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<ul><li>The anthem works as a clarion call in the face of current challenges, signifying that no challenge seems big enough when we are united. </li><li>We get behind-the-scenes of the song to understand how it was all brought together. </li></ul>With an aim to understand what goes on behind the scenes, Advertising and Media Insider introduces you to its video series called 'Behind The Ads.' The video series will give you a deep insight into the behind-the-scenes of an advertisement and the entire creative process — from brainstorming, arriving on the ‘big idea’ to finally executing it. In our second episode, we look behind a unique song called ‘We Got This’ that was brought together amid a lockdown, which is all about being resilient and reiterates the power of unity and hope. The song is an anthem that captures the spirit of team Geometry Encompass during these trying times of the global lockdown. It was conceptualized during an inspiring 2-hour-long session between the team at Geometry Encompass with <keyword id="666707" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Clinton-Cerejo">Clinton Cerejo</keyword> and <keyword id="822365" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ankur-Tewari">Ankur Tewari</keyword>. <keyword id="52304" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Roshan-Abbas">Roshan Abbas</keyword>, who originally thought of the idea as a fun way to engage with the team invited everyone to share their thoughts and experiences during the lockdown. The thoughts that were shared were developed as the lyrics and hook words for the song. While Roshan and Ankur guided the creation of the lyrics, Clinton worked his magic with the music. Find out what went behind-the-scenes here: <div type="Video" msid="76801294" hostid="261" title="The story behind Geometry Encompass’ anthem ‘We Got This’ with Ankur Tewari and Clinton Cerejo" dataSource="BUSINESSINSIDER" thumbUrl="https://denmark.timesinternet.in/cmslite/api/app/images.jpg?msid=76801294"></div>

The story behind Geometry Encompass’ anthem ‘We Got This’ with Ankur Tewari and Clinton Cerejo

<ul><li>We bring to you a series of columns from industry experts, looking back at the last 10 years.</li><li>The columns will explore how the media, marketing and <keyword id="34612" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="advertising-industry">advertising industry</keyword> has transformed in the last decade.</li><li>Roshan Abbas, Founder and MD, Geometry Encompass, walks us through key developments that changed the industry landscape drastically and answers why experiences still continue to win amidst all these evolving trends. </li></ul>It was 2010 when coming on the back of an economic downturn we were figuring how to pick up the business. I had just started working with a fledgling digital agency on a campaign and when I asked the CEO of our mainline agency to invest in the same, everyone turned and said, "Digital? You mean FB likes? It won’t scale. Give me an old-fashioned event anyday!" This was 2010. Look at where we are now. This has been an era of digital and mobile. The decade began with the democratization of media and everyone felt empowered and energized. We would change the world. The 30-second ads' death knell was rung again. As Uber, Zomato, Ola, Google, Facebook and Amazon entered our lives, we felt the world was poised to disrupt everything that stood in its way. It would be safe to say this decade began as one of digital disruption. New models of communication and content consumption emerged everyday. Our physical acts got mirrored as digital apps while addressing all our pain-points. As more and more consumers move online, the advertiser follows. And so do the creative ideas. From interactive banners, to choosing your end videos, from YT mastheads to programmatic buying, we’ve seen it all. In the role of events, this has translated into the need to be more digitally savvy, and to be far more responsive to your customer base. Gone are the days of sending your client an invite for an event and praying they turn up. Now you will do targeted marketing and look-alike audiences, measure click through rates and tweak creatives accordingly. Though much maligned, it is the age of the Phygital experience. The few other trends we have noticed are the aggressive use of events by the government. Since 2014 the Modi government uses events as an almost publicity and promotion tool. This calls for deep understanding of rural and digital. For even these consumers are online. In retail experiences, the consumer has started bifurcating on the basis of emotion and rational. If we are looking for a utility, they will choose the most frictionless experience, here seamless retail is a need and the conversation could start anywhere. Online or offline. Yet if they are looking emotionally, no matter how many touch-points as long as they are engaged, they are happy to connect. Here is where experiences still win. Experiences as acts are also a huge hit. The decade has noticed a small event being created and then shot for broadcast, the virality thus ensuing being the pay off for the brand. Sports has seen a huge shift, the decade of the IPL has shown how fast-paced entertainment adrenalized has become the need of the hour. Any sport that is able to mimic this seems to succeed. Kabaddi and ISL are good attempts but still India remains a cricket-crazy nation. Look out for niche sports like basketball, MMA etc. Gaming championships will also be a huge engagement tool for brands. Already we have over 4 such national level championships and gamers becoming the new celebrities. Influencer marketing has become something to work with. In an era where trust is in deficits, the need to get reviewers, influencers and subject experts endorse a brand is critical. More than ever before, this is the time for building experiences. As more and more people find their passion online, they want offline experiences to celebrate the same. Concerts, content and congregations will all win the consumer battle and yes, they will always be supported by great creative ideas. The last few years have shown some distressing trends as well. The university of WhatsApp where everybody is a subject expert, media houses that seem to lean in one direction only, the increasing pay walls being built around apps that started as free, the perfumed gardens have started building walls around them. Twitter has become troll central, Facebook is full of old fogies who poke their nose in everything you do, Google gives me paid searches and then stalks me with recommendations based on my search behaviour all day. What started as a decade of hope, ends as a decade of distress. Performers with millions of followers don’t manage to sell 200 tickets. At a recent conference, I heard a CEO chat, “Yes, I need to be digital, but is it real? Who's watching, who's clicking? We still don’t know if the like we got is a bot or a bought one. We need to seek authenticity and engagement. Give me an old-fashioned event any day." - By Roshan Abbas, Founder and MD, Geometry Encompass

Why experiences still win, explains Geometry Encompass’ Roshan Abbas

<ul><li><keyword id="6833681" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Geometry-Encompass">Geometry Encompass</keyword>, the <keyword id="168456" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="WPP">WPP</keyword> group-owned experiential marketing agency is on a transformation journey, to become a data-driven, digitally charged, creative commerce agency.</li><li>The agency is enhancing its capabilities and service offerings across commerce touch-points to help serve brands better.</li><li>Geometry Encompass's Founder and MD, <keyword id="52304" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Roshan-Abbas">Roshan Abbas</keyword> and CEO <keyword id="7975998" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ranjit-Raina">Ranjit Raina</keyword> tell us about the agency's efforts towards transforming itself and all that we can look forward to from the agency in 2020. </li></ul> It’s been a little more than 90 days that the WPP group-owned experiential marketing agency, Geometry Encompass (GE) brought Ranjit Raina on board as its CEO. The move came about three months after <keyword id="2289911" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sukrit-Singh">Sukrit Singh</keyword> moved on from the agency. The aim of bringing Raina on board, Roshan Abbas, Founder and MD, GE, had shared was to make the agency more agile and bring in the new-age way of thinking. Three months down the line, we caught up with Abbas and Raina who told us about all that has happened at the agency since Raina joined, its performance this year and all that they are doing to become the agency of the future. Geometry Encompass in 2019 Roshan Abbas and Sukrit Singh had started Encompass in 1998 as an event management company. However, in the last 21 years, the agency has gone beyond that. Acquired by WPP in 2008, Encompass was merged with Geometry Global in 2015 and today offers services across events, BTL and content creation. However, with Raina at the helm now, there have been some changes. For him, the key focus has been to transform the agency’s structure, by bringing in some strong talent. He says, “The main area of focus has been the talent and looking at how we transform as an agency. We are actively engaged in enhancing our capabilities and service offering across commerce touchpoints to enable us to serve brands. As a group, we are very conscious of the need to fast track this transformation and address a huge need gap that exists as more and more brands look at commerce with an omnichannel lens.” While the agency is undergoing these changes, we ask Abbas how the year has been for the agency, considering it’s been a slow year for the entire industry. He responds that the year has been one of transformation, from the way they have worked and the things they have worked on. “Most significantly we saw a complete restructuring of the business practices and the consolidation of Rural and Shopper services. Across every practice we have seen wins – Experiential saw Amazon as a new client with the prestigious Prime Days, Rural saw an expansion of new projects with Hindustan Unilever and Shopper is seeing some very interesting projects that we will be unveiling really soon. Another major change has been the collaboration with WPP on some key clients and projects. Alignment with Geometry in the region is helping us expand our relationship with clients like Shell,” shares Abbas. Building a more agile agency While GE has been in business for more than 20 years, the agency has aimed at doing things differently now. Lately, the agency has been working on shifting its gears in terms of how they approach work and execution. On what is being done to make the agency future-ready, Raina says, “Agility is the key today, agile in thought and in action. The agency is now more than ever focused on creating solutions that offer the clients the best of not just GE but the Geometry Network across the world and going beyond to the WPP network. The only way to adapt to change in our business is to ensure that the solutions remain relevant. We have discovered that staying relevant requires one to constantly learn and then put in practice the learning.” Adding to that, Abbas says that the agency has been on a journey to convert itself into a data-driven creative commerce agency. He explains, “We already have a very robust experiential practice and a retail practice that focuses on rural and shopper – we are now enhancing the capability to cover on-line commerce touch-points as well. This is where the network gives us a huge advantage, Geometry in China has a very interesting Social Commerce offering which we are adapting for the India market – similarly, there are multiple tools from across the network that will be made available to our brand partners very soon.” What to expect from GE in 2020 With the industry changing at a rapid pace, we asked Raina what would be some trends that the experiential industry will witness in 2020. For him, it will be all about omni-channel experiences. He elaborates, “We will see more and more engagements and experiences that are crafted to be omni-channel and not just channel platform-specific.” He further said that the ecosystem will become more collaborative. “Close to one-third of WPP’s global revenues come from collaborations and we believe India will be no different. We are seeing a lot of interesting opportunities that are collaborative in nature. We are also very excited about voice, which we believe is a tool that can help us re-imagine commerce in India.” Speaking about his ‘Vision 2020’ for the agency, Abbas says, “2019 marks the beginning of our journey of transformation. Vision 2020 is when we complete the transformation into a data-driven, digitally charged, creative commerce agency, where we build on the legacy and success of our experiential practice and enhance it to a Retail practice that is truly omni-channel.”

How Geometry Encompass is transforming its model, to become future-ready

<ul><li><keyword id="6911038" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="VMLYR">VMLY&amp;R</keyword> and Geometry had joined forces to launch VMLY&amp;R COMMERCE in 2020, the entity has been officially launched in India today.</li><li>VMLY&amp;R COMMERCE is led by Global Chief Executive Officer <keyword id="8533146" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Beth-Ann-Kaminkow">Beth Ann Kaminkow</keyword>, and will operate as a distinct company within the VMLY&amp;R global operation and will be central to VMLY&amp;R’s brand and customer experience offering.</li><li>It will help connected brands grow by unifying client strategies around commerce to drive both brand equity and customer conversion. </li></ul>As 2020 wound down VMLY&amp;R and Geometry joined forces to launch VMLY&amp;R COMMERCE, a new end-to-end 'Creative Commerce Company' combining the talent and scale of two thriving global commerce offerings. VMLY&amp;R COMMERCE is led by Global Chief Executive Officer Beth Ann Kaminkow, and will operate as a distinct company within the VMLY&amp;R global operation and will be central to VMLY&amp;R’s brand and customer experience offering. It will help connected brands grow by unifying client strategies around commerce to drive both brand equity and customer conversion. In India, <keyword id="10649442" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="vmlyr-commerce-encompass">VMLY&amp;R Commerce Encompass</keyword> launched today, combining VMLY&amp;R, Geometry and Encompass commerce strengths to scale shopper, retail activation, experiential and rural marketing practices. With this strategic move, the VMLY&amp;R India operation will now provide clients with a full funnel of end-to-end services that harness creativity, technology and culture to create connected brand experiences which inspire conversion. On the launch of VMLY&amp;R COMMERCE ENCOMPASS, Global Chief Executive Officer Beth Ann Kaminkow, said, “This is an exciting and important time to further strengthen our capabilities for the diverse India market, which is one of our key markets globally. Commerce is changing at a rapid pace never experienced before and creating opportunities for tremendous creativity. Experiential and brand activation is now digital-first and with the full strength of our local VMLY&amp;R agencies and talent, we are best placed to partner with clients on these cutting-edge solutions.” “I am very excited by the opportunities that we will have ahead and am looking forward to partnering with <keyword id="293465" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Anil-Nair">Anil Nair</keyword> and the VMLY&amp;R teams in India on our steps forward. 2021 promises to be a very interesting and exciting time for our company. Our focus will remain on building and scaling our Rural and Retail Practice while we continue to evolve the Experiential practice. Being part of VMLY&amp;R allows us to fast track the evolution of our commerce offering and helps create an unbeatable proposition for clients”, added <keyword id="7975998" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ranjit-Raina">Ranjit Raina</keyword>, Group Chief Executive Officer, VMLY&amp;R COMMERCE ENCOMPASS. Anil Nair, CEO, VMLY&amp;R India, said: “With VMLY&amp;R COMMERCE ENCOMPASS, we’re able to add shopper and retail experiences to our arsenal, strengthening our position as a true, full-funnel agency that can provide holistic business solutions to our clients. We’re excited for the newest chapter in VMLY&amp;R’s story, and I look forward to working with <keyword id="52304" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Roshan-Abbas">Roshan Abbas</keyword>, Ranjit Raina and their teams to maintain our position as the most relevant agency in the market today.” VMLY&amp;R COMMERCE ENCOMPASS operational integration will continue through 2021.

VMLY&R Commerce Encompass launches in India

<ul><li><keyword id="52304" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Roshan-Abbas">Roshan Abbas</keyword>, the newly elected President of <keyword id="2774492" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="EEMA">EEMA</keyword> is a man with a plan. He has put together an agenda to help the <keyword id="1541152" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="live-events">live events</keyword> industry survive the Covid-19 lockdown and its business impact.</li><li>EEMA is currently working on creating an EEMA Marketplace where people can offer their services online. This marketplace is aimed at removing geographical barriers and open up opportunities for players even in smaller cities.</li><li>EEMA will also continue its dialogue with the government, to come out with solutions that can help the industry survive. </li></ul> <keyword id="9570645" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-event-entertainment-management-association">The Event &amp; Entertainment Management Association</keyword> (EEMA) recently elected Roshan Abbas, Managing Director, <keyword id="546993" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Encompass">Encompass</keyword> and Co-founder Kommune as its new President. Considering how adversely the events industry has been impacted by the lockdown, Abbas already has his agenda in place and he has some ambitious plans to try and get the industry back on the track. Since the start of the lockdown, EEMA has been having numerous conversations with the government on how it can support the industry. Abbas shares that they have already had discussions with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman and in the near future, the industry body will continue having these conversations with the government to figure out the best way to move forward. Abbas shares that the plan is not simply to ask the government for support but work with the government. “Rather than knocking on the government’s door and asking for its support, we want to tell the government to use our expertise. We want to offer our services. There has been so much talk about social distancing, safety and sanitation. So why can’t we showcase all the work that is being done in the country through an Expo? China recently had a Covid related expo. Considering there’s so much focus on ‘Vocal for Local’, we can showcase all the work that Indian players have been putting up during these last few months. The idea behind something like this is to change the narrative, not simply ask the government for its help, but also offer our services and in return,” shared Abbas. The industry body is also currently working on a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in an attempt to figure out how to organize events with people safely. “For me as an association body, it is very important to lead the way and tell people that these are the right SOPs to do larger format event safely and we are working currently on putting that in place,” he said. Abbas also wants to ensure that the industry is better represented to the world. While currently the organized experiential sector is pegged to be around Rs 7,000 crore in size, Abbas says that the actual size of the industry is substantially more. “I've always felt that we have been extremely conservative in presenting the size of the event industry. Events today include so many things, starting from religious, sports and cultural festivals to political rallies, corporate and rural events, properties like IPL and ISL, activations and even social events. When you look at all of this collectively, the industry is actually much larger. We have been trying to collate data and I believe our industry is around Rs 500,000 crore. We must look at ourselves as an industry. We employ over 10 million people directly and indirectly. When you take these numbers and go to the world at large and tell them that this is the state of the organized and unorganized sector across the country, I'm pretty certain people will sit up and take notice about the sheer economic and human capital. Moreover, events brings a happiness quotient, a soft power which nobody talks about. I think it's very important to a communicate this. We're going to work on a big campaign to get this message across to everybody about the fact that we’re that invisible force that makes such a big difference,” added Abbas. Creating a virtual marketplace EEMA will also be looking at creating a virtual marketplace in an attempt to bring the industry closer together. The idea behind the marketplace is to enable anybody and everybody to put up their services online. “Digital has led to the collapse of barriers created by time, space and geographies. The idea behind the marketplace is to provide a platform for our stakeholders to showcase their services, so that people sitting in even smaller cities can work for people in other cities. We are working on this virtual marketplace of services because in these times, the only route to prosperity is working together,” explained Abbas. EEMA’s advisory on conducting virtual events Considering that physical events have almost come to a standstill, a lot of events are moving to the digital space. However, most stakeholders are still confused about this transition and EEMA is working on putting together an advisory that will help answer these questions. “When you start a new line of business, like virtual events, you need to know what is the standardized pricing for it, what are the elements that you need to price for etc. We are trying to put together an advisory of sorts from EEMA, not just for our members but even for people outside. The advisory will tell people how virtual events should be looked at and organized. EEMA’s Digital Day (D-Day) There is a difference between a digital experience and a live digital experience. EEMA is also working on putting together an event calling it D-Day for the end of August that will celebrate the work that the industry has been doing. “D-Day is a digital way to actually bring brands, people from the large digital ecosystem together to show that there's a difference between a digital experience and a live digital experience. If tomorrow, a concert has to be done online, how do you create the shared experience? If you want to recreate the beautiful scenarios you would create in ballrooms and hotels and live locations, how would you create some part of it online? How do you create interactivity? We're hoping to put together a big Digital day towards the end of August, almost as a reach out to the industry at large saying if you have to do it, do it right and do it this way,” shared Abbas. Focus on showcasing young talent and women in the business The event industry also employs a lot of young professionals as well as women. EEMA will also work on creating conferences or cells that can work for both the younger population and well as women. “The younger population in the event industry is coming up with path-breaking ideas. They're questioning everything, they’re questioning how you hire manpower, what are incentives, they’re questioning technology and even formats. It's very important to celebrate the youth and also celebrate the women in our industry because almost 30-40% of all the people in our industry are women. Its an industry where there’s a large percentage of women and I feel if they are given the right platform, everything else can be done by them. I don't want this to sound like tokenism. I really want to make sure that there is a woman's conference or a cell that works together for just doing things for the youth separately and for women separately,” added Abbas.

EEMA is creating a virtual marketplace to remove geographical barriers and help the industry work together: Roshan Abbas, President, EEMA

<ul><li>As part of WPP, <keyword id="9404306" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="pro-digi">Pro.digi</keyword> also manages the digital learning and engagement initiatives like ‘WPP Learning series’.</li><li>It has already worked on a wide range of virtual engagements. ‘Lockdown Love’ – a live, virtual play on Zoom was a collaboration with the artist collective <keyword id="6229968" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kommune">Kommune</keyword>.</li></ul><keyword id="6833681" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Geometry-Encompass">Geometry Encompass</keyword>, an End-to-End Creative Commerce Agency of WPP, has recently announced the launch of its DLX (digital live experience) practice Pro.digi, to help brands connect with their consumers in the virtual space. Pro.digi creates virtual experiences by leveraging technology and helping brands drive impactful campaigns for engagement. Through Pro.digi, Geometry is taking its experiential, retail design, and innovation from the real to the virtual. It will extend the agency’s ability to drive growth across all touchpoints. Pro.digi has already worked on a wide range of virtual engagements. ‘Lockdown Love’ – a live, virtual play on Zoom was a collaboration with the artist collective Kommune. Since its premier the play has been performed more than a dozen times in both English and Hindi. Directed by Sheena Khalid, the play was an initiative by Kommune and Pro.digi to support Covid-19 relief. It also produces ‘Spirit of HP’ – a series of live <keyword id="9084093" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="virtual-events">virtual events</keyword> brings together the community of HP, The series has seen performances by celebrated vocalists Rahul Deshpande, stand-up comic Amit Tandon and HP brand ambassador Siddhant Chaturvedi. Pro.digi also launched the independent music label TM Music with its debut track AFSOS. During the past month, 3 new independent artists have been launched as part of the campaign. As part of WPP, Pro.digi also manages the digital learning and engagement initiatives like ‘WPP Learning series’. Roshan Abbas, Founder at Geometry Encompass said, “Given the seismic shift that experiential marketing is witnessing, it is imperative to create new and engaging environment for our consumers. The digital screen is the new currency for experiential, through Pro.digi we create data driven and digital experiences to create lasting brand engagement for our audiences”. Commenting on the same, Ranjit Raina, CEO, Geometry Encompass said, “The pandemic has ushered in digital transformation at a scale never seen before. Through our early experiments in the virtual space we are convinced that it is possible to stay real in the virtual world and enable human connections. Commerce is so much more than just a transaction and Pro.digi aims at creating solutions for real growth.”

Geometry Encompass launches Pro.digi, a virtual experience platform

<ul><li>As we come closer to the end of 2021, we take a look back at a few learnings from the year, and talk to experts from different industries about what lies ahead.</li><li>In today's feature, we bring you prominent voices from the <keyword id="2014281" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="ooh" source="Orion">OOH</keyword> and <keyword id="1784761" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="experiential" source="Orion">Experiential</keyword> industry who tell us about their expectations from 2022.</li></ul>For years, the Indian Out-of-home (OOH) industry has depended on traditional way of measuring the success of its campaigns which has led to marketers spending less on the medium. With the advent of the digital medium and the marriage of technology, almost all mediums have become more accountable, easily measurable. OOH, however, has taken it time to embrace data and technology. The industry has been long working on a measurement system that will help advertisers better understand the effectiveness of their campaigns and there is hope that in 2022, this system will be up and running, which will be that much-needed boost for the industry. Since the pandemic, OOH has suffered, and most experts feel this measurement system will help the medium get back in the game, and even help make it one of the most effective mediums. Meanwhile, another medium which suffered massive losses due to the pandemic was experiential and live events. The lockdown ensured that people are stuck at their homes. It led to the cancellation of many events. While things were slowly starting to get back to normal at the end of 2020, things came to a complete standstill again, once the country was hit by the second wave in April-May this year. There was hope of things slowly limping towards normalcy with the Covid numbers going down but the spread of Omicron again has put a question mark on the way things progress next year. To understand how things are expected to pan out for both the OOH and Experiential industry in 2022, we spoke to some prominent voices from both the industries and here are their predictions: <keyword id="939652" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="noomi-mehta" source="Orion">Noomi Mehta</keyword>, Chairman &amp; MD, Selvel One <div type="image" title="Noomi." msid="88546058" hostid="261"></div> Measurement to revolutionize Indian OOH There is hope that 2022 will be a standout year for Indian OOH. The industry association has been working on a common currency of measurement and there is hope that we will be able to launch it in the next few months. Once that happens, OOH will not just become more accountable with effective measurement, we will be able to prove that it is perhaps one of the most effective mediums, owing to its reach and impact. While business has been slow, there is hope things will pick up in 2022. We will see the coming together of digital and technology that will help make OOH much more stronger than its current form. <keyword id="2406965" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="atul-shrivastava" source="Orion">Atul Shrivastava</keyword>, CEO, Laqshya Media Group <div type="image" title="atul-main-image" msid="88546322" hostid="261"></div> The year of convergence of OOH and Digital The cliché is more apt than ever before: 2022 will be one of the defining years for both OOH and Experiential media. Needless to add, this is apropos the challenges that were 2020 and 2021. The application of technology and analytics will be the primary trend that we shall hope to see for both the verticals. However, important to point out that it will be the intelligent application of technology that will separate the men from the boys. Convergence between OOH and digital media will make its presence felt in India – and help OOH garner a larger, a more significant share of marketing spends, and indeed a more serious share of the brand managers’ mindspace. Experiential marketing must go/will go far beyond physicality and capitalise on the brilliant ideas and experiences that our agencies can conceive – and again receive the attention that it truly deserves. Overall, we hope that India becomes more democratic in its marketing processes – look at wider audiences and increases her per capita <keyword id="35666" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="advertising" source="Orion">advertising</keyword> spend – which lags significantly behind the more developed markets. Aman Nanda, Chief Strategy Officer, Times Innovative Media <div type="image" title="Image." msid="88546370" hostid="261"></div> Out of home to move Beyond just Brand Advertising OOH advertising has been primarily used for Brand marketing campaigns. Originally, the focus of OOH was to drive high impact and enhance brand awareness. While it still has the potential to do that, we believe now OOH is powered enough to drive tactical brand objectives. Whether it means to target only students near colleges, or to target CXO’s in the morning drive time or to drive sales to the nearest store – out-of-home media is now evolved enough to deliver it. DOOH and PDOOH are growing faster than any other advertising format as a result we are able to offer pin-pointed campaigns – ranging from few hours to multi-years and deliver logic and rationale for ad placement through programmatic and planning tools. OOH also helps now, like no other media, to deliver online response through phones. This ability of OOH to amplify the online activity and drive offline sales is being embraced by brands and will help OOH grow multi-fold in near future. Nandini Nayyar, Associate Vice President, <keyword id="2091244" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kinetic-india" source="Orion">Kinetic India</keyword> <div type="image" title="nandini" msid="88547222" hostid="261"></div> OOH has seen a lot of disruption, integration, upgradation, and use of contextually targeted campaigns in 2021. A media that has shown high level of resilience and managed to bounce back with the caliber of allowing high consumer interaction as mobility numbers seemed back in order post the pandemic slowdown from the months of August onwards. Organizations like Kinetic India worked towards heavy data ammunitions to back the medium across cities and important touchpoints saw a lot of revival. DOOH, most importantly programmatic way of functioning in particular was in vogue across airports&amp; mall. Cinema as a touch point saw a huge boom with big titles releasing across movie theatres. Clients who were unlikely to advertise through OOH formats in the pre-Covid times reflected a sudden interest in the data backed OOH formats and with Digital, we saw brands advertising through OOH as second preferred medium for a continuous reminder. 2022 will also have its own trend in the OOH, where brands will be mindful of the Omicron and its effects and spends will again be partially dependent on the mobility numbers and seasonality across the cities for various categories. The OOH agencies will need to be cognizant of the situation, brand requirements, act flexible, be spontaneous with their bespoke data driven approach &amp; close on long term deals for better efficiencies across relevant touchpoints. Agencies will also need to move towards transitioning and educating their clients towards investing programmatically on digital OOH formats for the desired ROI. <keyword id="52304" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="roshan-abbas" source="Orion">Roshan Abbas</keyword>, MD, Geometry Encompass <div type="image" title="Roshan Abbas, President, EEMA (1)" msid="88546575" hostid="261"></div> Time for brands to build live experiences In a world of revenge travel and revenge shopping there will be a surge of live experiences. Tickets to concerts are selling out in minutes. NH7 Weekender early bird, India Bike Week, spoken all are returning slowly. It’s time for brands to take advantage and build live experiences. To keep these safe will be paramount so vaccine passes and apps are a must. We have relegated the virtual to the essential. So most knowledge-based events and experiences will have hybrid components to satisfy the remote audience. This will also lead to a surge of all on ground events having a broadcast component. Sanjoy K Roy, Managing Director, Teamwork Arts <div type="image" title="Sanjoy K Roy - MD Teamwork Arts @ JLF 2015 Curtain Raiser (3)" msid="88549459" hostid="261"></div> Hybrid events will continue to dominate 2022 will be dependent on the world opening up and dealing with new variants of Covid -19. Even as digital fatigue abounds and people long for on ground events, celebrations and conferences, there is wish to return to the old `normal’. This is unlikely to play out, hybrid events will continue to dominate with organizers trying to improve the virtual experience and convert these from cookie cutter formats to more endearing and immersive programs. Tech continues to power forward looking to create more opportunities to control our motivations and experiences by ensuring flawless online delivery. <keyword id="1586079" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dalveer-singh" source="Orion">Dalveer Singh</keyword>, Head of Experiential Marketing - APAC, GroupM Dialogue Factory <div type="image" title="Dalveer Singh, , Head of Experiential Marketing- APAC, Dialogue Factory (1)" msid="88546762" hostid="261"></div> 2022 the year of taking ‘Store to the Door’ The experiential marketing space has been fast changing in the last 5 years and more so in the last couple of months and seems will continue to disrupt. The last two years have been a rollercoaster ride for this highly specialized practice. The biggest trend that we see unfolding in 2022 in this space will be to take the store experience to the door of the consumers across geographies including metros, mini metros, semi-urban &amp; rural cities. The store experiences could be in the form of any of these: AVATARS – Kirana store, General store, modern trade outlet, Pharmacy, Showroom, Mall or Multiplex etc. It will be all about bringing the brand and brand experiences closer to where the consumer lives. The store-to-door experience must marry the best of both physical and digital brand assets, thus creating strong hybrid experiences. All this needs to have a creative spin that surprises, entertains and drives both brand equity as well as brand sales. C ya @ the door!

What 2022 has in store for the Indian Out-of-Home and Experiential industry

<ul><li><keyword id="177378" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cannes-Lions">Cannes Lions</keyword> has announced Bronze, Silver, Gold and Grand Prix for Design Lions, Print &amp; Publishing Lions, Health and Wellness Lions and Pharma Lions.</li><li><keyword id="3361020" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="FCB-Interface">FCB Interface</keyword> has won Gold Lion, 2 Silver and 2 Bronzes, <keyword id="274876" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lowe-Lintas">Lowe Lintas</keyword> Mumbai brought back home a Bronze Lion and Geometry Encompass won a Bronze Lion.</li></ul>Starting Day 1 of Cannes Lions 2021 on a high, FCB Interface won five Lions, including the Gold Lion, for <keyword id="36730" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mumbai-Police">Mumbai Police</keyword>'s ‘The Punishing Signal’ campaign in the PR subcategory. With the core focus on Purpose, Innovation, and Tech, the Punishing Signal has been awarded a Gold Lion and a Silver Lion in the Health &amp; Wellness category under the category description Non-profit/Foundation-led Education &amp; Awareness. The campaign also won a Silver Lion and 2 Bronze Lion in the Outdoor category under the category description Ambient Outdoor, Single-market Campaign, and Social Behaviour. With 6.6 billion impressions, the campaign became the Most Liked &amp; Shared, and the #1 Indian topic, all social media taken. International news outlets in over 35 countries covered the campaign in over 1000 articles. <div type="Youtube" id="KIgKvUPXeq4" title="The Punishing Signal in collaboration with Mumbai Police - #HonkResponsibly" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/KIgKvUPXeq4/mqdefault.jpg"></div> On the occasion of winning Gold Lion for consecutive three years at Cannes and FCB’s commitment to purposeful creativity, Rohit Ohri, Chairman &amp; CEO, FCB Group India, said, “Once is an accident. Twice is a coincidence. Three times is a habit. Our Gold Lion hat-trick at Cannes is testimony to FCB Group India making creative excellence a habit.” Delighted with the win, Robby Mathew, Vice Chairman &amp; CCO, FCB Interface, said, “All the credit for these 5 Lions goes to Mumbai Police, for believing in the idea, installing the Punishing Signals across Mumbai, and then tweeting the humorous video to the whole wide world!” On the other hand, Lowe Lintas Mumbai picked a Bronze Lion for Lifebuoy’s ‘H for Handwash’ campaign in the Brand-led education and awareness sub-category. Lowe Lintas' COO, Sagar Kapoor said, "Behaviour change cannot get any more critical, given the era we are living in. For that change to happen something fundamental has to change. Handwashing is pivotal in saving lives in the pandemic yet data shows its rate is still declining. Lifebuoy having championed behaviour change decided to play a key role, one that goes way beyond than just being a soap. We decided to change the alphabet H forever. H will not be for HAT or HORSE. Now H is for HANDWASHING. Making this intervention at a really young age will ensure the hygiene habit is instilled at an age that would never let anyone forget handwashing. Winning a Cannes Bronze for the act just reinstates our faith in real work getting global recognition." Lifebuoy's 'Hackwashing’ also won a Bronze Lion in the Direct subcategory. The campaign was conceptualised by Geometry Encompass. Speaking about the win, <keyword id="52304" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Roshan-Abbas">Roshan Abbas</keyword>, MD, Geometry Encompass said, "In a tough year for the experiential business this is a shot in the arm. Fiinally, we have an Experiential Lion siting on our shelf. Thanks to all the hard work of the team at VMLYR Commerce Encompass." <div type="Youtube" id="fiur1F7SwHw" title="Hackwashing by Lifebuoy - Geometry Encompass" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fiur1F7SwHw/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Five campaigns, including three for ‘The Punishing Signal’ by FCB Interface for Mumbai Police and one each for Lifebuoy’s ‘H for Hand Washing’ by Lowe Lintas Mumbai and ‘Hackwashing’ for Lifebuoy, were shortlisted in the Health and Wellness category from India. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="83709247" title="Cannes Lions 2021: India sees a total of 22 shortlists in the Design, Outdoor, Print &amp; Publishing, Health &amp; Wellness and Media categories" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Cannes Lions 2021: India wins seven metals on Day 1, FCB Interface brings home our first Gold

<ul><li>As we enter a brand new year, our Trends series will help us crystal gaze into what the year holds for us.</li><li>In today’s feature, experts from the <keyword id="1784761" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="experiential">experiential</keyword> and live events industry tell us what lies ahead in 2021.</li></ul>The year 2020 was difficult for most mediums but mediums that operate on the frontlines of human engagement and connections were perhaps hit the hardest. Take for instance the experiential and live events industry which came to a complete standstill. The lockdown period saw the events industry innovate, giving way to a large number of webinars, online discussions and live chats and shows, just to make sure that the industry stays active. However, the effects were felt more adversely by the thousands of people who work in the industry as daily wage workers. The smaller agencies and businesses in the domain also struggled through the year. Currently, the organized experiential sector is pegged to be around Rs 7,000 crore in size. However, according to most experts from the industry, its actual size is substantially larger, if one would take into account the unorganized side of it. Therefore, it is imperative for the industry to not just innovation but to come up with disruptive ideas to future-proof itself and to make sure that more such pandemics in the future don’t cripple it. We reached out to some experts from the industry to understand their areas of focus for 2021 and the trends they think we should watch out for. Here’s what they had to say: <keyword id="52304" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Roshan-Abbas">Roshan Abbas</keyword>, MD, Geometry Encompass <div type="image" title="Roshan Abbas, President, EEMA" msid="80136966" hostid="261"></div> Brands will follow a live and virtual strategy to reach a bigger audience. Events will be produced as TV specials are with a live experience and a broadcast experience for the internet. The line between televised events and live events will blur even further. An incremental 30% revenue will be added to the space with these experiences. Brands will stitch social commerce into all experiences. Those who do it with the least amount of friction and the maximum engagement will emerge victorious. E commerce stores will become experience commerce stores using every trick in the event playbook to attract consumers. <keyword id="279820" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sanjoy-Roy">Sanjoy Roy</keyword>, Managing Director, Teamwork Arts <div type="image" title="Sanjoy K Roy - MD Teamwork Arts (1)" msid="80137240" hostid="261"></div> Even as the global economy contracts, artists and artisans try and break down the virtual ceiling, looking for innovations and possibilities to survive and sustain their livelihood. Perhaps, it is time to step back, reflect and view the world in crises and find, equitable and sustainable opportunities for all. ‘Intimate and focused’ could well be the new mantra to replace ‘bigger and brighter’. Solo performances could bring talent and excellence back to the spotlight. Innovation in social and cultural celebrations focusing on the arts to provide a sense of place, identity and tradition, are the need of hour. AI and virtual reality could help traverse the world instead of the flatbed or the cramped seat. As we look to 2021 with hope of a vaccine to solve our immediate predicament, the fact is that the road to recovery will be long and arduous. Those who have access to capital and have the agility to innovate will emerge stronger from the experience, the rest will need to reinvent their world. <keyword id="1586079" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dalveer-Singh">Dalveer Singh</keyword>, Head of Experiential Marketing – APAC, Dialogue Factory <div type="image" title="Dalveer Singh, , Head of Experiential Marketing- APAC, Dialogue Factory" msid="80137187" hostid="261"></div> The year 2021 will be about sale, sale and more sale! We should ensure that nothing is able to distract us from the sole aim of advertising, which is sale. And this will start with brands, if they are able to sell more, they will be able to afford different partners. We, as agencies, publishers or people who create brand solutions have to create solutions single-mindedly keeping in mind strategies that will drive sales. And it is sales that will enable us to keep going in a big way and it will give us that boost we need to do what we want to do. This will help us come up with innovative ways of reaching out and doing things at scale. Everything will come back to the objective of whether I am able to create solutions that are saleable, sustainable and cost-effective, because in the end, whatever we do, it has to drive sales. And that is what will work for all of us. <keyword id="7410855" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Swaroop-Banerjee">Swaroop Banerjee</keyword>, COO, <keyword id="7281920" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Zee-Live">Zee Live</keyword> <div type="image" title="Mr. Swaroop Banerjee, COO, Zee Live" msid="80137204" hostid="261"></div> The pandemic of 2020 disrupted the way we live, work, and socialize. It gave way to a new normal, which every industry whether big or small adopted to maintain business continuity. The entertainment industry was no different too. Fighting against the tide, we too at Zee Live had to find new and innovative ways to keep our viewers entertained while meeting our business goals. Now looking ahead to 2021, adopting a virtual route will continue to be imperative. Maintaining a strong digital presence, including live/online streaming, pay per view in one’s business portfolio will be the way forward. With the pandemic still raging across the country, it is essential that we as the leaders in the entertainment industry should be able to provide our viewers top class entertainment while keeping their health and safety a priority. Keeping in line with this thought, we are bringing in our A-game as we continue to collaborate with the largest music icons and create live original content for Zee Live. 2021 worldwide is going to be about digital live entertainment and we will see a gigantic shift in this direction and we shall also see a trend where we will have a sizable arrest of audiences who would consume live entertainment,while audience will flock in large gatherings when safe. Therefore, we are investing heavily in this direction.” <keyword id="2289911" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sukrit-Singh">Sukrit Singh</keyword>, Founder, The Platform <div type="image" title="Sukrit Singh" msid="80137226" hostid="261"></div> The trend today in the experiential industry is to announce that WE ARE BACK (or will be). Noble and preachy, to say the least, from an industry that has ruthlessly culled its workforce. Global networks shutting down companies, entrepreneurs abandoning teams overnight –and I believe the worst is yet to come. The lesson of the past and the trend of the future isn’t technology or virtual – but the human story. I salute those who never hibernated, retrenched or bitched and moaned. I urge the industry leadership to ask themselves… Did we stand up for our teams? Is there anyone in our team who suddenly felt forsaken and abandoned? Did we hoard – at the expense of others? Or did we share whatever little we had? Doctors saved lives. Did we save livelihoods? 2021 is here! The date has moved; the year has changed but challenges remain. Let’s not hide behind the pandemic and rebuild our human capital – it’s the only asset we have had. Our crazy work culture and ethos is fueled by the passionate misfits who unconditionally stood by us as we built the industry. The big trend for 2021 is the change of guard and the emergence of a stronger, more committed experiential leader and organization. So goodbye – fly by night operator, good riddance ad-networks(neither of you were here for the people or the work anyway). In 2021 my generation (you know who you are) passes the baton to the next. Godspeed to them - build with your people - an experiential industry that can withstand the next pandemic.

Experiential: The trends to watch out for in 2021

<ul><li>Outdoor entertainment has come to a complete standstill, live events and experiences have moved online. We spoke to the top ticketing platforms who shared how <keyword id="9084093" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="virtual-events">virtual events</keyword> are becoming the new normal amid a global pandemic. </li><li>Virtual events have helped artists and fans transcend limitations of location, accessibility and seasonality. These events combine live streaming technology with interactive features that allows participants to engage with each other and creators.</li><li>Organisers are bringing music, elements of theatre such as dramatised readings, monologues, poetry recitals, stand-up comedy sessions and other performing art acts live to the safety of their viewer’s homes. </li></ul>Extreme times have pushed every industry to come up with creative solutions to sustain their businesses. When it was announced that IPL was indefinitely postponed, ticketing platforms were one of the first ones to be hit badly. The second blow came when the lockdown 1.0 was announced in India and outdoor entertainment came to a complete standstill. Artists, organizers and the entire experiential industry found themselves baffled. Their core job was to get people out of their homes and partake in an event. As per Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA), the Indian events and exhibition sector is expected to take a ₹1 trillion hit this quarter. However, shortly after the outbreak of <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword>, industry experts started reimagining their line-ups and came up with a creative solution -- virtual events and they are slowly and gradually becoming the new normal. In this time of distress, a lot of people are looking for an escape. Virtual events offer interaction, intimacy and a two-way-conversation with your favourite artists. Ergo, there is a rising demand for these events on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Facebook. To meet this rising demand, <keyword id="600792" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="BookMyShow">BookMyShow</keyword> launched virtual properties such as ‘Live From HQ ’and ‘#LiveInYourLiving Room’ and saw participation from various stars ranging from Prateek Kuhad to Vir Das to Indian Ocean. “Under the circumstances, ‘Live from HQ’, ‘Theatre Live’ and other such virtual initiatives are the best option. They are unique for their intimacy, interactivity (social media platform-supported) and for the real glimpse it gives you into the artists’ most intimate space - his/her home! We have seen multiple instances where viewers have requested for their favourite songs or a poem, which have been gracefully honoured by the artists. We have seen a great traction for the Q&amp;A sessions as well, bringing fans up close and personal with their favourite artists. And then, there are surprises too - Prateek Kuhad dropped his latest single during his performance in ‘Live From HQ’!,” shares Albert Almeida, COO – Live Entertainment, BookMyShow. BookMyShow’s maiden Live from HQ event had close to half a million viewers tuning in. After adding more features on its platform and seeing an increase in engagement on the size of its community, Almeida is hopeful that the platform will breach the million mark in a few days. On the other hand, for <keyword id="8619624" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="paytm-insider">Paytm Insider</keyword>, it was easier to transition to virtual events as they had launched ‘Digital Events’ a year ago. It now allows organizers to publish, ticket and manage digital events. However, it wasn’t their main focus until the outbreak of coronavirus. Telling us how the idea took shape, Shreyas Srinivasan, CEO, Paytm Insider, said, “About a year ago, even before all of this transpired, we started working on a feature called Digital events. So in the last month, we have completely switched our focus to digital events. The idea was that digital offers you the type of interactivity which physical events don’t -- it's hard to obtain scale. So if you are in a physical event with 10,000 people and you want to collectively as a musician, figure out what is the next song the majority of this audience wants to hear, it's very difficult to get that consensus. So that’s why we had started building this feature called Digital Event, which is basically a layer of interactivity on top of a live video. This allows us to experiment. We did a theatrical show where people watching it decided how the story went.” While the established artists have found a way to connect with their audience via technology, smaller artists in Tier II and III are struggling. StayIN aLIVE is a platform that is helping artists to come together, with the help of BookMyShow and Paytm Insider, and use their skills and creativity to aid the spreading of correct, verified messages about battling COVID-19, the issues surrounding the pandemic, precautions one can take as citizens. Roshan Abbas, MD, Geometry Global and Founder, Kommune, a performance arts collective, explains, “The live entertainment industries have been very badly hit. I was reading a report today that said over 4 million people but that doesn’t include the people who listen to Gurbani to people who perform in villages all the way to the people who are performing at concerts and shows, etc. That is such a large number right now. Most people also don't know what to do. And the problem is that the people who have some idea of the internet at least are trying to be relevant. But revenue is bound to see a fall for almost anybody.” StayIN aLIVE, although now digital, will also help artists do physical events once we resume normalcy. However, Abbas says that this new normal will never be the same for the events industry. This period has pushed consumers to reconsider their habits. “The new normal will not be the same as what we were used to. Many of us will choose efficiency over entertainment. So do you really want to go to a seminar? Or do you want to go for dinner in the evening? Do you want to go for the awards show at all? Or are you happy to be with us here? Awards have anyway become a television spectacle because people stopped going. So the consumers will start making even more informed choices. And again, this is where people who will build transmedia properties that go from online to offline, offline to online, to build communities both offline and online will succeed,” said Abbas.

Are virtual events becoming the new normal?

<ul><li>With events across the globe getting postponed indefinitely or even cancelled in some cases, the experiential marketing industry is expecting the next few quarters to be very challenging. </li><li>We spoke to a few industry leaders to get a sense of how they feel this pandemic will affect the industry in the coming months, and for everybody the answer is the same, ‘How do you prepare for the unknown?’</li></ul>As the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Covid-19 outbreak a pandemic with over 125,000 confirmed cases and 4,600 deaths in 114 countries, India has shut down its doors for foreign travellers. Just today the first death from Coronavirus in the country was reported from Karnataka, substantially increasing panic, with the government ordering closure of schools, colleges and multiplexes in cities like Delhi. While the hospitality and the entire service sector is expected to be impacted hard, the events and <keyword id="8901436" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="experiential-industry">experiential industry</keyword> is bracing itself for a few dismal quarters. With events across the globe getting postponed indefinitely or even cancelled in some cases, the experiential industry is expecting the next few quarters to be very challenging. While India has still not been affected as adversely as a few other countries, corporates are taking precautions and limiting their events. If media reports are to be believed, even big tickets events like IPL might have to be held without spectators for the first 15 days, which could affect the industry to a huge extent. AdClub’s Goafest 2020, which is a gathering of all advertising and media stalwarts and is looked forward to every year, is also postponed as several international speakers who were participating in the event have cancelled their trip to India. Facebook’s Global Marketing Summit, which was scheduled on March 9 in San Francisco is cancelled. In such a scenario, the experiential industry, which is all about creating experiences for people in huge gatherings, is obvious to face the brunt of this everyday-unfolding situation. We spoke to a few industry leaders to get a sense of how they feel this pandemic will affect the industry in the coming months, and for everybody the answer is the same, ‘How do you prepare for the unknown?’ <keyword id="8901438" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Event-and-Entertainment-Management-of-India">Event and Entertainment Management of India</keyword> (EEMA), the apex body of the experiential industry in India, recently sent out an advisory to all its members, putting together some protocols for venues that are still hosting events. The industry body set together guidelines around ‘Hygiene and Infection Control at Events’. Postponement and cancellation of many events With the government suspending travel visas and the general panic growing with each passing day, brands are refraining from organising events, which will hurt the experiential industry the most. Speaking about how the spread of the virus is already having an effect on the industry, Sabbas Joseph, Co-founder &amp; Director, Wizcraft International said, “The outbreak of the Coronavirus has caught the world of experiential marketing by shock. Multiple global events have been hit -- postponed or simply cancelled: IIFA2020, the Geneva Motor show, ITB-Berlin, the India Today Conclave, the META Awards, IMEX-Frankfurt, the Barcelona Mobile Congress…the list is endless. Additionally, product launches, promotions and activations, business conferences, business travel, MICE, exhibitions, trade shows have been simply put off or cancelled.” Adding to the list of cancelled and postponed events, Deepak Pawar, Managing Director, Midas Next added, “We had a few large events and activations for Colors, Mumbai Indians and IPL, but all of them have been canceled for now. We also had a couple of large exhibitions and conferences planned for the pharma industry and those have been postponed indefinitely. We were organizing an activation for Cadbury catering to tourists across the Himalyan belt. Since tourists are not allowed in India right now, we had to cancel that too. Similarly there was an activation planned for Lifebuoy about hygiene to avoid Coronavirus. Now since schools are also shut down, where will we do those activations?” Anticipating a few dismal quarters While India has yet not been as badly impacted as a few other countries, there are still new cases being detected everyday, with the current count being 62. As a step to contain the future spread of the virus, the government has suspended all existing visas, except diplomatic, official, UN/international organisations, employment, project visas until April 15. With it, many foreign nationals or companies that were supposed to come to the country for various events are having to cancel their travel plans. Moreover, the industry was already grappling with the effects of the economic slowdown, which was followed by riots in Delhi. Speaking about how all these factors combined will have a massive impact on the industry, Sanjoy Roy, Managing Director, Teamwork Arts and President, EEMA said, “Since February, we have postponed our festival India by the Bay in Hong Kong, India by the Bosphorus in Turkey, and another event in Morocco. In India, we have just postponed the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META). And everything else we have in the pipeline is getting pushed back. There’s that unknown factor as to what is this going to result in. While there's enough information out there, the fact that the world has reacted in a particular way means that there is more to it than meets the eye. And anyway, the economic slowdown was already impacting the industry. The biggest effect was the Auto Expo. We saw around 50% of Auto Expo disappear and many of the major players did not come, and that's a big thing for most of the event companies. If I were to talk about how the industry will perform, the quarter figures are not out yet and we won't have a sense of it right now. But I am sure both the industry as well as the quarter figures will be dismal.” Agreeing with Roy, <keyword id="52304" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Roshan-Abbas">Roshan Abbas</keyword>, Founder and Managing Director, Geometry Encompass, added, “The worst hit is the experiential business. From large sporting events to film awards, concerts to festivals all have been postponed. With the 14-day quarantine, many international speakers are also cancelling. There is a sense of panic everywhere. In these times take part in spreading information and awareness. Verify your facts. Try work from home and remote working. It’s the best time to test it. Also the only hope is to try digital events and plan for the future, cut back on all expenses. This will impact Q2 and Q3 very badly.” Tackling the crisis by going virtual The experiential business is all about direct-to-consumer engagement. The business thrives on human contact and the assembly of people is an important part of the entire offering. However, whenever a crisis hits, the only way of bouncing back is by thinking out of the box and doing things a little differently. On how brands have been reacting to the entire situation and how that might lead to an overhaul in the way the experiential industry works, Joseph said, “Brands are resetting their plans, expectations, markets, delivery systems, marketing focus and logistics. This will force the experiential industry to change its method of working, composition of team structure, use of technology, data, global resources, innovation and physical space. Collaboration and Innovation are going to be the new drivers of the experiential economy.” Dalveer Singh, Head Experiential Marketing - APAC, GroupM has come up with a plan B for this predicament. His team is trying to figure out if the experience can be digitised through some virtual or augmented reality experience. He says agencies equipped with digital skills can manage to survive else, this unfortunate situation will push them to think how to take experiential beyond mass-gatherings. “One solution can be how much of the experience that we create by being physically there, can be converted into ideas that are virtual or digital. Now that's something which we as a team are planning to do and that is our plan B. Brands wanted to have physical events because virtual does not give the same amount of joy. However, today, in these circumstances, brands will be more open to doing these events digitally because that gives them reach. So marketers will be more receptive to doing things virtually. However, in this whole environment, how many experiential marketing companies are today equipped to shift from physical to digital to virtual? There are a few companies that have those skills. This means it's also an opportunity for companies to get those new skills in,” said Singh. Singh also suggested helping each other in this dismal times, especially the smaller parties and freelancers. “For putting together an experiential marketing piece, we work with a lot of freelancers across different companies. And in this whole game, I think the small agencies and freelancers are the ones who might be affected by the heat because you are the resources for them. So, we need to figure out how to protect these small agencies and freelancers who do not have deep profits and holding capacity when the times are tough,” added Singh. While things don’t look very bright right now, the industry is still hopeful that the festive season will bring about some respite.

Coronavirus scare expected to impact experiential industry hard, Q2 & Q3 might register dismal growth

<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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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: Ronita Mitra, Founder and Chief Strategist, Brand Eagle Consulting: 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. 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. The campaign is an inspiring coming together of idea, execution and technology at every stage from conceptualization to the hyper personalised media plan. <div type="Youtube" id="So16ZBPK6mo" title="This is not just a Cadbury ad" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/So16ZBPK6mo/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Roshan Abbas, Founder &amp; MD, Geometry Encompass: 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. <div type="Youtube" id="2uA1r8gaRik" title="#YeDiwaliDilWali" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2uA1r8gaRik/mqdefault.jpg"></div> <keyword id="247533" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Karthik-Srinivasan">Karthik Srinivasan</keyword>, Social Media Expert and Independent Brand Consultant: I have seen a few Deepavali/Diwali ads and so far liked 2 of them more than the others. 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. 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. <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> 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. <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> Heeru Dingra, CEO, WATConsult: 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. <div type="Youtube" id="GGd_g9MT0oY" title="Philips | #KhushiyonKiLadi" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GGd_g9MT0oY/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Vishnu Srivastav, Vishnu Srivastav, Creative Head, DDB Mudra South: 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. Janhavi Iyer, Associate Director- Content Strategy, Gozoop: 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. 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. <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>

Experts share their favourite Diwali campaigns from 2020

<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. 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. 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. 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. 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. <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> 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.” <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> 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.” <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> <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> <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> <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> 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.” 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.” 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. 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.” 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. 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.” Albeit, Kuber Chopra, Founder, Creative &amp; Strategy Director, Rasta, said that lack of creativity is not due to lockdown constraints. 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.” “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. 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. 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.” 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.” The story is not over yet Mathias anticipates that things will change as we get deeper into the league. 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.” Chopra is hoping to see smaller brands shine on Disney+ Hotstar. “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.

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