MAM
Razorfish launches Co-Lab to co-create products
MUMBAI: Razorfish, Publicis Groupe’s digital and technology agency, has launched Razorfish Co-Lab, a new property that will co-create products with media and platform partners on behalf of its clients.
The co-created products will intersect media, creative and technology aspects and will include operations, branded utility, platform ad experiences and campaign innovation.
Razorfish’s Margaret Czeisler has been appointed to oversee and drive partnership opportunities for Co-Lab and will report to Jeff Lanctot, the agency’s chief media officer.
Razorfish global CEO Bob Lord said, “We’ve long worked closely with our clients on next-generation storytelling through APIs, product manufacturing and evolutionary innovation. After experiencing such exponential growth in these areas, we realized we needed to formalize a transferable, scalable process that could span the varying nature of these opportunities, and this required the soup-to-nuts dedication of an entire practice as well as focused partnerships with key technology platform providers.”
Razorfish has prior experience in co-developing products for clients when it facilitated collaboration between a major airline and the Windows 8 platform. Additional partners include Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Foursquare, among others.
Microsoft Advertising Yarn general manager Stephen Kim said, “We were thrilled to bring on Razorfish so early and work together in a co-ideation process to imagine what might be possible for in-app advertising on Windows 8. The concepts and thinking that Razorfish demonstrated is just the beginning of what is possible when we combine creativity and technology on Windows 8.”
LinkedIn global head of agency relationships Jon Williams said, “We’re thrilled to be a beta partner for Co-Lab. We are working together to help key clients understand how to really leverage the power of the LinkedIn professional graph. It makes sense for us to partner where we can scale innovative ideas across a broad portfolio of clients. Razorfish can provide access to creative expertise and a definitive process.”
“Given the tight alignment between media, creative and technology at Razorfish, we‘re an agency that is uniquely qualified to co-develop new products with our partners,” said Lord. “As the lines between these functions continue to converge, we’re thrilled to offer a concentrated team who can expedite and lead this process. While we will of course continue to buy standard ad offerings from our partners, we think Co-Lab provides a chance to create products that really stand out for our client‘s customers.”
Brands
Uidai partners with Google to help users locate Aadhaar centres
Verified Aadhaar centres to appear on Maps with services and access info
MUMBAI: Finding an Aadhaar centre may soon be as easy as finding your favourite café. In a move aimed at making public services more accessible, the Unique Identification Authority of India has partnered with Google to display authorised Aadhaar centres on Google Maps. The feature, expected to roll out in the coming months, will allow residents to locate verified centres quickly and confidently.
More than 60,000 Aadhaar centres, including state of the art Aadhaar Seva Kendras, will be mapped. When users search on Google Maps, they will be directed to authorised facilities rather than unverified listings, helping curb misinformation and confusion.
The listings will do more than drop a pin. Users will be able to see the nature of services offered at each centre, whether it is adult enrolment, child enrolment, or limited to address and mobile number updates. Details such as operating hours, parking availability and divyang friendly infrastructure will also be shown wherever applicable.
Uidai CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar, said the collaboration is part of the authority’s continued effort to improve ease of living for Aadhaar holders by making authorised centres simpler and faster to navigate.
The partnership will deepen in its next phase, with Uidai using Google Business Profile to manage information and respond directly to public feedback. Looking ahead, the two organisations are also exploring the option of enabling appointment bookings through the Google Maps interface, potentially allowing residents to plan their visits with greater efficiency.
Google India country head, strategic partnerships Roli Agarwal, said integrating verified Aadhaar centres would help millions access trusted services with confidence, bringing essential government infrastructure closer to the people who need it most.
If all goes to plan, a routine Aadhaar update may soon begin not with a queue, but with a search bar.
