MAM
Ad Club Bangalore receives 1200 entries for Big Bang Awards 2016
MUMBAI: The Advertising Club, Bangalore has received a record number of entries for Big Bang Awards this year. A total of 1200 entries were received making it the highest number of entries received in last 20 years. Keeping in mind the changing media scenario, many categories have been added this year especially in the digital, strategy and data spaces.
“The response we received this year is unprecedented and we are all gearing up for putting up a great event for our prestigious annual award night”, said Sanchayeeta Verma, President of Ad Club Bangalore.
“The Big Bang Awards, is unique as it is fully online from its entry to judging stage. This enables both, people from across cities to participate and judges from across the country and APAC to evaluate the entries”, Verma further added.
Malavika Harita, former President and Chairperson of The Big Bang Awards Committee, said “We have put together a jury of over 75 eminent people drawn from Creative, Media, PR, Marketing, Advertising, Reasearch and Healthcare, to judge the record number of entries received this year. We have been conducting the Big Bang Awards for over 20 years now, without ever courting a controversy.”
Arvind Kumar, Executive Director of the Bangalore Advertising Club for the past 10 years, said “There would be a panel of judges for each category, who would judge the entries over a span of a week, online, according to pre-set criteria. The entire technology back end is managed by Global Best Awards, USA, for the fourth year in a row. The entire system is very transparent because all entries have a computer generated unique id which does not reveal the agency or entrant name. The panel of judges do not know who the other judges are in their group. This a very robust and well oiled system that we follow and is unique to our club.”
The Big Bang Awards Event will be held in Bangalore on September 23rd and entry is by invitation only. For further details, log on toww.adclubbangalore.net .
Visit our Facebook page The Ad Club Bangalore and follow us on Twitter @the adclubBangalore
Brands
Abhinav Rastogi named global marketing director for YouTube Shopping
Google veteran to scale creator commerce and expand shopping across global markets
SINGAPORE: Abhinav Rastogi has stepped into a new role as global marketing director for YouTube Shopping, marking the latest chapter in a more than decade-long career at Google.
Rastogi, who took on the position in February and is based in Singapore, will lead global marketing for YouTube Shopping, a platform designed to connect creators, viewers and merchants in a single ecosystem. His remit includes expanding the service into new markets and strengthening its positioning as a growth channel for both creators and brands.
In a reflective note on the transition, Rastogi pointed to a simple but powerful idea driving the role. For years, creators have quietly built trust with audiences through consistent and authentic content, and that trust often shapes purchasing decisions. What is changing now, he said, is the infrastructure around that behaviour. YouTube Shopping aims to make it easier for viewers to discover and buy products recommended by creators they already follow.
The scale is already significant. More than half a million creators have joined the programme, with recent expansion into Japan through a partnership with Rakuten signalling further global ambitions.
Rastogi believes the future of shopping on YouTube will be driven by a blend of creators, content and communities. In his view, it is the human voice behind the screen, not just the product, that ultimately builds trust and drives discovery.
Prior to this role, he served as director of marketing, YouTube Asia Pacific, where he led regional marketing across creator engagement, brand building and reputation. During that time, he played a key role in launching and scaling YouTube Shopping across eight markets in the region.
Earlier stints at Google include group product marketing manager, consumer apps, overseeing growth for products such as Search, Maps and Assistant across India and Southeast Asia, and product marketing manager roles spanning consumer apps and YouTube, where he contributed to launches including YouTube Music, YouTube Originals and YouTube Shorts.
Rastogi began his career in consulting with Boston Consulting Group and A.T. Kearney, before moving into the technology sector. He is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management Calcutta and Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.
Alongside his corporate role, he is also an active angel investor, backing early-stage startups in consumer technology and electric mobility across India and Southeast Asia.
As he settles into the new role, Rastogi is betting on a future where every video can double up as a storefront, and where commerce feels less like a transaction and more like a recommendation from a trusted voice.
