MAM
ITSA removes the middleman for Tradus.com
MUMBAI: The recently-launched agency ITSA has conceptualised and executed Tradus.com‘s second series of film which offers the proposition ‘Remove the middleman and get wholesale prices.‘
The film is about a couple performing a transaction. A young girl representing the buyers tells a boy sitting across the table form her, “I‘d like to buy that phone”. Right in the middle of them sitting on the table is the middleman who has been eagerly waiting, almost drooling at the prospect of making his cut. He snatches the phone and gives it to the girl. With the other hand he snatches the money, gives it to the guy, but not before taking out his own commission.
That‘s when a cursor comes and clicks the Middleman away and a voiceover completes the story, “Remove the Middleman. Log on to Tradus.com and buy directly from sellers and get wholesale prices at your doorstep.”
IbiboGroup CEO Ashish Kashyap said, “This is the second series of Tradus creatives. We wanted to drive home our core differentiation of being a marketplace rather than an online retailer. As a marketplace, Tradus enable sellers to list on their own on the platform and sell directly to the Buyers thereby removing all the inefficiencies. This helps the buyers get wholesale prices. ITSA has been an excellent partner to create a crisp communication via this well produced film.”
ITSA copywriter Emmanuel Upputuru said, “We co-created this spot with the client. Ashish Kashyap, CEO ibiboGroup was very clear in what he was looking for. It was a bold stance to take, to get rid of the middleman. We just had to find a plot that would demonstrate that proposition visually and effectively. So when you take one look at the film you know what the benefit is for the consumer. Manoj Pahwa came to my mind the moment I thought of the idea of putting the middleman on the table.”
Daniel Upputuru who made his debut as a director with this film said, “I wanted to treat the film like a painting. The lighting has been borrowed from Caravaggio. When Emmanuel shared the script I saw the guy and the girl in a beautiful setting. But right in the middle of them is this Middleman who spoils the picture. So the only way to restore the picture is to remove the Middleman.”
Anirban Mozumdar, chief – innovation, strategy and collaboration at ITSA, says, “The purpose of offline communication for any online website is to single-mindedly express its purpose of existence. For Tradus.com it is about telling the consumer that Tradus.com is here to offer a service that wasn‘t there. To buy directly from sellers, so you get wholesale prices at your doorstep.”
ITSA is a three-month-old company and this is their very first television spot, which they have conceived, produced and directed.
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33 per cent of women believe the salary scale is rigged: Naukri report
Voices @ Work study finds rising calls for equal pay audits and lingering bias
MUMBAI: Progress may be visible in India’s workplaces, but many women still feel the need to tread carefully. A new report by Naukri reveals that one in two women hesitate to disclose marriage or maternity plans during job interviews, worried that such information could influence hiring decisions.
The findings come from the second edition of Naukri’s annual Voices @ Work International Women’s Day report, titled “What Women Professionals Want.” Drawing insights from more than 50,000 women across over 50 industries, the survey sheds light on evolving workplace aspirations alongside the biases that continue to hold women back.
One of the report’s most striking insights is the growing demand for equal pay audits. The share of women calling for regular pay parity checks has climbed to 27 per cent this year, up from 19 per cent a year ago. The demand now stands alongside menstrual leave as the most sought after workplace policy.
Interestingly, the call for pay transparency grows louder higher up the income ladder. Nearly half of women earning between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore annually say equal pay audits are a priority, suggesting that pay gaps become more visible as women move up the career ladder.
At the same time, confidence and ambition appear to be rising. About 83 per cent of women say they feel encouraged to pursue leadership roles, a significant jump from 66 per cent last year. Cities in southern India appear particularly supportive, with Hyderabad leading the way as 86 per cent of respondents there reported encouragement to step into leadership positions. The education sector recorded the highest sense of encouragement at 87 per cent.
Yet the report also highlights a growing trust deficit around pay equity. Nearly one in three women, or 33 per cent, say they do not believe men and women are paid equally at their workplace. That figure has risen from 25 per cent last year, pointing to widening perceptions of disparity as careers progress.
Bias in hiring and promotions continues to be the biggest hurdle. About 42 per cent of respondents say workplace bias is the main challenge for women from diverse backgrounds. The concern is consistent across major metros, with Chennai and Delhi NCR reporting similar levels.
Reluctance to discuss personal milestones during hiring processes is also widespread. While 34 per cent overall said they hesitate to share marriage or maternity plans in interviews, the anxiety increases with experience. Among professionals with 10 to 15 years of work experience, the figure rises to 40 per cent.
Info Edge group CMO Sumeet Singh, said the data reflects both progress and unfinished work. “Behind every data point in this report is a woman who is ambitious. The fact that 83 per cent feel encouraged to lead is something to celebrate. However, the fact that one in two still hide their marriage or maternity plans in interviews tells us the work is far from done. As India’s leading career platform, it felt not just important but necessary for us to shine a light on these gaps through the second edition of our report,” he said.
The report suggests that while ambition among women professionals is growing, structural changes around pay transparency, fair hiring and supportive policies will be key if workplaces hope to keep pace.
