ETBrandEquity.com presents our readers with a specially formatted newsletter- BE on Wednesdays.
The easy-to-navigate newsletter features stories that have been specially curated by the combined efforts of our print and digital team of journalists.
Today we bring you an interaction with Alex Leikikh, global CEO of Mullen Lowe Group. Leikikh is among the first few senior advertising leaders to visit India in the post-pandemic era. Speaking on a variety of topics from the qualities that agencies should retain in the age of Web 3.0 to the threats for creativity and innovation as data leads to mechanical execution, Leikikh makes an appeal to a world that’s increasingly bothered about environmental sustainability. Don’t pollute the Internet with the excessive usage of performance marketing is his passionate plea.
Our other big draw this week is ‘one tight slap’, not in literal terms, but as a way of ‘expression’ and how this ‘statement’ is central to many conversations in popular culture.
Among other connotations, the story also connects with an Indian aspect, where we’ve grown up with the term ‘one tight slap’, from schools to TV ads, the expression immediately brings to mind a parent or a teacher towering over a child, hoping to see better behaviour.
The story takes the views of creative heads, who believe the enduring legacy of the line is because it’s so simple, yet direct. Even if slapping as a word is used for communicating not a physical hit, it is still a warning of an assault where reason could be justified, but not the act.
The newsletter also brings a chat with Cyrus Oshidar, former SVP, creative and content at MTV Networks. He was the person behind the channel’s series of humorous shorts titled ‘One Tight Slap’ that used to be on air two decades ago.
Another major development that is featured is the Competition Commission of India’s order to investigate food delivery companies Zomato and Swiggy. The aggregators have been accused of breaching platform neutrality by providing priority to exclusive contractors.
This is not the first time when these platforms have come under scrutiny. It is up to them now to come clean and present facts to retain the trust of their users, both restaurant and the final customer who eats the food, as misusing of consumer data, charging exorbitant commissions and providing massive discounting are some of the allegations made by National Restaurant Association of India.
Performance marketing is polluting the Internet: MullenLowe global CEO
Alex Leikikh, global CEO at MullenLowe Group, is a man who will not dodge a question, even if you catch him on the go. In an impromptu interview with Prasad Sangameshwaran, on the sidelines of the launch of Brands to Stands, authored by MullenLowe Group’s APAC chief strategy officer, S Subramanyeswar, the global CEO spoke on a variety of topics from his candid views on performance marketing to what agencies need to retain as the world gets obsessed with web 3.0. Read more
Creative heads on why Indians relate to the simple, direct message of ‘one tight slap’
Of all the distressing events the world is grappling with — wars, inflation, pandemic — it’s a slap that took centrestage, dominating conversation and news alike. Will Smith smacked comedian Chris Rock during the Oscar awards ceremony for making a joke about Jada Pinkett Smith’s alopecia, and the moment would spawn a million memes. Read more
Digital
How technology is making responses from chatbots more human
TikTok owner ByteDance ‘scraped’ content from Instagram, Snapchat
Elon Musk asks users about ‘Edit’ button on Twitter, Meta CTO chimes in
Meta takes down 23.6 mn pieces of bad content in India on FB, Instagram
Cricket on Twitter is now about engaging with players, fans and brands
Bollycoin targets Salman Khan fans with Chulbul Pandey NFT collection
US anti-trust bill seeks to tame Big Tech, India needs to learn
Business of Brands
CCI to probe Zomato, Swiggy over neutrality
Henkel to continue business in Russia for now
Supreme Court asks Delhi HC bench to hear Amazon plea
TCPL going for consolidation, simplification; to bring down no of entities to 23
Gupshup acquires conversational AI platform Active.Ai
Marketing
Cyrus Oshidar: The hand behind MTV’s humorous ‘One Tight Slap’
Thai airline’s April Fool’s tweet prompts royal insult complaint to police
KL Rahul becomes the brand ambassador of XYXX
IPL 2022: Gigabyte becomes the associate sponsor of Lucknow Super Giants
Meesho rebrands Farmiso to Superstore, to integrate with main app
On The Hot Seat
Samsung’s Gaurav Soni joins Domino’s as head of media
Vijesh Vijayan joins Siply as VP – brand marketing
Prakash Nair elevated as president and head of office at Ogilvy Gurugram
Media
Prasar Bharati writes to BARC India asking it to act against 9 Zee Media news channels
Cineline India re-enters film exhibition business with MovieMax brand
Research
AR is changing Indian GenZ’s shopping behaviour: Snapchat report
Creative Lens
Nestlé Resource Diabetic asks people to make small changes in their lifestyle
PayU tells startups and SMEs that the ‘time is now’ to grow
Parryware says you can be you in your bathroom in new campaign
