AdAsia 2011 commences in Delhi

It was to a packed room of delegates from all over India and Asia at the Taj Palace in New Delhi, that Madhukar Kamath, group CEO and managing director, Mudra Group, and chairman of the organising committee of AdAsia 2011 gave his welcome address. “AdAsia 2011 is setting a new record – the West is looking towards the East and the focus is on the Asian tigers, India and China,” he said.

Pradeep Guha, chairman of the Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA), the organisation under whose aegis AdAsia is being organised, said, “The theme of the festival is something we’ve grappled with for a long time – change. India is seeing change – the buoyancy of economic growth (tempered marginally by global phenomena) and consumption becoming the new religion. However liberalisation often results in lopsided growth and has its own fallout as we’ve seen with Batti Bandh, Occupy Wall Street, the Jasmine Revolution and the Anna Hazare movement. With the boom in online social media, companies need to keep an eye on inclusive growth; it requires commitment, keeping an eye on the country’s culture, and while providing free choice, we must make it an ethical affair.”

Announcing the next IAA (International Advertising Association) World Congress in Vienna in 2012, Alan Rutherford, chairman of IAA, said, “I must caution Asia on one trend we’re seeing in the UK and Europe – the industry  is not as collaborative and trustful as it used to be. Advertisers need to trust and empower their agencies, agencies must own brands as if they are their own, and media owners must work with agencies and advertisers to create long term solutions.”

Actor Shah Rukh Khan and Minister of Information & Broadcasting Ambika Soni were the guests of honour.