MakeMyTrip India has released two new brand films starring its ambassadors, Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh. These films highlight the ease and convenience of booking flights and hotels for international travel through MakeMyTrip, targeting both first-time and experienced international travellers. The first film presents Alia and Ranveer as a newlywed couple on their wedding night, still trying to find their footing with each other. The conversation veers towards both sharing their apprehensions

Snapchat Inc. has announced its financial results for the quarter ending March 31, 2024, showcasing its revenue along with the application's daily usage, new content to build community, along with its revenue diversification initiatives. Here's a summary along with the key highlights of Q1 of 2024: Revenue and Daily Usage: Revenue amounted to $1.195 billion, marking a 21% year-over-year increase from $989 million in the previous year. The net loss stood at $305 million, an improvement from the $

In the ever-changing digital marketing landscape, Social Samosa returns with the sixth edition of the Best Social Media Brands Awards, SAMMIE 2024. This platform celebrates the success of Human Brands that have contributed to the growth of the Social Media Ecosystem. Social media is no longer just about sharing your brand messages, it has become a platform for genuine connections and authentic conversations between brands and consumers. A vast majority of Agencies, Platforms and Tools thrive bec

Meta's Q1 results reported a remarkable surge, more than doubling its figures. The company's profit for the January-March period doubled, reaching USD 12.37 billion, or USD 4.71 per share, up from USD 5.71 billion, or USD 2.20 per share, in the corresponding period last year. Additionally, revenue experienced a 27% increase, climbing to USD 36.46 billion compared to USD 28.65 billion the previous year. In terms of ad revenue, Meta saw a significant jump to USD 35.365 billion from USD 28.101 bill

Cadbury Dairy Milk partnered with over 140 sweet outlets across West Bengal for its fourth edition of the Gaane Mishti campaign, blending traditional Bengali sweets with Cadbury Dairy Milk. The campaign also featured revitalized folk songs, aiming to deepen the brand's cultural association and drive category development in the region. It included expanding partnerships beyond Kolkata, training traditional artisans, and digitizing the Mishti shops. Execution involved a mix of social media, on-gro

Hindustan Unilever (HUL) has renamed its 'health food drinks' category to 'functional nutritional drinks' (FND). This change comes after the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry directed e-commerce platforms not to list these products under the 'healthy drinks' category. As a result, HUL brands like Horlicks and Boost are now classified under the new FND category. Previously, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry advised e-commerce sites not to categorize Cadbury Bournvita and similar product

Despite pressure from the Biden administration to sell the app within a year or face a ban, ByteDance is leaning towards shutting down TikTok rather than relinquishing control. The company views TikTok's algorithms as integral to its operations and is hesitant to sell without them. ByteDance is facing a dilemma over TikTok in the US. A report from Reuters suggests that ByteDance is prepared to exhaust all legal avenues to challenge the legislation, with CEO Shou Zi Chew expressing confidence in

Picture this: You are a bank competing with some of the largest public-sector banks in the country. You witness a trend: Even though the market interest rates are at an all-time high, a massive one-third part of the total deposits in banks is in low-yielding savings accounts rather than high-yielding fixed deposits. You wonder why is that the case. The answer seems to be the attitude Indians have when it comes to saving money. India has always been a land of savers due to the uncertainty of emer

WPP experienced a 1.4% decrease in Q1 revenue, while its like-for-like (LFL) revenue saw a 2.1% increase. The growth in India at 6.6% was particularly notable, driven by the strong new business momentum from the previous year (2023). However, the Q1 LFL revenue, excluding pass-through costs, declined by 1.6%, contrasting with the 2.9% increase seen in 2023. While the UK and Western Continental Europe regions saw increased sales, North America and Asia Pacific witnessed decreases. Notably, India

Google's Gemini AI assistant is set to receive a series of enhancements aimed at bringing it up to speed with its counterpart, Google Assistant. Initially introduced as a voice assistant for Android devices earlier this year, Gemini AI faced criticism for lacking certain on-device functionalities compared to Google Assistant, despite its inherent advantages. However, recent reports suggest Google is actively addressing these shortcomings by integrating new features into Gemini AI. One notable ad

President Joe Biden recently signed a bill that could have significant implications for the future of the social media app TikTok. The bill, which is part of a larger foreign aid package, stipulates that if TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, doesn't divest ownership of the app within a year, the app could face a ban in the United States. This move comes amidst growing concerns among policymakers about potential national security risks associated with TikTok's ownership by a Chinese comp

Anupama Ramaswamy , Chief Creative Officer, Havas Worldwide India, Ashish Chakravarty , Executive Director, and India Head of Creative, for McCann Worldgroup and Rajdeepak Das , Chief Creative Officer, Publicis Groupe, South Asia and Chairman, Leo Burnett, South Asia, have joined as the Jury Chair's for Still Digital category, Audio category, and Film category respectively, at The Abby Awards 2024 powered by One Show. Anupama Ramaswamy, Chief Creative Officer, Havas Worldwide India has been appo

In the cut-throat world of advertising, where creativity is currency, the question of ownership looms large. Recent events, such as the clash between Bang In The Middle and Medanta, highlight the ongoing debate in the industry over who rightfully owns the rejected campaign idea. In a recent LinkedIn post , Bang In The Middle shared their experience with Medanta, shedding light on the challenges that agencies endure when their ideas are used without permission. According to the agency, they propo

Taboola, a brand powering recommendations for the open web, has announced Taboola Select, a new offering created for large advertisers that provides access to a curated selection of Taboola's premium editorial partnerships. For the first time, Taboola is offering advertisers a way to leverage a highly curated subset of just 15 percent of Taboolas most premium publishers in the U.S., to drive performance campaigns. It offers advertisers a way to connect with millions of daily active users on prem

In response to the evolving needs of the digital landscape, The Content Lab announced a strategic restructuring initiative that brings different solutions under focussed silos; Stir (Digital & Creative Agency), Carbon (Production backbone for TVCs/DVCs) and H2O (essential, scalable and snackable content creation - think Reels, Shorts & YouTube always on). As part of this restructuring, the three verticals, Stir, Carbon and H2O will operate under a unified umbrella b y leveraging the collective e

Solving for key consumer interruptions such as device restrictions, low-quality video and high-cost subscription plans, JioCinema announced its new subscription offering, JioCinema Premium. The new plans starting at Rs.29/month will offer an Ad Free experience. Members can access Exclusive Series, Movies, Hollywood, Kids & TV entertainment, on any device, including Connected TVs. With a focus on multi-segment consumption across Indian households, a Family plan was also announced at Rs.89/month w

In a country where politics and Cricket reign supreme, the clash between the IPL and The General Elections is not just a scheduling conflict; it is a battle for the hearts and the minds of millions. Multiple reports from various agencies predict that the Indian advertising sector is poised for unprecedented growth in 2024. The combined influence of IPL and General Elections significantly boosts ad spending and earnings in this ever-growing industry. Marketers now face a dilemma: Should they focu

Despite Gen AIs commercial promise, most organisations arent using it yet. 90% of marketing and sales leaders think their organisations should be using AI often, while 60% said their organisations rarely or never do, as revealed by the recent Kantar AI research findings . Puneet Avasthi , Senior Executive Director, South Asia, Insights Division, Kantar, in interaction with Social Samosa, highlights two factors that contribute to organisations lagging in AI adoption. Many marketing organizations

According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is reportedly developing a new update that could streamline file sharing for users, even without an internet connection. The messaging platform is working on a feature allowing users to exchange files like photos and documents using Bluetooth. To use this feature, users would simply need to keep their Bluetooth on, a familiar process for many Android users. However, it's important to note that certain permissions would be required, including access to storage an

LS Digital, a leading independent digital marketing transformation (DMT) company, has made a strategic move by appointing Mr. Vishal Sharma as their new Deputy Vice President (DVP) of Media Buying and Trading. With an impressive experience of over 18 years across various industries, Vishal brings a wealth of expertise in buying and trading as well as vendor management, digital marketing, strategy building for performance marketing, and branding planning. His expertise will be instrumental in enh

Restaurant major Rebel Foods houses a diverse portfolio of brands including Wendy's, Faasos, The Oven Story, Behrouz Biryani, and Mad Over Donuts, among several others. While each of these brands have found their niche and are quite different from each other, they have one thing in common consumer experience. The company has curated its communication strategies aimed at enhancing consumer experience. The Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) Market in India is expected to reach USD 25.46 billion in 20

Kulfi Collective, functioning at the intersection of content, community and culture, has announced the appointment of Divya Karani as Chairperson and Executive Director of its Board. Karani's three-decade journey has shaped her into a pivotal figure in steering some of the advertising and media groups across India, South Asia, the UK and the Asia Pacific. Most recently, Karani was the CEO of Dentsu Media, South Asia, where she led the agency for over 12 years to become one of the dominant media

Internet in India is democratized and widely used; but now the country sits on the cusp of an AI revolution. ICUBE data shows that AI is already touching the lives of nine in 10 internet users in India, powered by the enormous computing capabilities on their phones, connectivity, and cloud infrastructure. Kantar, a marketing data and analytics business unveils a probe into this burgeoning AI market to dish out actionable insights for marketers. Furthermore, the company also unveiled an AI-powere

Who are we? Digixpressions is a digital advertising and marketing company providing services such as digital intelligence, search engine optimization, performance marketing, influencer marketing, mid-funnel media buying, branding assistance, marketing analytics, and hyperlocal solutions. It specializes in Fintech, E-commerce, banking, and Edtech, with clients like Shriram Finance, Kotak Securities, Axis Mutual Fund, ICICI Direct, Fibe, Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance, IIFL Finance, mStock, and W

When it comes to creative marketing, brands are turning to a place you might not expect - the QWERTY keyboard. Who would've thought that something so ordinary could turn into such clever advertising? Forget the old-school approaches, these brands took a different path, using the keyboard's quirky structure to hide jokes and clever messages that kept their audience engaged and guessing. Are you still confused about what we're talking about? Well, brands have found creative ways to play with our k

Google, once again, is extending the deadline for discontinuing third-party cookies in its Chrome browser. The announcement came on Tuesday, just ahead of Google's quarterly reports. This marks the third postponement by the tech giant since the initial deadline was set in January 2020. Despite previous assurances to implement changes 'within two years,' Google had yet to fulfil this promise. The statement made by the tech company read, We recognise that there are ongoing challenges related to re

The Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and The Advertising Club have announced the theme for Goafest 2024 - The Age of Adaptability. The event scheduled to take place from May 29-31 at Westin Powai, Mumbai, aims to highlight the resilience and innovative spirit of the advertising and marketing industries in an era defined by rapid change. Goafest 2024 is set to bring together the brightest minds from across advertising, marketing, media, and business to explore how adaptability is

In the bustling world of marketing discussions, two distinct narratives often take centre stage. On one side, there's a fervent admiration for the triumphs of creativity, while on the other, there's a fascination with the transformative power of technology, particularly emerging tech like AI and XR. What sets these conversations apart is the perception of creativity and technology as separate entities, each wielding its influence over the marketing landscape. However, imagine the potential when

India, which leads the world in spice production, consumption, and export, has requested information from food safety regulators in Singapore and Hong Kong regarding their recent bans on certain spices from Indian brands MDH and Everest over quality issues. Additionally, the Indian embassies in Singapore and Hong Kong have been instructed by the trade ministry to submit a thorough report on the issue. Following the discovery of a cancer-causing pesticide, The Hong Kong authorities have recently

With temperatures soaring past 40 degrees Celsius in many parts of the country, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts a scorching summer ahead. And as the sun beats down on us relentlessly, it seems everyone turns to one product for comfort Ice cream. In supermarkets, quick commerce platforms and local Kirana stores, ice creams have been stocked for consumers to relish. Swiggy has already seen a 43% increase in orders for ice cream since the summer began, and according to reports,

Tata Realty & Infrastructure Ltd. has unveiled a sonic brand identity for its Intellion Office Parks . It is crafted by BrandMusiq and aimed at enhancing brand recognition and delivering a seamless experience across all touchpoints. Incorporating the archetypes of a Dominant Ruler and SubDominant Creator, Intellion offices new sonic branding initiative is aimed at resonating with courage, compassion, and laughter. The Tata Realty MOGO is an immersive sonic experience. With a melody, BrandMusiq's

Sociapa, the marketing agency, has bagged the digital mandate for Tennishub, an online tennis store. This partnership marks a milestone in Sociapa's journey towards enhancing digital footprints across diverse industries. Tennishub is a one-stop shop for all tennis enthusiasts, offering an array of tennis equipment, including racquets, shoes, apparel, balls, bags, strings, and accessories with a collection of brands such as Yonex, Wilson, Adidas, Asics, Tecnifibre, and more. Founder of Sociapa, D

Onetab, the Generative AI SaaS startup kick-started by Saket Dandotia and Alok Patil has appointed three new senior members to strengthen its India operations. Harish Chouhan joins as Sr. Team Lead, Pratish Gopinath comes on board as VP Corporate Development, and Ankita Phanse joins as Head HR Strategy & Planning of Onetab starting this financial year. This team expansion comes as a step towards Onetabs long-term growth strategy across India and global markets. Harish Chouhan comes with over 1

The Ad Club Bangalore has launched Inspiration Room , a new initiative designed to inspire and educate the advertising and marketing community in India. This series of thought leadership programs will offer a range of formats fostering a dynamic exchange of ideas. We are very excited to launch the Inspiration Room series, said Laeeq Ali , Founder of Origami Creative and President of Ad Club Bangalore. This initiative is conceived to be a series of high-quality masterclasses, talk shows, discussi

A new annual report from media analytics firm Ormax Media, titled Sizing The Cinema: 2024 , sheds light on the growth of the Indian theatrical market. The report, based on research conducted in January 2024 among 8,500 Indian audiences across both urban and rural areas, reveals significant growth in the number of theatre-goers in India vis--vis the previous year. According to the report, India now has 157.4 Million or 15.7 Crore theatre-goers i.e., those who watched at least one film in a theatr

Jason Taylor , a former executive at Meta, is set to join Microsoft's AI supercomputing division, according to an announcement by Microsoft's CTO Kevin Scott on LinkedIn. In his new role as corporate vice president and deputy CTO, Taylor will contribute to the development of cutting-edge AI systems. During his tenure at Meta from 2009 to 2022, Taylor held various roles, culminating in his position as vice president of infrastructure. His responsibilities included overseeing AI, data, and privacy

Wonderwoman, girlboss, supermom! It is the era of the pseudo-feminist marketing. Under the guise of empowerment, we pressurise women at every step. Let us talk about where it all began. The Good Wifes Guide is a magazine article rumored to have been published in the May 13, 1955 issue of Housekeeping Monthly , describing how a good wife should act, containing material that reflects a very different role assignment from contemporary American society. The article states in bullet points - Come

TAM AdEx's recent report summarizes ad volumes in the Auto sector across TV, Print, Digital, and Radio for 2023. Titled '2023 Cross Media Advertising Recap - Auto Sector', the report provides an overview of advertising trends. Television - Ad Volumes As per the report, Television ad volumes in the Auto Sector declined by 18% in the year 2023 over 2019. October 2023 have observed the highest ad volume share of 11.8% on TV for the Auto Sector. Cars were the top category on TV from the Auto sector

Since its inception in the 1970s, Earth Day celebrated globally on April 22nd has millions of people participating in a variety of activities to promote environmental sustainability. It's a day dedicated to raising awareness about climate change and promoting sustainable practices, such as tree planting, recycling drives, beach cleanups, and educational workshops. Earth Day is a day to take action to mitigate the damage caused by human activity. With our summers growing warmer, winters getting c

The dairy brand Nandini, affiliated with the Karnataka Milk Federation, has decided to sponsor the cricket teams of Scotland and Ireland for the upcoming ICC Mens T20 World Cup 2024. According to MK Jagadish, the managing director of KMF, the teams will prominently display the 'Nandini' brand during the matches. This initiative aims to enhance the brand's global presence, especially in regions like the United States, Middle East, and Singapore, as stated by Jagdish. However, this move has faced

Cadbury Perk, one of Mondelez Indias brands, launches a playful campaign with Bollywood actress Alia Bhatt. Through a TV commercial, the brand encourages consumers to embrace life's challenges with a light-hearted attitude, echoing the mantra Take it lightly. With its latest campaign, crafted on the back of the brands purpose 'Take It Lightly,' it is on a mission to inspire individuals to approach life's twists and turns with humour and optimism. The ad starts with a group of friends sitting on

Savvytree has announced the continuation of its partnership with Helios - The Watch Store under Titan in India. This marks the third year of the collaboration. Savvytree has played a key role in elevating Helios' online presence across various social media platforms. Tanya Khatter , Co-Founder of Savvytree, expressed her enthusiasm for the renewed partnership, saying, It's a privilege to continue our association with Helios by Titan. The past two years have seen substantial growth and engagement

The recent commencement of the Indian Premier League (IPL) marked the beginning of yet another captivating season. Beyond the spectacle of matches and on-field excitement, the IPL serves as a significant driver of economic activity, fostering growth and engagement across various sectors. As the IPL progresses, another notable player emerges in the economic landscape: the fantasy gaming industry. Leveraging the IPL's distinctive format and broad appeal, fantasy sports platforms are thriving durin

JioCinema has hinted at a potential shift with a new subscription plan. Speculation is rife that this plan could offer ad-free streaming of matches and other content. During the IPL match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and Delhi Capitals on April 20, an advertisement on X sparked curiosity among viewers. The ad teased a forthcoming change, stating, Change is constant, but your plan doesn't have to be. A new plan coming April 25th. The commercial depicted a couple watching TV with sports commentary

OpenAI has hired Pragya Misra as its Head of Government Relations in India, as reported by Bloomberg. This comes amidst the General Lok Sabha elections, where AI regulations are under scrutiny. With a background in public relations, Misra previously worked at Truecaller, focusing on policy challenges and messaging strategies. Prior to that, she served as Communications Manager at WhatsApp India. Misra is expected to begin her role at OpenAI by the end of the month, indicating the organization's

Meta has begun filtering out specific inquiries within its chatbot as the Indian general elections commenced. Last week, Meta initiated trials of its AI chatbot in India across WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger. Meta has acknowledged that it's limiting certain election-related keywords for the AI during this testing phase, with ongoing efforts to refine the AI response system, Techcrunch reported. This move aligns Meta with other major tech companies proactively adjusting the scope of their gen

According to media reports,Sukhleen Aneja, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Good Glamm Group, is slated to depart from her role in July 2024. Aneja, who joined the direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand in 2021, brings nearly two decades of experience in the FMCG sector, having held significant positions at major companies such as Unilever, Reckitt, and L'Oral. In response to Aneja's departure, The Good Glamm Group has opted not to immediately appoint a new CEO. Instead, the company has announced st

Havas Worldwide India, the creative agency of Havas India, has strengthened its creative team with the appointment of Arjun Jetly, Neharika Awal, Ajitesh Verma, and Monish Gupta as Executive Creative Directors. Based out of Gurugram, all four will report to Anupama Ramaswamy, Chief Creative Officer of Havas Worldwide India, and will be responsible for further strengthening the creative offering of the agency. Speaking about the appointments, Anupama Ramaswamy , Chief Creative Officer, Havas Worl

There was a time in the golden era of advertising during the late last century (1975-1995) when high ranking management graduates straight from leading management institutes like the IIMs, XLRI used to queue up at campus interviews to join the advertising agency profession and make a mark in the industry. Some of the CEOs of leading ad agencies in the first two decades of the twenty-first century were actually from these premier institutes who had left lasting impact on the industry as well as t

India's general elections, known as the Lok Sabha Elections, are a significant event in the country's democratic process. These elections determine the composition of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of India's Parliament, and play a crucial role in shaping the nation's future. With India's Lok Sabha Elections starting today, brands are actively encouraging citizens to exercise their right to vote. From social media posts to campaigns and digital ads, brands are emphasizing the importance of parti