with my Bhakt friend over farmers protest.He said that we are not dependent on farmers for food.… https://t.co/guRt5q2NU5" createdat="1606722717000" id="1333317830574424064"></div><br />Swiggy responded to this tweet with the wit and humour it is known for, saying, “sorry, we can’t refund education.” <br /><br />In the last few months as people have had more time to kill, many brands, actors and celebrities have been boycotted online. However, they have either chosen silence or deleted their campaigns and opinionated tweets to stay away from controversies. We were surprised to see Swiggy take the higher ground and firmly stand true to its opinion. At the time of filing this story, Swiggy’s tweet hasn’t been retracted yet and has over 32k likes. <br /><br />It saw a mixed response from the Twitterati yesterday. Some were quick to jump in to ask for another boycott for ‘calling Hindus <a href="https://twitter.com/iprashantvns/status/1333406078705553408">uneducated</a>,’ some were thrilled to see a brand take a <a href="https://twitter.com/Pun_Starr/status/1333627539319885825">stand </a>and some just advised the brand to stay <a href="https://twitter.com/sumitsaurabh/status/1333443757153271808">away </a>from such controversies.<br /><br />Lately, it has become increasingly tough for a brand to navigate through these volatile climes and have a political or any kind of opinion. And millennials are known for buying brands who stand up for what they believe in. So should brands have an opinion at all or take a firm stand? Do consumers lose trust in brands who retract their opinions and what is the ideal way to deal with online trolls? We reached out to brand experts to find out. <br /><br /><keyword id="247533" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Karthik-Srinivasan">Karthik Srinivasan</keyword>, Social Media Expert and Independent Communications Consultant, brought up an important point. He reminded us that a brand without an opinion is just an entity that sells a product. <br /><br />“When brands joined social media and started behaving like media, they started having a voice and an opinion. So, it's a bit too late to ask the question if brands should have a voice or an opinion. If they stop having either of those, then they would be reduced to selling their products or services, and that would be functional, and now perceived as boring communication. As for volatile, controversial or political content, there are no specific guidelines that can dictate those markers. ITC Bingo's recent controversy that blindsided them from nowhere is a good example. If brands err on the side of caution, they'd self-censor themselves to the point of sticking to functional content only, going back to boring communication,” said Srinivasan. <br /><br />On the other hand, Harish Bijoor, Brand-strategy specialist &amp; Founder, <keyword id="618300" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Harish-Bijoor-Consults-Inc-">Harish Bijoor Consults Inc.</keyword> said that brands should ‘avoid two sanctum sanctorum topics: politics and religion altogether for now’ (referring to the political climate we are living in). <br /><br />He said, “There will be two sets of Swiggy users now. Those who support and those who oppose. I ask, why? Why divide users at all? Keep them united under the umbrella of the brand, instead of dividing under the same umbrella. I do strongly believe that brands must not dabble in the space of active politics and religion. When brands do, they divide society. The ultimate aim of a brand is it to divide society into supporters and opposers. Instead, brand’s aim and goal is to unite all under the umbrella of the brand. Woke is a very distant movement for now in India. Avoid it in the interest of the brand.” <br /><br />However, brands build a personality with their external communication. They associate themselves with a value to fill a consumer gap. A CMO and advertising agency’s core job is to keep building an image through advertisements that speaks to their consumers heart-to-heart. So, can a message be ever delivered sans emotions and appeal to a large set of audience? <br /><br />Srinivasan answered, “Like how we deal with people we live with, people we love or people we are acquainted with, if they have a different point of view on so-called contentious topics like the choice of political party/leader, religion, sports etc. we continue to put up with them because their diverging opinion is only one small part of who they are and what they believe in. Similarly, the brand's voice online is merely one facet of its overall corporate personality, while it could perfectly serve the functional need for which we buy/use it.”<br /><br />Speaking on whether brands should have a political opinion, <keyword id="244384" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lloyd-Mathias">Lloyd Mathias</keyword>, Business Strategist and Former Asia Marketing Head of HP Inc said, “Brands should be more circumspect but not shy away from doing what is right for their brands. They need to be conscious of the fact that social media allows consumers to react and share their views, so they need to fully analyse the possible reactions – but in no way should they hold back from doing the right thing.” <br /><br />GenZ is increasingly becoming more aware of how advertising works and is able to separate grey from black. They view brands as a form of self-expression and to connect with them, brands are also expected to go beyond just selling their products. They are known to connect with brands that they feel are socially and environmentally conscious.<br /><br />Sharing his thoughts on GenZ and brands taking a stand, Mathias said, “While it is important for companies and brands to respect public sentiment, it should not stop them from speaking out on issues that matter. Brands are important elements in shaping culture. They play a big part in influencing consumer behaviour and moulding opinion. With increasing GenZ and millennial consumers becoming a large part of most brands' target segments, there will be pressure on brands and companies to take firm stands on issues that matter to these young people. Looking away is no longer an easy option.” <br /><br />If a brand does take a stand, online trolls and their boycott trend is likely to follow. On how a brand should deal with online controversies, Srinivasan said, “There's a difference between 'I refuse to buy it' vs. 'I refuse to buy it and I ask you all to behave like me'. The former is a perfectly understandable stand, and is a personal decision. When someone rallies around it to get more people to follow suit, that is a campaign. Such campaigns are more performative than meaningful - a show of strength by one group or other to force the brand to do as they wish. If the brand submits to the demand, another group could start a boycott campaign for submitting to the first group's demands. So, it's a perpetual cycle if they brand sways by one group or another.” <br /><br />He added, “As long as the brand's service or product is serving a useful need, they need to remember the saying, "This too shall pass", because on social media it really does pass. People cannot boycott all the brands all the time and they have a lot of other things to do besides starting boycott campaigns on assorted brands for one reason or another. They simply need to get their brand's personality detailed out, and stick to that. The problem invariably is that brands work harder on external identity markers like design, logo, colors etc. and less on the inherent personality traits like tone, language, stand on issues affecting the audiences they target. The latter is particularly essential because when the brand joins social media, they become one of the people who use the platforms online. As long as the stand they adopt is based on explainable logic and common sense, they just need to stick to the personality.”<br />

Has the latest Swiggy controversy reminded brands that it is okay to have a political opinion?

<p>Apple has retained its position as the world's most valuable brand, according to <a href="http://www.bestglobalbrands.com/2014/ranking/">brand management firm Interbrand's annual rankings</a>.</p>
<p>Apple usurped Coca-Cola from the top spot, which had held the position for 13 years, in last year's list. This year Apple has increased its brand value by 21% to $118.9 billion.</p>
<p>Tech brands dominated the rankings, with 13 entrants. Google once again was the second most valuable in the world, increasing its brand value by 15% to $107.4 billion. Elsewhere in Interbrand's top 100, Facebook and Amazon were among the top risers.</p>
<p>To conduct its annual study, Interbrand measures companies' financial performance, the role that brand plays in influencing customer choice and the strength the brand has to command a premium price or secure earnings for the company.</p>

<h3>20. Honda<br>Brand value: $21.7bn<br>Last year's rank: 20<br>Change in value: +17%</br></br></br></h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Honda has been plagued by recalls in 2014 but its announcement that it was returning to Formula 1 as an engine supplier for McLaren, after a break of more than 20 years, is helping the brand grow and more clearly differentiate itself from competitors.</p>
<p>Honda has also been partnering with with tech companies like Google and Apple to work on programs like telematics and driverless cars - although Interbrand says this is far from unique in the category.</p>
<h3>19. Louis Vuitton<br>Brand value: $22.5bn<br>Last year's rank: 17<br>Change in value: -9%</br></br></br></h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Interbrand says Louis Vuitton is affected by fluctuating exchange rates in the global economy and the impact of political and economic climates on key customers, such as Russian and Chinese travelers.</p>
<p>Louis Vuitton must push its core strengths in "extraordinary design, technical innovation, style and authenticity" if it is to retain strong brand loyalty with global consumers, Interbrand says. That might be achieved during the fall season with the launch new collection of Marc Jacobs' successor, Nicolas Guesquière, hitting stores for the first time.</p>
<h3>18. Gillette<br>Brand value: $22.8bn <br>Last year's rank: 16<br>Change in value: -9%</br></br></br></h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Gillette is maintaining its lead by staying true to its "The Best a Man Can Get" brand promise, offering a broad range of products. While sales growth is slowing as more men adopt facial hair, Gillette is responding with the introduction of new products like the Gillette Body razor and the Gillette Fusion ProGlide which uses the brand's proprietary "Flexball" technology.</p>
<p>But the brand remains under threat from cheaper alternatives such as the Dollar Shave Club, 800Razors.com and general disposable razors.</p>
<h3>17. HP<br>Brand value: $23.8bn<br>Last year's rank: 15<br>Change in value: -8%</br></br></br></h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>HP hit the headlines this month when it announced it would be splitting into two companies, one devoted to business technology and the other concentrating on personal computing. Interbrand says the year ahead for HP will be a "pivotal one".</p>
<p>In recent months the company placed strategic bets on mobility, security, big data and cloud technologies which have led to new product launches like the Slate VoiceTab phablet range for India, plans to invest in 3D printing and the launch of a new converged infrastructure platform.</p>
<h3>16. Oracle<br>Brand value: $25.9bn<br>Last year's rank: 18<br>Change in value: +8%</br></br></br></h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Oracle is a complex business, having spent 10 years acquiring more than 100 companies to build its back office solutions suite. Its challenge now is to define the Oracle brand as a whole, not just a sum of these complex parts.</p>
<p>Oracle's marketing of late has all been around "simplicity" as it looks to increase understanding about its business. Interbrand says with more effective storytelling about how the business is evolving and where it is headed, Oracle can transition smoothly into the next stage of its development.</p>
<h3>15. Amazon<br>Brand value: $29.5bn<br>Last year's rank: 19<br>Change in value: 25%</br></br></br></h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Amazon was the "top riser" in Interbrand's list this year. In 2013 the company expanded from its core retail roots by entering into a content licensing agreement with HBO, growing its AmazonFresh grocery delivery service and launching its Fire TV service for users to access Netflix, Prime Instant Video and Hulu all in one place.</p>
<p>Looking ahead Interbrand says Amazon's brand value may lift even higher if it gains approval from the Federal Aviation Authority to launch its Amazon Prime Air delivery service and as it continues to invest in customer personalization.</p>
<h3>14. Cisco<br>Brand value: $30.9bn<br>Last year's rank: 13<br>Change in value: 6%</br></br></br></h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Last year Cisco launched its "Internet of Everything" marketing campaign, which is still running today, telling the story of how the company is connecting the previously unconnected - a move that is expanding its presence in the global marketplace.</p>
<p>Interbrand says Cisco is now in a thought leadership position in terms of how technology is transforming the world. Aside from marketing, Cisco is also improving the value of its brand by increasing its speed to market from 3 to 5 years to 12-18 months.</p>
<h3>13. Disney<br>Brand value: $32.2bn<br>Last year's rank: 14<br>Change in value: 14%</br></br></br></h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>The box office super hit that was Frozen helped revitalize Disney as a global powerhouse last year. Also key to Disney's brand strength is its use of technology and data to understand what customers want and personalize their experiences.</p>
<p>Big news such as its partnership with Marvel to create programming for Netflix, the launch of the Disney Infinity gaming platform and Disney's acquisition of YouTube network Maker studios were all announced in recent months. Interbrand says that by continuing to grow its reputation for top family entertainment and increasing its focus on next generation media and technology, Disney is ready to "thrive."</p>
<h3>12. Intel<br>Brand value: $34.2bn<br>Last year's rank: 9<br>Change in value: -8%</br></br></br></h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Intel is facing an uphill challenge as global PC sales are experiencing a 4.4% year-on-year decline. In response, Intel is moving into new markets including cloud computing, the "internet of things" and wearables, demonstrated by its partnership with fashion designers Opening Ceremony to create a smart bracelet.</p>
<p>These are all moves in the right direction but Intel, the brand built around power and performance, is finding it hard to differentiate itself - particularly as the tablet and smartphone markets are dominated by competitors ARM and Qualcomm.</p>
<p>Interbrand advises Intel to reignite growth through innovation, revitalize its identity and generate awareness through marketing to build upon its heritage as a brand that transforms life through technology.</p>
<h3>11. BMW<br>Brand value: $34.2bn<br>Last year's rank: 12<br>Change in value: +7%</br></br></br></h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>BMW has managed to increase its relevance with models like the i3 emission-free car for driving around cities and the i8 progressive sports car and its "Born Electric" marketing campaign. The push has brought BMW's mobility ideals to life, proving the brand is "Fueled by Innovation," Interbrand says.</p>
<p>Over the past few years BMW has refined its brand strategy, internal communications clarity and external brand consistency to build the value of its brand. Record sales in China and an "enviable" profit margin per vehicle have also been credit for BMW's success last year.</p>
<h3>10. Mercedes-Benz<br>Brand value: $34.3bn<br>Last year's rank: 11<br>Change in value: +8%</br></br></br></h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>German automaker Mercedes-Benz reported a record 14% increase in sales last year, having revitalized itself with new models and "fresh expressions of its brand" which includes making contributions to clean mobility.</p>
<p>Interbrand says Mercedes-Benz owes much of its recent success to continual innovation and its commitment to debuting new products and services.</p>
<p>Its researchers say the brand has also raised the bar when it comes to delivering premium customer experiences with its "Mercedes me" initiative, which bundles benefits and services like "Move me," "Connect me," and "Assist me" on one digital platform.</p>
<h3>9. McDonald's<br>Brand value: $42.3bn<br>Last year's rank: 7<br>Change in value: +1%</br></br></br></h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>McDonald's global sales have been under pressure but the brand is working hard to respond to consumer demand for healthier meals and expand its operations globally.</p>
<p>High profile sponsorships of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2014 Winter Olympics and major <keyword id="35666" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="advertising">advertising</keyword> campaigns have helped McDonald's maintain awareness and promote new launches, such as its revamp of its fries packaging which allowed customers to play an augmented reality soccer game.</p>
<p>The brand is now on a journey to rebrand itself as "not online a cheap food destination, but an appealing and high-quality one as well."</p>
<h3>8. Toyota<br>Brand value: $45.4bn<br>Last year's rank 10<br>Change in value: +20%</br></br></br></h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Toyota is the most valuable automotive brand on this year's ranking, despite a huge vehicle recall and being fined $1.2bn by the US Justice Department in March.</p>
<p>The company has evolved its marketing with campaigns like "Let's go places" and "Go Fun Yourself" to add a more playful dimension to it communications. Elsewhere, Toyota has also made efforts to increase diversity within the company and collaborated with brands such as BMW on projects such as electric drivetrains and fuel cell engineering.</p>
<p>By prioritizing collaboration, investing in mobility and putting sustainability and innovation at the top of its agenda, Toyota is well positioned for the future, Interbrand says.</p>
<h3>7. Samsung<br>Brand value: $45.5bn<br>Last year's rank: 8<br>Change in value: 15%</br></br></br></h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Samsung continues to lead the competitive global smartphone market in terms of volume and doubled its presence in tablets last year. The company has also made sustained investments in R&amp;D to bring out technologies such as curbed TVs and a virtual reality headset.</p>
<p>In 2013 Samsung tripled its marketing spend to $14bn - the equivalent of Iceland's GDP and more than triple Microsoft and Apple's combined marketing spend last year - to drive perceptions of the company as an aspirational brand.</p>
<h3>6. General Electric<br>Brand value: $45.5bn<br>Last year's rank: 6<br>Change in value: -3%</br></br></br></h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>General Electric is in the process of reinventing itself by harnessing big data to make its heavy industrial machines smarter.</p>
<p>Over the past 12 months GE has divested its retail finance division and it was announced that Electrolux would buy GE's appliance business for $3.3bn, indicating how the company is transitioning away from consumer businesses and focusing more intently on industrials. But despite the shift, GE's marketing and relationships with customers remains very personal, having produced ads such as "What Would Happen" and "Childlike Imagination,"</p>
<p>Interbrand says initiatives such as its Garages global road show which showcases innovations in manufacturing demonstrate how "GE is not just imagining what's next, but is actually doing it."</p>
<h3>5. Microsoft<br>Brand value: $61.2bn<br>Last year's rank: 5<br>Change in brand value: +3%</br></br></br></h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>The past 12 months have been transformational for Microsoft, with new CEO Satya Nadella now firmly in place and leading the company's move towards a new "cloud and mobile first" era.</p>
<p>To demonstrate this new vision, Microsoft has completed its purchase of Nokia's devices and services division, released the Cortana personal voice assistant, acquired the parent company of Minecraft and rebranded its cloud computing enterprise Windows Azure to Microsoft Azure and made it compete on price with Amazon Web services.</p>
<h3>4. IBM<br>Brand value: $72.2bn<br>Last year's rank: 4<br>Change in brand value: -8%</br></br></br></h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>IBM is in the process of shifting from its five-year old "Smarter Planet" strategy to a stronger focus on big data, cloud computing and analytics, following year on year declines in both revenue and profit.</p>
<p>The challenge is differentiation: all its competitors are also focused on all the same areas. IBM will be hoping its b2b computing partnership with Apple, announced in July, will enrich its analytics offering with the input of billions of data points from iOS devices.</p>
<p>The company has made multi-million dollar investments in acquisitions, net capital expenditures and R&amp;D, earning it the most US patents for the 21st straight year in 2013. In early 2014 IBM formed the IBM Watson Group which aims to work out how to make decisions based on all the data that exists in the world as it looks to set itself apart from the rest of its competitors as the leader in the big data space.</p>
<h3>3. Coca-Cola<br>Brand value: $81.6bn<br>Last year's rank: 3<br>Change in brand value: +3%</br></br></br></h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Coca-Cola has seen declining sales growth in North America, its biggest market, as demand for its products wanes among increasingly health conscious consumers.</p>
<p>To help combat this, the company has been rolling out mid-calorie "green" cola Coca-Cola Life. Elsewhere it has also partnered with brands including Nike, P&amp;G, Ford and Heinz to accelerate the development of products made from plants as it looks to respond to concerns around sustainability.</p>
<p>Interbrand says Coca-Cola's opportunity ahead lies in continuing to strengthen the brand's connections with Millennials and addressing the shift away from sweet, carbonated beverages to high energy and health-conscious ones, especially in North America and Western Europe.</p>
<h3>2. Google<br>Brand value: $107.4bn<br>Last year's rank: 2<br>Change in brand value: +15%</br></br></br></h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Google continued its quest this year to be leaders in far more than search alone. Recent ambitious projects - known internally as "moon shots" - include self driving cars, the roll out of Google Glass, Project Loon (its global network of high altitude balloons that provide internet access to people in remote areas) and an investment in a biotech company that is working to slow human aging.</p>
<p>Interbrand says that with its extensive reach in search, advertising, Android, apps and Google+, Google has the capabilities and resources to continue to deliver on its vision to provide more personalized experiences.</p>
<h3>1. Apple<br>Brand value: $118.9bn<br>Last year's rank: 1<br>Change in brand value: 21%</br></br></br></h3>
<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Apple maintained its position at the head of the rankings by continuing to be bold, Interbrand says. Recent examples of boldness have included the launch of Apple Pay, the long-anticipated Apple Watch, two new iPhones and software such as CarPlay and HomeKit.</p>
<p>Intebrand says the real breakthrough, though, is how the products now work together to make everything in your life work that bit better.</p></hr>

The 20 Most Valuable Brands In The World

<ul><li>As of April 29, there are 18 million active Covid cases in India.</li><li>To help our country grapple with the second wave of Coronavirus pandemic, many brands have stepped forward to do their bit.</li><li>Apart from financial aid, there’s another powerful tool that brands can use today -- advertising. It can influence consumers to act and remind them that we are in this together.</li><li>We reached out to experts to understand how should a brand use its marketing tools today: should they halt their advertising to give consumers space or launch empathetic campaigns as a reminder of togetherness and better tomorrow.</li></ul>As we stepped into 2021, consumers were hopeful about their lives returning back to normalcy. There was hope and enthusiasm for a better tomorrow. We were almost towards the end of it. Consumer sentiment also picked up with the announcement of India’s biggest sporting event IPL and advertisers were optimistic about bouncing back to normalcy. Advertising agencies worked on IPL pitches for months, risked their lives to execute them and even started thinking about campaigns for Mother’s Day. <br /><br />However, the country now is in the midst of one of the worst calamities it has faced in recent times. Our country’s healthcare system and our brave healthcare workers continue to be under tremendous pressure. It has impacted our mental health because we are living in constant fear of us or someone close to us contracting the virus. People are either mourning someone’s loss or dealing with the anxiety that they might have to, soon. <br /><br />Despite the despondency in the air, citizens have taken it upon themselves to help each other out. Many brands and organisations have also come to our rescue. They are using their social media reach to amplify requests for hospitals beds and oxygen supply. They have also donated money to government bodies and NGOs. <br /><br />There’s another powerful tool that brands can use today -- advertising. It can influence consumers to act. Apart from facing the truth of what’s happening around us, we need empathy and kindness to get through this tough phase. It is only in socially-distanced unity and togetherness that we can find courage to face the reality. Consumers also need compassion, more than ever today. They need brands they follow to set an example and encourage them. Afterall, they are a huge part of our country. <br /><br />Many brands, however, have chosen silence to give their consumers enough space to heal. A few are using their social media to help everyone out -- left, right and centre. Some have chosen to focus on the fact that consumers still need products and services to survive and have continued advertising like nothing has changed. At the same time, these ads remind us of good, old days and serve as a great escape from the grim reality.<br /><br />So, we reached out to experts to understand how should a brand use its marketing tools today. Here is what they had to say:<br /><br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Karthik Srinivasan, Social Media Expert and Independent Brand Consultant:" text="Karthik Srinivasan, Social Media Expert and Independent Brand Consultant:"><span data-til="noop">Karthik Srinivasan, Social Media Expert and Independent Brand Consultant:</span></cmsannotation> <br /><br />I would say that silence is definitely not the best way for brands now. It could be construed as disinterest or worse, callousness. A better way could be one of the two, or both, depending on the size and scale of the brand.<br /><br /><strong>1. Make yourself directly useful - use your reach:</strong> Brands have media budgets, social handles with a sizable following, and access to media. They could put this to good use by helping in the coordination of essential medical supplies including oxygen. This would take time, effort, and coordination, but it would also be a visible example of the brand trying to help as against one donation done once and announced. This is particularly useful for brands that cannot reposition their own products/services as a way to help people manage their lives during a pandemic. For instance, a movie production house. Or a fashion brand. Or a Cola brand. Or IPL teams.<br /><br /><strong>2. Make yourself indirectly useful - use your product/service context: </strong>This is useful for brands that can reposition their own products/services as a way to help people manage their lives during a pandemic.<br /><br />For example, a book retailer (or an audiobooks retailer, like Audible) could make a selection of their repertoire free/cheaper and pick those titles that can calm minds, or those that can help engage children (helping the parents who are recuperating). Or a retailer or producer of audio equipment could become a curator of calming music, podcasts, or audiobook titles. This way, they are not selling their products, but merely making them a backdrop to a far more contextually useful curation effort that is related to their category. Or food brands that could help offer recipes to gradually overcome the loss of sense of taste and smell. <br /><div type="twitter" handle="beastoftraal" handlename="Karthik" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1140493276316745734/WH-6N17h_normal.jpg" favoritecount="8" retweetcount="2" status="Nice idea - &quot;A cook book to inspire those experiencing changes in taste and smell as a result of Covid&quot; (free digit… https://t.co/UU5s258eOf" createdat="1619440585000" id="1386660436552994821"></div><br />It is important that brands do not force-fit or contort themselves to become relevant within the COVID-19 context - that would be seen through and exposed very soon, and backfire badly. The connection has to be entirely natural and more importantly, purposeful.<br /><br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Lloyd Mathias, Business Strategist, Investor and former APAC Marketing head of HP:" text="Lloyd Mathias, Business Strategist, Investor and former APAC Marketing head of HP:"><span data-til="noop">Lloyd Mathias, Business Strategist, Investor and former APAC Marketing head of HP:</span></cmsannotation><br /><br />I think a brand cannot completely isolate themselves from the reality on the ground. Given the grim situation because of the Covid surge, it is appropriate that commercial objectives take a back seat and a brand communicates sensitively.<br /><br />Staying silent is a safe and acceptable strategy but if a brand can help people cope in any way appropriate, this will be a good time to do so. This could mean using the brand’s assets – communication spends or social media assets to communicate help messages or using logistical resources to move healthcare related equipment. These need to be devoid of any commercial motive or seem like virtue signalling. So staying sensitive to large humanitarian tragedy is paramount.<br /><br />Also, collaborating with a competitor on any social project would seem like a mature and positive thing to do. Many fondly remember Nike’s support to the Back Lives Matter movement when they said ‘For once, don't do it.’ Seeing this heartfelt message, Adidas shared the sentiment saying together we can move forward and change. This worked wonderfully for both brands.<br /><br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Vani Gupta Dandia, Founder, CherryPeachPlum Growth:" text="Vani Gupta Dandia, Founder, CherryPeachPlum Growth:"><span data-til="noop">Vani Gupta Dandia, Founder, CherryPeachPlum Growth:</span></cmsannotation><br /><br />What can brands do in all of this crying chaos? Quite simply help, for no other reason, but for humanitarian reasons.<br /><br />Corporates can respond in one of three ways: <br /><br />1) Support the efforts to fight the virus directly e.g. by providing infrastructure (ambulances, cold chains for supply chain management), volunteers, disseminating information on hygiene protocols etc.<br /><br />Last few days, for example, OYO has converted its rooms into isolation centres. Can an Airtel or a Truecaller take on the task of separating fake vs real/verified numbers amidst the zillion different covid related forwards? Can a company set up a leasing system of oxygen concentrators? Patients need one for only a few hours, at best a few days. Why don't we have them available on hire? Saves consumers money and lives, while those who lease can actually make more money than through a single sale. Can some company come forward to set this up? <br /><br />2) Providing support to those impacted by the pandemic e.g., smartphones to students for online learning, community food kitchens in slum areas to support daily wage labourers etc; and <br /><br />3) Helping NGOs e.g. Give India by providing cash and expertise.<br /><br />Will it reap any benefit on brand equity or more sales later... Who knows? But my bet is it will! People are hungry for stories of good amidst this grim desperation. And one great way of standing out just now is to simply come forward with courage and say "Screw strategy, let's help where we can.” It's war -- just of a different kind. Not all good work by companies need be categorised as 'purpose-driven' or 'CSR'. When brands stand up at such times people remember. It doesn't need to have any link at all with the brand proposition.<br /><br />But I see that there is an ongoing debate on whether IPL should be pulled down, given the gravity of the ongoing crisis. I don't see why it shouldn't go on. All of us as consumers need to keep our sanity too - and cricket is a welcome distraction. And because we're watching cricket, advertisers will continue to sell their wares - and I don't see why not. Normal life also must go on to the extent possible. Lives and livelihoods both matter.<br /><br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Ronita Mitra, Founder and Chief Strategist, Brand Eagle Consulting:" text="Ronita Mitra, Founder and Chief Strategist, Brand Eagle Consulting:"><span data-til="noop">Ronita Mitra, Founder and Chief Strategist, Brand Eagle Consulting:</span></cmsannotation> <br /><br />While we are faced with a large scale and challenging humanitarian crisis, corporates and brands, as responsible citizens, should consider contributing actively in order to alleviate the situation. This phase is not about advertising products and services unless it is for a new category which needs immediate awareness building. Actions, especially empathetic ones, that contribute towards bettering the lives of people during these challenging times, will have far more meaningful impact than mere communication. Corporates have the clout to make a significant impact and they should consider diverting their CSR funds towards helping citizens in various possible ways - be it funding supply of medical products, food for the lower socio-economic classes who are impacted by the lockdowns, education for children who have been impacted by the inadequate infrastructure at home, facilitating vaccination for those who are not adept with the systems, and much more. <br /><br />Brands can use social media and other media platforms to communicate the same. Meaningful actions during these times will have a memorable impact on the consumer psyche too and will help strengthen consumer connect in the long term more than anything else now.<br /><br /><cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Harish Bijoor, Brand-strategy specialist &amp; Founder, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc:" text="Harish Bijoor, Brand-strategy specialist &amp; Founder, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc:"><span data-til="noop">Harish Bijoor, Brand-strategy specialist &amp; Founder, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc:</span></cmsannotation><br /><br />In moments such as these, very very tough times when fear and chaos is the norm, I do recommend a dignified brand silence. Brands must not add to the clutter of personal communication. Staying away from the melee of tumult is a good thing brands with commerce on their minds can do. At least for now.<br /><br />                      <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="82260905" title="From CRED to Google, here’s how brands are helping India fight against COVID-19" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div><br />

Experts share the ideal ways in which brands can advertise during the second Covid-19 wave in India

<ul><li>Amazon’s Great Indian Festival is the longest this year as the brand hasn't set an end date yet and the sale is likely to go on for a month. </li><li>This year’s sale has already broken some of the records set last year. </li><li>Manish Tiwary, Vice President, Amazon India shares with us some of the trends that the e-commerce giant has seen so far, how the platform is working towards improving overall consumer experience, marketing strategy and much more. </li></ul>Consumer sentiment seems to have picked up during Navratri after seeing a muted affair during Raksha Bandhan and Ganesh Chaturthi. <br /><br />E-commerce firms Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, and Snapdeal together sold goods worth $3.1 billion in the first 4.5 days of the first festival season sale, revealed management consultancy Redseer. <br /><br />This growth trajectory of e-commerce platforms in India testifies how customers are increasingly recognising the importance of comfort shopping within closed doors, and after seeing their businesses take a plunge in the first three months of the lockdown, more and more sellers are coming online with the increasing adoption of e-commerce platforms. <br /><br />Similarly, Amazon India has also been seeing a year of firsts in its ongoing Great Indian Festival and is breaking last year’s records already. So far, the platform has recorded the highest number of first time shoppers, saw a 50% increase in new sellers and witnessed the strongest-ever start for SMBs. 91% of its first-time shoppers were from smaller cities who browsed the app in local Indian languages like Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. Total iPhones sold on Amazon in one day were more than the total iPhones sold in the entire festive sale period of last year.<br /><br />The sale has also helped Amazon accelerate growth across its portfolio. Over 1 lakh customers bought Amazon devices, Echo and Fire TV devices. Kindle sales were around 2.5X higher than the first day of the sale last year. <br /><br />Manish Tiwary, Vice President, Amazon India calls this year’s Great Indian Festival ‘Bharat’s biggest celebration on Amazon ever’ as Tier II and III towns take the forefront. <br /><br />He further told us some of the trends that the e-commerce giant has seen so far, how the platform is working towards improving overall consumer experience, challenges of breaking the clutter in the e-commerce landscape, marketing strategy, and most demanded products on the platform. <br /><br />Excerpts:<br /><br /><strong>Q. The role of engagement and communication has never been more important, especially in today’s digital-first world. How are you making sure your communication during this year's Great Indian Festival is relevant to consumers? </strong><br /><br />These are unprecedented times and COVID-19 has impacted the sense of normalcy for everyone. This Great Indian Festival, our focus remains on providing reliability to customers, ensuring safety of employees and helping sellers as they get back on their feet. These include more than 6,50,000 sellers &amp; SMBs including artisans, women entrepreneurs, emerging Indian brands and local store owners from programs like Karigar, Saheli, Launchpad and Local Shops. At the same time, we want to help customers find everything they need – from the latest mobile phone to groceries and get them delivered safely to their homes. <br /><br />Our campaign with the <em>‘Khushiyon Ka Darwaza’</em> symbolizes the joy Amazon’s Great Indian Festival brings in the lives of this entire ecosystem of customers, sellers, delivery associates, brand partners and more.<br /><br /><strong>Q. What are some of the exclusive deals you have on the platform to woo consumers?<br /></strong><br />This festive season, lakhs of Small &amp; Medium Businesses (SMBs) are offering unique selection to customers helping them rebuild and accelerate their business in tough times. Over 4 crore products from Small &amp; Medium Businesses (SMBs); products from over 20,000 local shops across 100 cities will be available during the Great Indian Festival. Customers across the country will have the opportunity to shop for unique products from thousands of Amazon sellers under various programs such as Local Shops, Amazon Launchpad, Amazon Saheli, and Amazon Karigar and enjoy deals/offers extended by lakhs of small businesses.<br /><br />This year witnessed the strongest ever start for SMBs with record sales; over 5,000 sellers clock sales worth INR 1MM (10 lakh) in SMB pre-festive lead up &amp; first 48 hours of the Great Indian Festival. With over 1.1 Lakh sellers receiving orders, we are humbled how sellers, brands and ecosystem partners nationwide have come together during these unprecedented times to spread joy across the country.<br /><strong><br />Q. What are some of the other trends you are expecting to see this festive?</strong><br /><br />At this moment in time, our focus is to ensure our customers get all that they need safely and that we are able to strongly help our small business partners with their business revival to manage through these challenging times. Customers recognize that ecommerce is the safest way for them to get what they need, and sellers know that e-commerce is the best way for them to serve their customers as their footfalls have been impacted. <br /><br />We are seeing a 50% increase in new seller registrations vs pre COVID19. The sellers on Amazon.in have been receiving orders for consumer electronics, study from home essentials, kitchen &amp; home appliances, smart devices, laptops, mobile phones, phone accessories, personal grooming products, apparel and more besides groceries and other essential products.<br /><br /><strong>Q. With the on-going festive season, many other platforms will have their Sales days too. How do you then cut the clutter and make sure you win consumers? How will you be different from the other players in the segment?</strong><br /><br />As a customer-obsessed company, we remain focused on ways to serve the customers in the country everywhere and fulfil all their needs. Our focus remains on what is best for our sellers &amp; customers. This Great Indian Festival is all about them.<br /><strong><br />Q. How are you working towards improving the overall consumer experience?</strong><br /><br />Tier II &amp; III towns see a significant number of customers shop on Amazon.in, with many being first time customers. To address customer needs and enable millions of customers from India to discover the joy, convenience and benefits of online shopping, ahead of the festive season, they can shop in one of the six languages of their choice including English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada.<br /><br />In fact, the largest number of new customers shopped for the first time on Amazon.in; 91% of new customers came from smaller cities as customers experienced the Great Indian Festival in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada.<br /><br /><strong>Q. Do you anticipate people to buy more, considering a lot of people might have pushed buying things for the festive season?</strong><br /><br />With over 1.1 Lakh sellers receiving orders, 66% sellers, 91% of new customers, and 66% of new Prime sign-ups from small towns; shopping in 5 Indian languages; and orders from over 98.4% of India’s pin-codes in just 48 hours, this Great Indian Festival is truly Bharat’s biggest celebration on Amazon ever.<br /><br />During the first 48 hours, top sold categories were Smartphones, Large Appliances and Consumer Electronics with leading brands OnePlus, Samsung, Apple and Xiaomi making record sales. <br /><br />New products received a rousing response; popular new products were OnePlus 8T, Samsung M31 Prime Edition, OnePlus Nord (Gray Ash), Xbox Series S, Maggi 2 minute Desi Cheesy Masala, Samsung 6.5 kg fully automatic washing machine, new collection from BIBA &amp; Max among over 1,100 new launches<br /><br />Customers shopped for everything big and small <br /><br /><ul><li>Smartphones remained popular among customers: iPhone 11, Redmi Note Series, Redmi 9A, OnePlus 8T, OnePlus Nord and Samsung M31 Prime Edition were among the popular smartphones on Amazon.in; Total iPhones sold on Amazon.in in one day were more than the total iPhones sold in entire festive sale period of last year</li><li>Popular appliances were fully automatic top &amp; front load washing machines, direct cool refrigerators, air conditioners, microwave ovens and dishwashers</li><li>Top-selling electronics were laptops, headphones, tablets, cameras and smartwatches. Customers also loved selection across security cameras and drones. Asus, Lenovo &amp; HP were leading laptop brands; Samsung &amp; Apple leading tablets, and TP Link &amp; Netgear were leading in networking products</li><li>TVs with Alexa OnePlus 43”, OnePlus 32” and Samsung 32” popular this season</li><li>Smart bulbs and bedsheets in Home, water purifiers and mixer grinders in Kitchen</li><li>Women’s kurtis, sarees, casual tops, t-shirts and athleisure popular in Apparel</li><li>Suitcases, luggage sets and gold jewellery popular this season</li><li>More customers are looking at gaming as a hobby – gaming consoles popular during GIF </li><li>In health &amp; hygiene categories, Savlon disinfectant Sprays, Whisper sanitary pads, Chyawanprash, Dettol &amp; Dove bathing soaps see a spike</li><li>Within grocery, products with dry fruits, spreads &amp; cooking supplies were popular</li><li>Vaseline &amp; Ponds Body lotions, Dove &amp; Wow shampoos, Lakme Kajal were popular beauty products</li><li>For pet parents, Pedigree Adult Dog Food and Whiskas dry cat food were among the popular products </li><li>Baby products such as diapers &amp; skincare products like Himalaya baby lotion &amp; Pampers anti rash diapers were widely sought after </li><li>The Nerf rival blasters - a new launch in India was among the most sought after newly launched toys</li><li>Treadmills in fitness essentials, grills, fertilizer and soil in Garden &amp; Outdoors, Car care in Tools &amp; Equipment also popular in the country</li></ul>Amazon Devices<br /><br /><ul><li>Customers loved Alexa – Prime Early Access during the Great Indian Festival was the single biggest day of sale for Echo devices on Amazon.in</li><li>Customers loved the new Fire TV Stick and Fire TV Stick Lite; streaming media player category sold nearly 2x units vs. the first day of GIF last year</li><li>Over 1 lakh customers bought Amazon devices, Echo and Fire TV devices</li><li>The Echo Dot (3rd Gen) and the All New Fire TV Stick were among the top 10 products sold on Amazon.in </li><li>Kindle sales were more than 2.5X vs. first day of the sale last year</li></ul>

Amazon's ongoing Great Indian Festival has already broken last year's records

<ul><li>As the industry copes with the after-effects of the lockdown, which had paralyzed the logistics and production involved in making ad films, communication around IPL has not been very impressive this year. </li><li>A lot of people have been talking about the dearth of quality ads that stand out or that have created an impact this year. </li><li>We speak to experts to find out the reason behind the dip in quality advertising this year and how ad agencies can buckle up to help their clients reap the best benefits in the upcoming days of IPL. </li></ul>Indian Premier League (IPL) has almost become a festival of its own that gives brands an opportunity to reach out to a huge number of people who are glued to their television sets for close to two months every year. Dream11 IPL 2020’s opening match itself was watched by 200 million people, which indicates why IPL is the biggest marketing opportunity for brands this year to bounce back. <br /><br />IPL also brings along an array of wonderful ads every year. In the early years, brands like Vodafone, Kingfisher and Nestle created some spectacular work to take advantage of this uniquely-engaging event. <br /><br />However, the on-going pandemic has brought in a lot of challenges for agencies. They are producing ads with minimum money, trying to operate within the government guidelines of production and selling it for really expensive slots. They are also expected to create an ad that stands out in a sea full of celebrity-endorsing cliches. And after seeing a lean first-half this year, all kinds of brands are trying to cash in on IPL’s fervor. <br /><br />With this increased pressure and responsibility, agencies are working extra hours to meet clients’ expectations. To top that, an air of despondency is still looming around because of the fear of the unknown, blues of working in isolation, pressure to overperform in a dismal atmosphere, salary cuts, work overload and time-crunch. Ergo, COVID-19 has had a clear impact on the country's creative minds as well, possibly leading to unimpressive production this year. <br /><br />A lot of people have been talking about the dearth of quality ads that stand out or that have created an impact this year. A few experts did appreciate Dream11 and Khatabook for their IPL ads but largely, they were disappointed with the plunge in quality ads. <br /><div type="twitter" handle="anubhavsinha" handlename="Anubhav Sinha" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1297501233310138368/6ehw_DUO_normal.jpg" favoritecount="2869" retweetcount="141" status="Who has Directed the Dream11 commercials? Very nice and all the cricketers are acting so well. @agracadabra" createdat="1600876574000" id="1308797330389229568"></div><br />Roshan Abbas, MD and Founder, Geometry Encompass took to Twitter and said, “The drought in quality advertising during IPL is mind boggling. Show me one good ad, please one good ad.” <br /><div type="twitter" handle="roshanabbas" handlename="Roshan Abbas" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1296454010052808704/zIDYh7wP_normal.jpg" favoritecount="118" retweetcount="9" status="The drought in quality advertising during IPL is mind boggling. Show me one ad, pls one good ad! @AnantRangaswami" createdat="1600839200000" id="1308640574233223168"></div><br />On lack of quality, Satbir Singh, Founder and CCO of Thinkstr, commented, “Over the next 45 days, clients are going to spend over 2,000 crores on ads on IPL. About 500 crores on celebrities. And, looking at the ads, a couple of crores in creative fees.”<br /><br /><div type="twitter" handle="thesatbir" handlename="Satbir Singh" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1263439382133927941/1jXTTKoe_normal.jpg" favoritecount="506" retweetcount="68" status="Over the next 45 days, clients are going to spend over 2,000 crores on ads on IPL. About 500 crores on celebrities.… https://t.co/nKQbSM3jz9" createdat="1600616932000" id="1307708312478121984"></div><br /><div type="twitter" handle="dabas_jeetu" handlename="Jitender Dabas" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1137186055126278145/nFmzhBxz_normal.jpg" favoritecount="19" retweetcount="2" status="Buy the most expensive raw ingredients in large quantities, spend more money on fancy ingredients &amp; spices  ... the… https://t.co/1qPtZMGY8Y" createdat="1600664254000" id="1307906794367246336"></div><br /><div type="twitter" handle="abidmg" handlename="Abid. M" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1275706817524510721/zTzvK04N_normal.jpg" favoritecount="2" retweetcount="2" status="No wonder ads are looking lousy these days.  Increase creative budgets. Make better ads. https://t.co/PUDONAwtWE" createdat="1600659487000" id="1307886799818170369"></div><br /><div type="twitter" handle="SlyandSulk" handlename="What's in a name?" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1261406875750330368/LSIs7HNY_normal.jpg" favoritecount="3" retweetcount="2" status="Advertising industry leadership is equally at fault. &quot;20 lakh me campaign kar denge saar&quot;&quot;20 lakh me campaign ka… https://t.co/j4iPPLkWM7" createdat="1600664558000" id="1307908069876137984"></div><br />Lloyd Mathias, Business Strategist and former HP, Asia Marketing Head found this year’s IPL to be quite disappointing. He said, “I guess in their keenness to use cricket and cricket stars the brand proposition has got lost. There are a few exceptions though. My personal favourite is the Swiggy spots – esp. the middle aged men getting together to watch IPL. Harsha Bhogle’s commentary at a key moment lends a great touch. IPL sponsor Dream 11’s ads using the superstars in classic gully street cricket situations with the line ‘yeh apna game hain’ is funny, endearing and tells consumers everyone is an equal when it comes to Dream 11.” <br /><br />On whether lockdown has impacted industry’s creativity, Mathias said, “Not really. I think many advertisers think that a spot in the IPL must be anchored in cricket – and sometimes the best spots have little to do with the sport. Vodafone’s zoozoos are a great case in point.” <br /><br />On the other hand, Ambi Parameswaran, Founder, Brand-Building helped us look at the brighter side and appreciated brands who have trusted in advertising despite seeing gloomy days. <br /><br />Parameswaran said, “There is a lot of debate on the fall of creative quality of ads in this year’s IPL. But this is a false argument. The country faced a severe lockdown and even now the movie halls are yet to open. Film shootings are happening in stages. So it is futile to say that why are the ads not their sparkling best. Instead we should applaud the brands that have boldly decided to advertise. These brands are demonstrating their faith in advertising and its effectiveness. Yes, there is a surfeit of tech-enabled brands and that is to be expected. But there are also so many auto brands, consumer product brands, consumer service brands, etc., that have decided to bet on IPL. Each and every one of those brands needs to be praised and not criticised for their relative tame creative quality. Research has shown, over a broad range of products, the creative quality may account for just about 7 - 11 % of ad effectiveness. The balance rests with media weight and the core messaging. So let us put our hands together for those brave brands who have decided to stimulate the market, nudge the consumer out of their inertia, to start spending.”<br /><br />Earlier while conceptualising TV ads, production challenges were given scant thought while approving scripts. However today, the starting point of conceptualising creatives would be around the associated production constraints, which Ronita Mitra, Founder and Chief Strategist, Brand Eagle Consulting said is one of the reasons why IPL ads are impacted this year. <br /><br />Mitra said, “All these constraints and challenges are visible in the ads being played during IPL 2020. However, these challenging times are also the litmus test of the true creative potential of the creative teams. Due to cuts in marketing budgets, ads have probably been made on much lower budgets. Further given the safety protocols to be followed these days you can see that most brand ads are either old ones or shot with solo models, or using animation. Viewers would also be seeing ads with those filters in mind and therefore be tempering their expectations of the entertainment value of the ads. Still, IPL 2020 could have been the ideal opportunity for brands and agencies to showcase some real creative talent, and to show that creativity and the power of idea can rise above the constraints of low budgets or execution constraints. To that extent, the display of creative thinking has been rather disappointing. For me, the Dream 11 ads are the only ones that stand out for making a serious attempt at creating a series of engaging ads.”<br /><br />Albeit, Kuber Chopra, Founder, Creative &amp; Strategy Director, Rasta, said that lack of creativity is not due to lockdown constraints. <br /><br />Chopra said, “I don't think one should attribute this lack of creativity to the lockdown because all good creatives enjoy good constraints. I am personally just really surprised that no one has done anything contextual which is focussed on the consumers who’ve been dealing with the pandemic. For instance the ad by Paytm featuring Sachin Tendulkar is quite campy where the service is also lost. I really like Dream11’s focus on the active fan. It is also good to see how the cricket demigods have been humanised and are happy to be part of the sobering script. In my opinion, ads need to have some cultural connect with viewers and much of this is missing as is evident even in the ad for Apple 11.” <br /><br />“It’s surprising how brands haven't taken a chance with either new stories or fresh treatment. Decision-makers and creative heads have chosen to be safe,” added Chopra. <br /><br />IPL is considered India’s Super Bowl, not only because it’s the biggest sporting event but also because over the years, it has come to become the benchmark for creativity in advertisements.<br /><br />Shashwat Das, Founder, Almond Branding, said, “Whether it was the iconic Zoozoos or Jio dhan dhanadan, Amazon’s Chonkpur Cheetahs or IPL’s own Jumping Japang campaign, we always looked up to what’s new and path-breaking each season. The expectations have only grown over the years. However, this season, apart from the funny series of Dream11 ads nothing else have yet got people talking. With more digital viewers of IPL this year than ever before, the engagement and online conversations that a brand can pull is the biggest success parameter. Sadly I still remember the DLF Maxima from the initial days of IPL more than any brand campaign this season. I am hoping as the game progresses, brands will rise to the occasion and surprise us.” <br /><br />On how ad agencies can buckle up to help their clients reap the best benefits in the upcoming days of IPL, Sameer Makani, Co-Founder and Managing Director Makani Creatives said, “The industry is still coping up with the after-effects of the lockdown which had led to paralyzing the logistics and production involved in making ad films. Although progress in digital advertising is visible, the attention span of the audience is significantly reduced. Today, it’s about opting for a more concentrated approach and creating content that resonates with the audience instead of conventional carpet bombing. For instance – video content has become an excellent medium to touch, feel and engage with the audience in this new normal. It has helped several brands in channelizing the content in a manner that helps in leverage relationship with customers. The quality of ads depends on how well the advertiser is capable of sending the message and how well the audience perceives the message. This is an opportunity for brands to understand and conceptualize ads as per needs.” <br /><br /><strong>The story is not over yet</strong><br /><br />Mathias anticipates that things will change as we get deeper into the league. <br /><br />He said, “I would expect a few brands may release fresh creatives as the tournament progresses. Given that viewership of the IPL has been phenomenal in the first phase and the tournament will build up to the festive season – there should be better advertising on the anvil.” <br /><br />Chopra is hoping to see smaller brands shine on Disney+ Hotstar. <br /><br />“I’m rooting for the iconic equivalent of 'Flipkart Kids' from the ed-tech folks who’ve heavily invested in the IPL. It’s really their moment to own. As a footnote, I’d keep an eye on Disney+ Hotstar -- where smaller advertisers can express themselves efficiently with lower media spends,” said he. <br />

Has working remotely led to a dearth of good IPL ads this year?

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p><p class="source"><span>Union Square Advisors</span></p><p class="caption">Wayne Kawarabayashi, Partner and Head of M&amp;A, Union Square Advisors</p>In light of the current state of the global economy, capital market conditions and political climate, many are wondering what lies ahead for this year's technology M&amp;A market. <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In the U.S., we are closely watching the Trump administration as it pursues its agenda to tighten immigration and the U.S. borders, renegotiate trade agreements, replace Obamacare, and enhance defense and infrastructure spending. Against this backdrop, the economy continues to improve and we are entering the eighth year of a bull market. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Further, the technology sector is growing, has abundant access to equity and debt capital and remains very active in M&amp;A, as evidenced by strong 2016 M&amp;A volume and several notable transactions thus far in 2017. In short, we are expecting technology M&amp;A to continue to be active for the rest of this year.</span></p><h2><strong>Drivers of Technology M&amp;A </strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We believe there are many positive drivers that will continue to support M&amp;A and investment activity in the technology sector this year. The equity markets continue to trade at record highs following the 2016 U.S. election, boosting investor and corporate confidence. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Corporate earnings continue to improve and companies are looking to take advantage of this administration's plans to lower tax rates, effect a tax holiday on foreign cash repatriation, loosen regulations (e.g., HSR, Dodd-Frank) and enhance federal infrastructure spending by $1 trillion. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">At the same time, inflation seems to be in check and interest rates remain historically low, despite the Federal Reserve's two rate hikes since the election. Companies have large cash war chests for investments both domestically and overseas (the top five technology companies have an estimated $1.7 trillion in cash with $500 billion of it overseas) and there are large pools of capital in private equity, venture capital, pension funds and lending institutions waiting to be deployed as well. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p><p class="source"><span><a href="http://pictures.reuters.com/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&amp;VBID=2C0BXZ0E65656&amp;SMLS=1&amp;RW=1588&amp;RH=896#/SearchResult&amp;VBID=2C0BXZ0E65656&amp;SMLS=1&amp;RW=1588&amp;RH=896&amp;POPUPPN=6&amp;POPUPIID=2C0BF189X2KW">REUTERS/Lucas Jackson</a></span></p>Lastly, if companies are reticent to act, hedge fund activists may continue to demand board seats, return of capital and evaluation of strategic alternatives to catalyze M&amp;A activity as they have done successfully over the past few years (e.g., Elliott Management's recent activist campaigns with Cognizant for board seats and with The Advisory Board to consider strategic alternatives). <h2><strong>Technology M&amp;A Off to a Solid Start</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Year to date, we've seen solid activity with large technology corporates becoming more active with M&amp;A, even plucking them before they go public, as evidenced by Cisco's $3.7 billion acquisition of AppDynamics. We've also seen several publicly-traded companies agree to sell themselves despite the overall strength in equity markets such as Mobileye's $15.3 billion sale to Intel, CEB's $2.6 billion sale to Gartner, Ixia's $1.6 billion sale to KeySight and Nimble Storage's $1.1 billion sale to HP Enterprise. Some strategics have become even more aggressive including Virtu Financial's $1.3 billion unsolicited offer for rival, KCG Holdings. Lastly, almost every week there appears to be a new company rumored to be for sale.  </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Non-technology companies' pursuit of technology will likely continue as well following last year's activity including Walmart's $3.3 billion acquisition of Jet.com, General Motor's more than $1 billion acquisition of Cruise Automation, Unilever's $1 billion acquisition of Dollarshave.com and General Electric's $915 million acquisition of ServiceMax. This activity will be driven by the pervasiveness of technology throughout other industry sectors as more physical devices become technology-enabled, more information needs to be collected and analyzed, and more activity shifts to the Internet and cloud.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMs3ZUThyhQ">YouTube/Dollar Shave Club</a></span></p>According to our compilation of market data, we experienced another strong M&amp;A year in technology, media and telecommunications with $583 billion of M&amp;A volume in 2016, a modest decline (six percent) from 2015's record $621 billion of volume. In addition, we saw more M&amp;A transactions in the sector at $1 billion or above in 2016, although dollar volume was lower (107 deals for a total of $497 billion) versus 2015 (79 deals for a total of $528 billion). While sector M&amp;A volume has been on the upswing over the past two years, we've also seen the level of technology IPO and private placement volumes rapidly decline over the same period (21 technology IPOs in 2016 vs. 34 in 2015, according to our compilation of market data). In part, the increase in M&amp;A has been supported by lower activity in capital raising.  <h2><strong>Private Equity  </strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We expect private equity and other investment management organizations to remain active this year. While they will continue to evaluate acquisitions of go-privates and private-to-private transactions, they will also evaluate alternative structures as demonstrated by CPPIB's 48 percent investment in Apax-owned GlobalLogic (valued at $1.5 billion); Apollo and HGM's $2.8 billion merger of SourceHOV, Novitex and Quinpario; and Veritas' $690 million carve-out acquisition of Harris' government IT services business. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We also anticipate that private equity will continue to make PIPE investments into public companies such as last year's $500 million investment by Silver Lake in Symantec which helped support Symantec's acquisitions of BlueCoat for $4.7 billion and LifeLock for $2.3 billion. On a related note, private equity firms are increasingly acquiring platforms for the purpose of effecting further consolidation. Therefore, in addition to the aforementioned Silver Lake/Symantec's consolidation of companies, last year, Permira and Hellman &amp; Friedman's Genesys acquired its publicly-traded competitor Interactive Intelligence for $1.4 billion, and this year, Vista acquired DH Corp for $3.6 billion to combine it with its portfolio company, Misys.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">  </span></p><h2><strong>Technology IPO Market Ramping Up</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">AppDynamics, which was swept up by Cisco, was supposed to lead off the technology IPO market in 2017. Instead, messaging app company Snap earned those honors. In early March, Snap raised $3.4 billion, priced above its offering range, and traded up 44 percent on its first day of trading. Several other IPOs followed Snap and performed above their IPO prices including enterprise software developer Mulesoft, data analytics provider Alteryx, security company Okta, and software firm Yext, which ended up 46 percent, 11 percent, 38 percent and 22 percent, respectively, higher on the first day of trading. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p><p class="source"><span><a href="http://business.nasdaq.com/discover/market-bell-ceremonies/detail.html#!/!?ceremonyId=7563">NASDAQ</a></span></p>While IT services provider, Presidio, priced below its offering range and traded only a modest 1.9 percent above its IPO price on the first day of trading; and Brazilian online retailer, Netshoes, priced at the low end of its range and traded down 11 percent on its first day. Still, others are looking to come to market in the first half of 2017 including Carvana and Cloudera.<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While the IPO market for technology is beginning to open, it is always difficult to predict how long the window will remain open. We've seen equity market volatility in March despite the launches of these recent IPOs. Dual track processes, whereby a company uses its IPO filing as a marketing opportunity to simultaneously explore a sale, will continue to be an option for IPO candidates as they seek to hedge their bets and try to maximize value in a sale versus going public. In 2016, KKR bought Optiv for $1.9 billion and Symantec bought Blue Coat for $4.7 billion, while in 2017, Cisco bought AppDynamics after all three companies filed to go public. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While some private technology companies will be able to access the public equity market, many more private technology companies and their investors will proactively consider alternative monetization options including raising additional capital for growth while valuations still remain relatively attractive as well as seeking exits to strategic and growth-oriented private equity firms. This year, we've seen two large venture-backed companies exit via a sale to strategics including SimpliVity's $650 million sale to HP Enterprise and Veracode's $614 million sale to CA. </span></p><h2><strong><p class="source"><span>Thomson Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">The logo of India's largest online marketplace Flipkart is seen on a building in Bengaluru</p>Capital Raises and Unicorns</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The private capital markets also remain active with sizeable investments. This year, there have been several large private capital raises including Koubei's $1.1 billion raise with Silver Lake, CDH Investments, Yunfeng Capital and Primavera Capital consortium of investors; FlipKart's $1 billion raise with eBay, Microsoft and Tencent; WeWork's $300 million investment from SoftBank; Magento's $250 million investment from Hillhouse Capital; and Tricentis' $165 million investment from Insight Venture Partners.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It will be interesting to see what the large private technology unicorns will do in 2017. After enjoying several rounds of large capital raises at high valuations in recent years, these unicorns are now finding it difficult to continue to justify these higher valuations with each successive capital raise. Investors in private technology companies typically enter at different time periods and at various pre-money valuations, therefore each investor has different expectations for value and time to exit. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">We are seeing that some companies aren't able to continue to drive higher pre-money valuations with each capital raise, as some of the air has been let out of the unicorn phenomena. As a result, some of these companies are proactively exploring exits to strategics, seeking alternative sources of capital including debt and hybrid securities, and replacing one set of investors for another in secondary buyouts. The large unicorns, including Airbnb, Dropbox, Uber and Pinterest, will continue to watch to see when they might best tap the IPO market.       </span></p><h2><strong>Headwinds to Watch</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While there continues to be positive drivers that support an active M&amp;A year in technology, there are several headwinds to watch. First, as strategics and private equity firms continue to evaluate target companies to buy, there is a growing sentiment amongst these buyers that valuations, propelled by the strength of the equity markets, low cost of debt and an increased buyer universe, are getting expensive. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">There is also concern amongst the PE players that the high EBITDA multiple that one has to pay today might contract if the bull market subsides over the coming years, thereby lowering the multiple at exit and impacting IRR returns. Further, if tax law is enacted to eliminate tax-deductibility of interest expense, this could also dampen returns, although it would likely be partially offset by a reduction in corporate tax rates and full expensing of capital expenditures. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p><p class="source"><span>Thomson Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">NFL: Super Bowl LI Champions-New England Patriots White House Visit</p>Second, there is the potential that the new administration's "America First" view towards foreign relations could dampen or at the very least increase scrutiny for cross-border M&amp;A activity, especially for U.S. technology assets that are of national importance (e.g., CFIUS review). <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While we've seen CFIUS and past administrations intervene on a number of Chinese acquisitions of U.S. companies, the recent decision to block Germany's Infineon Technologies acquisition of Wolfspeed begs the question of whether the CFIUS mandate has been broadened to include European allies as well; albeit this is only one example. Further, changes in immigration and international trade policies could also impact the organic growth of U.S.-based technology companies making buyers and targets more susceptible to revenue, earnings and foreign exchange rate volatility, thereby increasing reluctance to make big technology M&amp;A bets.</span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Third, the recent withdrawal of the </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">American Health Care Reform Act of 2017 </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">by the Republicans in Congress has increased market volatility as investors wonder about the Republicans' ability to push through tax reform, infrastructure spending and other economic and market enhancing policies.  </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lastly, the growing tensions in Syria and North Korea, as well as the outcome of the French elections and Brexit could continue to enhance market volatility and weigh on the minds of investors, tech buyers and sellers.</span></p><h2><strong>Final Thoughts</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite some potential headwinds, we think the market dynamics will support another strong year for technology M&amp;A in 2017. We will continue to see acquisition and investment activity in the following areas: cloud transformation, cybersecurity and network visibility, big data/data analytics, vertical and horizontal as-a-service offerings, converged IT solutions, mobility, advertising technology/marketing technology, e-commerce, mobility solutions, healthcare IT, fintech, Internet of Things, Internet of Humans, machine learning/artificial intelligence/intelligent applications, and augmented/virtual reality. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">While some technology companies will see exits via IPOs, the vast majority will continue to tap the private placement market and find growth equity and private equity buyers who are flush with cash as well as seek full exits to large and mid-sized strategic buyers. The technology sector remains robust and developments in innovation and the convergence of technology will drive companies to make offensive and defensive moves to stay ahead of the game.</span></p><p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kawarabayashi is head of M&amp;A at </span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><em>Union Square Advisors,</em> is a leading technology-focused investment bank that offers strategic mergers &amp; acquisitions advice and execution as well as agented private capital financing services. Founded in 2007, with offices in San Francisco and New York, Union Square Advisors works with leading public and private technology companies, private equity and venture capital firms across the technology landscape with a primary focus on Software, Software-Enabled Services, IT Infrastructure and Internet/Digital Media.</span></em></p>            <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/pepsi-pulled-controversial-ad-kendall-jenner-2017-4">'Clearly we missed the mark': Pepsi just pulled this controversial ad</a></h3>                                    Please enable Javascript to watch this video

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