Campaign India

Sandeep Goyal's blog: Dear ASCI, stay vigilant

While the IPL was relatively free of surrogate advertising, the long list of ICC and Disney Star sponsors has various liquor brands among them and so the author urges ASCI to stay vigilant

Blog: Open letter to the ASCI chairperson on surrogate advertising, once again

Ahead of the IPL, the author continues his crusade against misuse of surrogate advertising by liquor brands

Blog: Virat Kohli bats for Lovely Professional University — are Twitterati over-reacting?

The author states that Kohli's personal brand is precious and he shouldn't be tarnishing it by association with dubious entities

Blog: To congratulate PV Sindhu or not to congratulate her?

Is a code of conduct, or at least some operating guidelines required for 'moment marketing', asks the author

Blog: A celebrity's personal morality is not a brand's responsibility: IIHB survey

Consumers are getting discerning enough to separate the chaff from the grain, says the author

Blog: 25 years on, is McDonald's a success in India?

The author lists the areas McDonald's needs to focus on to grow in India

Can Mother's Day be universalised in brand messaging?

The author shares how brands should be empathetic in conveying messages for Mother's Day

Opinion: Will the IPL 15 see the return of surrogate liquor ads?

The author questions if liquor ads would make a comeback on Star TV, or if ASCI would intervene, as the new edition of IPL commences

Has Viacom18 paid over the top for the IPL digital rights?

The author shares his thoughts on the IPL bidding war for media rights

Blog: Is this the end of surrogate advertising, finally?

The Government of India’s Central Consumer Protection Authority, on 9 June 2022 put out guidelines for the prevention of false or misleading advertisements

Blog: Google's year in search report 2020 - the year we asked more 'why' then 'what'

In the first of a three-part series, the author looks at five very important search clusters with reference to marketing and consumers

Blog: Google's two Indias - India 1 versus India 2

In the second of a three part series, the author delves deeper into Google's Search Report 2020

Blog: Thank you Mr. Kamath! Better late than never

Following the news of ASCI banning surrogate ads of 12 liquor companies, the author states that his crusade of three years against ASCI’s inaction has finally succeeded!

Blog: Ziva Dhoni gets her first endorsement - should we be celebrating?

The author wonders whether the former Indian cricket team captain's daughter should be in the limelight at a young age

Blog: Sourav Ganguly's heart attack becomes Fortune's misfortune

The author has advice for brands during controversial situations

Blog: ‘Rohit4Rhinos’ - does celebrity support for animals really work?

The author states that celebrities like Sharma need to do far more than just promote the cause

Blog: What brands can take away from the Google Year in Search report 2020

The author states that ideas from the Google Search Report may appear deceptively simple, but are really a compass pointing smart strategists in the direction of consumer thinking

Blog: Will New York's ‘Vax and Scratch’ programme with a US$ five million jackpot work?

The author analyses the 'Vax and Scratch' initiative and figures whether something similar can work in India

Blog: Biden admin ropes in McDonald's to drive Covid vaccination

The author suggests that the Government of India could also reach out to companies that have large rural outreach to help carry vaccine messages on their packaging

Blog: ASCI on liquor surrogates - too little, too late

The author states that the release shared by ASCI on surrogate advertising is anchored on flimsy claims

Blog: The storm in a tea cup, honey traps and wine that is music

The author puts down his thoughts on the recent developments in the F&B industry after FSSAI's 'Eat Right India' campaign angered The Coffee and Tea boards in the country

Blog: The CEO as brand ambassador - how 'Mahashay' of MDH became a household name

The author asks if this strategy can work and looks at which CEOs have succeeded as brand ambassadors and who have not

Blog: A decade is a long time

The author looks at products and brands 'we never knew 10 years ago'

Blog: Nepotism in Bollywood? It is in advertising too

Nepotism exists in every industry, every business and it's just the shades and gradations that vary, says the author

Blog: On World Bicycle Day, Atlas Cycles rides into the sunset

The author ponders about why brands die and offers solutions to keep them alive

Blog: Don't quote process, demonstrate purpose

Sandeep Goyal responds to Subhash Kamath's reply to his open letter

Blog: Open letter to Subhash Kamath, chairman, ASCI on surrogate advertising

The author requests the new ASCI chairman to examine all the surrogate advertisements currently on air during the IPL

Blog: Earth hour gives brands reason to advertise during lockdown

The author reviews some of the work brands released during 'earth hour'

Blog: HD entertainment beams and online video games may burn up the internet

What happens if the internet, because of the sudden and exponential load globally ‘burns’ up?

Blog: Burger King’s mouldy burger - gimmick or genius?

The author studies Burger King's latest campaign and states the pros and cons of it

Blog: Kobe Bryant – loveable hero of ‘the ad of the decade'

The author looks back at the Turkish Airlines film featuring Kobe Bryant and Lionel Messi and points out learnings for clients and agencies in India that are using celebrity ambassadors

Obituary: Adman Nitin Puri passes away

Sandeep Goyal pays tribute to his very close friend who was with Bates in Dubai prior to his sudden demise

Blog: Akshay Kumar says good bye PubG, welcome Fau-G!

Akshay Kumar’s announcement has given FAU-G both the PR hi-ground, and possibly a first mover advantage created by the exit of PUBG, states the author

Blog: SonyLiv's Undekhi roasted for promotional fake murder call

The author looks at back promotions that have gone wrong

Blog: The fascinating story of Brooks Brothers and America's presidents

Brooks Brothers, best known for being the couturiers who outfitted 41 of the 45 American Presidents, filed for bankruptcy last week in the US. The author looks back at their journey...

Blog: Brand Dhoni - what are the best positioning opportunities?

In this exclusive piece for Campaign, the author extracts information from a 23-city research covering 60,000 respondents on MS Dhoni.

Blog: Trust the Japanese to celebrate amidst adversity

Hanabi or ‘fireworks’ organised to lift the mood of the nation during the pandemic

Blog: Dream11's IPL title sponsorship makes for bad global optics

The author explains why he would rather see an 'Indian' company win the rights

Blog: Doordarshan shows God is great

The author analyses the revival of Doordarshan

Blog: Media sackings are sad, and avoidable

Don’t they have enough reserves built over the past decades to survive the current storm asks the author

Blog: Is 'Gulabo Sitabo' the beginning of the end for theatres and multiplexes?

Shoojit Sircar’s Amitabh Bachchan-Ayushmann Khurana starrer Gulabo Sitabo will become the first major new Bollywood movie to opt for a digital release, in the shadow of the Covid pandemic.

Blog: What Vivo's exit from the IPL actually means

The author discusses what are the implications of Vivo pulling out of the IPL

Blog: Why brands loved Irrfan Khan

The author looks back at 'Brand Irrfan' and states why he was loved so much by marketers and creative directors

Blog: Wonder why Rishi Kapoor never got his due from advertisers

The author wonders why a light-hearted old man, somewhat prone to gaining weight, and with a penchant for good fun somehow didn’t quite appeal to brands and agencies

Blog: How the ‘Love Actually’ ad won the UK elections for Boris Johnson

The author analyses a gamble carried on by Boris Johnson which has paid off handsomely

Blog: Amrapali shadow again eclipses brand Dhoni

The Supreme Court’s ruling today in the MS Dhoni/Rhiti Sports case will further sharpen liabilities and responsibilities of celebrities says the author

Blog: Old Salman is the new face of Pepsi

The new ambassador is also controversial and kind of contra-intuitive as a choice

Blog: Sony Sab emerges as India's number one GEC, parent Sony Entertainment comes next

The author reflects on Sony Sab's move to the top of the GEC pile and states what has gone right for the channel

Blog: Virat Kohli as 'Super V' - a modern day Marvel?

Post the announcement of the series, the author wonders if 'brand Virat Kohli' is going too far

Tribute: KK Modi, the indefatigable challenger

Instinctive, intuitive, ingenuous and innovative are some words that aptly describe the eldest of the Modi brothers, who passed away in Delhi last weekend.

Blog: Advertising veteran Conrad Saldanha passes away

Tributes and anecdotes pour in for the Rediffusion old-timer and the author reproduces some of them

Blog: Ogilvy versus Vivo - whose idea was it anyway

The author lists suggestions to avoid such a scenario in the future

Blog: The incongruity of cricket sponsorships

The author studies Amul and Byju's associations with the South African and Indian cricket team respectively

Blog: Gajraj Rao, Sobhita Dhulipala, Jim Sarbh and Bhumi Pednekar: Are celebrity endorsements getting more democratic?

The author believes that as more brands succeed with off-beat choices, brands too to will hopefully look to experiment beyond the biggies.

Blog: Fantasy leagues are proliferating. But, profitable?

The author pioneered fantasy gaming in India and looks back with great regret on how he perhaps gave up too early, too easy.

Blog: Shawking! Prithvi Shaw damaged or destroyed?

The doping ban will slow down brand endorsements for the cricketer, writes the author

Blog: Rohit Sharma shortchanged on endorsements? Because historically captain takes all

The author believes that for 'Hitman' to hit bigger jackpots off-the-field, the mandarins at BCCI will have to hand him the crown in at least one format of the game

Obituary: Good man George! An Anthem awaits in Heaven

Our columnist pays tribute to George John, the founder of Anthem advertising,

Blog: The vuvuzela dilemma

The author explains how the superfan grandmom of Indian cricket is faced by quite a few dilemmas as India play the semis and the finals…

Blog: From moment marketing to momentary marketing or momentous marketing?

The author analyses Pepsi's move to get Charulata Patel as a 'swag star'

Blog: Virat and Rohit stoop to conquer as brand India shines

The author explains how the Indian female cricket fan has a face finally after the incidents during the India-Bangladesh ODI

Blog: Rs. 100 crore or wash out?

'A Rs. 100 crore revenue from one match will surely set new records for the business. And make sports broadcasting an even more lucrative domain', says the author

Blog: A Whopper of an idea Swiggy and Zomato may want to emulate

The author analyses Burger King's move of testing real-time burger delivery to cars stuck in Mexico City traffic congestion.

Thinking vertical: An Indian documentary wins at Cannes

An Indian documentary has won an award at Cannes Nespresso Talents 2019. The contest is limited to films shot in a vertical format.

Blog: Has Akshay Kumar's nationalistic brand taken a hit?

Is ‘Canadian’ Akshay Kumar any less patriotic? Will his ‘nationalistic’ brand get affected?

Blog: Are English GEC and English movies on TV dead?

The author reasons why English GECs and movie channels are on the decline in the country

Blog: Tiger out of the Woods!

But are his endorsements burning bright?

Blog: The rise and rise of Free Dish

Dangal TV continues at No.1, with more than a little help from DD Free Dish. How will the future pan out. The author paints a scenario.

Blog: Accenture gobbles up Droga5 - is that good or bad?

The author states that the Droga5 sell-out is a pointer to the emergence of a possible new animal: the ‘cagency’… a combination of a consultancy and an ad agency

Blog: Defining Japan in just one word: ‘Reiwa’ is the chosen one

The new name has been formulated based on a poem from Manyoshu, the oldest existing compilation of Japanese poetry.

Blog: The world's most difficult branding exercise

What is among the world's most challenging branding assignments? Defining Japan in just one word is certainly one among them, says the author.

Blog: Dhoni sues Amrapali -- is the pot calling the kettle black?

As MS Dhoni sues a brand he once endorsed for Rs 40 crore of outstanding fees, can he just claim to be ‘paid help’ and escape any role or responsibility in the cheating of thousands of middle class home buyers?

Blog: T-Series topples PewDiePie for a day, but success is shortlived

T-Series, bolstered by the viral trailer of new movie, ‘PM Narendra Modi’ took what looked like an unassailable lead over rival PewDiePie yesterday but the savvy Swede was back at No 1 by the late night in the Great Subscriber War!

Blog: HUL’s new found penchant for controversy

One of the country’s largest spenders on advertising, has been in the midst of controversy all of last week

Blog: Lessons to learn from Lester Wunderman

The iconic Lester Wunderman may be under-celebrated in India. But the recent re-branding of JWT into Wunderman Thompson brings Wunderman and his teachings into focus. The legend passed away last month at the age of 98.

Blog: The love-all brand Priyanka Gandhi

The political game has just begun for Priyanka Gandhi. Will she go on to clinch the title or lose the plot?

Blog: Asrani... who? Is nostalgia such a smart idea?

The commercial featuring Asrani is a bit of nostalgia, a bit of curiosity. But the core of the issue is, why him?

Blog: Hardik Pandya - macho or ‘mawali’?

The author shares findings of a research conducted by the Indian Institute of Human Brands (IIHB) among millennials on social media

Blog: 2019 is going to be a PANTASTIC year

2019 should hopefully put Rishabh Pant into the coveted league of brand ambassadors.

Blog: King Kohli or King Kong Kohli?

There are two schools of thought on Virat Kohli. One that believes that he ought to be more restrained, more responsible, more respectful. The other school believes that Kohli is Kohli because he is everything that you do not expect him to be, which is why when he is aggressive and abrasive, he is actually charming and captivating; endearing and enviable.

Blog: What do I pray for in 2019?

A ‘lagom’ state-of-mind is all that our blogger will adopt in 2019

Blog: Maruti turns 35, part two; A journey back in time!

In the second part of this topic, the author takes you on a pictorial journey back in time, on the three and a half decades of Maruti Suzuki

Blog: Maruti turns 35; long live the '800'!

The author believes Maruti should acquire its first ever car sold in India and house the 800 at its factory or corporate office

Blog: To Leverise Horlicks or to Leverage it?

The acquisition of Horlicks by consumer goods giant, Unilever is a landmark moment in the history of the brand. Will Hindustan Unilever, which has traditionally struggled with its foods business in India, be able to leverage the brand?

Blog: When Sotheby's auctioned Indian ad memorabilia

As two Air-India posters fetch INR 10 lakh at the Sotheby’s India auction, their creator Nargis Wadia celebrates in the audience

Blog: Ayushmann Khurrana - 100 crores?! Badhai Ho! Coca Cola ho jaye!

The author explains the rise of the 'phenomenon' - as a brand and as an actor

Blog: 26/11- why corporates that support 'brand’ India deserve our gratitude

The author thanks all the brands that stood up for India and Mumbai through an event that caused heavy hearts, moist eyes and lumps in the throat at the Gateway of India.

Blog: If you do not know PewDiePie, you are just too old

While T-Series is expected to dethrone the Swedish 'internet sensation' by the end of this month, the author explains 'the miracle called PewDiePie'

Blog: #MeToo - Rahul Johri BCCI CEO exonerated; murky misuse of movement exposed

The author explains how social media can also be used for sinister purposes, with reference to the #MeToo allegations against Johri

Blog: DaOne by Shikhar Dhawan - encashing brand equity or precursor to retirement plans?

As one more cricketer launches his own line will it enhance his brand equity or be par for the course?

Blog: Conflict of interest in the new marital home?

With the wedding announcement for Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, is it all fine for Asian Paints-Nerolac, Goibibo-MakeMyTrip, Axis-Kotak, Coke-ThumsUp, Nike-Adidas and Oppo-Vivo?

Blog: Of product lines and celebrities

The last part of our series on 250 years of celebrity endorsements

Blog: The Flipkart big-billion campaign; over-confidence or nervousness?

What is the underlying reason behind the multi-starrer big budget campaign from the e-commerce giant?

Blog: Lux and the art of serenading film stars

The third part of our series on celebrating 250 years of celebrity endorsements.

Blog: The Red Fort sponsorship controversy

The Indian Government's decision to let corporates sponsor heritage spots is inviting a lot of comment. Our guest blogger deep dives into the debate to explore if there is a better way.

Blog: Sir Martin's exit - good or bad for WPP India?

The author states some of the venom surrounding Sir Martin Sorrell and predicts the future for some WPP agencies in India

Blog: Why is Abanti Sankaranarayanan sleeping?

There is a blizzard of surrogate ads during the ongoing IPL tournament. Is the ASCI looking the other way?

Blog: Brand Kapil Sharma needs urgent help!

Brand Kapil Sharma is a bloated shadow of itself. What ails the brand and what went wrong?

Blog: Star reaches for the stars with BCCI media rights

BCCI might be laughing its way to the bank and Star comes out smiling. But what does it mean for the advertising business?

Blog: Rich kid, poor kid - Part 4

In this blog a corporate lawyer, a corporate consultant, a dentist and a CSR Consultant share their experiences

Blog: Rich kid, poor kid - Part 3

In this part of the continuing series on millennials, a lawyer, an ad man, a film producer and a corporate executive voice their views

Blog: Rich Kid Poor Kid - Part 2

In response to the author's article last week, the millennials respond in full strength. Let's hear it straight from them.

Blog: 2017 – in the rear-view mirror; 2018 – on the windshield

In the first part of his series on ‘2017 – in the rear-view mirror | 2018 – on the windshield’, Sandeep Goyal invites young industry leaders, Ravpreet Ganesh and Rana Barua to write in their views

Blog: AI companies to watch out for in 2018

The writer looks at how artificial intelligence and machine learning will rule business in 2018 and lists down the hotshot companies to engage with in this space

Blog: Why Manushi Chhillar’s Miss World Crown should mean more to us

Can the latest Miss World title re-ignite sponsor interest in beauty pageants?

Blog: Aggressive action and existential risks - The Forrester 2018 Predictions

The Forrester Report is a must-read-must-imbibe for all CMOs and their next in commands; also for their extended digital teams

Blog: Indigo to Indigoon! 6E is not sexy

The author explains how the ‘Stray Bullet’ hit Indigo and besmirched its reputation

Blog: A toast to the 'royal' couple of Indian advertising

Highlights from Agnello and Nandini Dias' Silver Anniversary bash in Mumbai

Blog: Why the Mary Meeker Report is digital's bible

On the eve of Media360 India, we look at some key takeaways for India from the renowned Mary Meeker Report

Blog: Arre baba re! Baba Ramdev rocks on ‘Om Shanti Om’

India's first television-made guru is now the title sponsor of a television reality show. Smart strategy or money down the tube?

Blog: Please don’t give me Five...

Do five-seconder commercials work? In the third part of our series, we bring you a perspective from two creative professionals

Blog: Do five-seconders work? A perspective from clients

Do clients think that the future is in five-second commercials? We get two interesting perspectives.

Blog: Is the five-second ad the future?

The author lays down reasons why we should see more five-second ads on television

Blog: How some of India's best TV shows were born

How brand Baba Ramdev stacks up in middle India and how some of India's best known TV shows were born

Blog: Will cricket get more expensive?

The increase in the price of IPL will be good for the advertising business

Blog: Suits v/s shorts: The debate gets hotter!

Reactions from Hemant Sachdev, Sangeeta Swamy, Abhijit Saxena, Gurpreet Singh Arora, Kanwarjeet Singh, Arunava (Joy) Sengupta, Adrian Mendonza, Geeta Rao, Aditya Sharma,

Blog: Shorts Friday? Is it really cool biz?

As the advertising business threatens to replace 'suits' with shorts, is it a wise decision?

Blog: Will the winner's curse afflict Star?

How the IPL game pans out from here for media and marketing.

Blog: KBC, the pioneers travel down memory lane

In this special, two media veterans get nostalgic about India's first quiz show with a Rs 10 million prize

Blog: #NekiKaMahina Messaging straight from the heart

Ramzan marketing lessons from home and across the border

Blog: Return of KBC - The charm endures

The story of how India's largest quiz show nearly started off without a title sponsor

Blog: Remembering 'Mile sur mera tumhara', the song of united India

Going down memory lane to remember the united India of the late-1980s

Blog: Kangana Ranaut has immense possibilities

The author believes it is time for marketers to wake up and take notice of the highly under-leveraged star

Blog: Brotherly love is now more sisterly love

Choose your sister or brother personality type from this lavish buffet of Raksha Bandhan advertising

Blog: Push, pull or shove; it’s all brotherly love

If you are thinking about your sister or brother, this Raksha Bandhan special is exclusively for you

The Old Order Changeth: Overflow of nostalgia on Horlicks

DK Bose, Nellai Thiruambalam and Rajive Chandra react to Sandeep Goyal's opinion piece on the news of Horlicks moving from JWT to FCB

Blog: Give, don't boast

The author lists out the preferred manner of 'doing good and being good'.

Blog: Interests outside advertising - music to my ears

In his 25th blog for Campaign India, the author looks at how ad executives have earned their stripes and colours in fields that excite and enhance them

Blog: Five seconds! Oh no please give me some more...

Do five-seconder commercials work? In the fourth part of our series, two media professionals give their perspective

Blog: A dynamic dozen of marketing trends for 2018

The author lists down the top twelve trends that could be a useful roadmap for 2018

Blog: Think vertical? Open to debate

In this blog three thought leaders debate the need to think vertical

Blog: A little bit of influence always helps

There are no real agencies that are channelising and monetising the power of the social media influencers

Blog: In 2018, Think Vertical

In his first blog for 2018, our blogger tells the advertising business to see the world 90-degrees differently

Blog: The new twinkle twinkle little stars

Do internet stars have the power to eclipse current heroes and superstars?

Blog: Of rear-view mirrors and windshields - Part 2

When I speculate on the future of advertising, I see only an abyss populated entirely by accountants chasing last years' outstandings, says renowned strategy planner and consumer insights specialist, B Nary Narayanaswamy

Blog: Fame bombing Mahendra Singh Dhoni - all love or just a free ride?

The author believes that brands are deriving unfair mileage at the celebrity’s cost which is unfair, unethical and uncalled for.

Blog: 17 trends from 2017

As a wrap-up to the year, our prolific blogger looks at 2017 in the rear view mirror

Blog: 2017 in the rear view mirror; 2018 in the windshield (Part 5)

In part five of this series, the author claims that 2018 shall see the return of the acche din in advertising

Blog: Amul hoardings hold the rear-view mirror to 2017

Sandeep Goyal looks at the year gone by through the Amul hoardings.

Blog: 2017 in the rear view mirror; 2018 in the windshield (Part 6)

In part six of this series, the author looks at 2017 and 2018 as teenagers

Comment: Is the full service agency coming back?

As 2017 draws to a close, is Indian advertising bringing back the good old days?

Blog: 2017 in the rear view mirror; 2018 in the windshield (Part 4)

In part four of this series, the author says that today's brand fans are likely to recruit the future fans for the brand

Blog: Consumer connections from a telecom man's lens

This is part 3 of our series: '2017 in rear view, 2018 on the wind shield

Blog: Rich Kid Poor Kid

Millennials are increasingly substituting pretence with practicality. That prompts the author to ask, if so rich, why so poor? If so poor, why so rich?

Blog: Savouring experiential marketing beyond the taste buds

A former investment banker is teaching marketers a lesson or two in experiential marketing

Blog: The Royal Wedding - really a billion dollar boon?

With past records, the author explains that grand royal events are over-hyped and almost always fall short of the projections of big bucks business that they are expected to bring in

Blog: Shah Rukh Khan hard sells Dubai 2020. Will you be there?

The author looks back at previous 'World Expos' and lists his expectations from the upcoming one

Blog: 250 years of celebrity endorsements - Part 2

This is the second part of our five part series that celebrates 250 years of celebrity endorsements

Blog: Raising a toast to 250 years of celebrity advertising

Beginning today we kick off a five part series that celebrates celebrity led advertising over 250 years

Blog: Amul - where has the smile gone?

The author believes it is easy to poke fun at others. It is a different story all together when it is you that is in trouble.

Blog: Naomi Osaka - a new star is born

Naomi Osaka not only won US$3.8 million in prize money but that is also most likely the start of her journey to become the highest paid female athlete in the world with off-court earnings expected to soar 10-folds from her current US$1.5 million to US$15 million over the next couple of years.