MAM
Congress election campaign heavy on television
MUMBAI: The Congress is spending Rs 40 million towards print and television for the forthcoming assembly elections and has roped in K&V Media, an IMC agency, to handle its media account.
For radio, the political party has parceled out various small agencies for capturing the local market. While the Congress is investing Rs 26.4 million on television to build brand awareness, for print it is spending Rs 13.6 million. Says K&V Media director Dheeraj Vashisht, “While 66 per cent of the media account is skewed towards television, the balance 34 per cent will rest for print.” While the television campaign will be on English, Hindi and Marathi news channels along with Marathi GECs, for print, it will be only on Lokmat, promoted by Congress MP Vijay Darda. On television, out of the allocated 66 per cent, 15 per cent will be towards Hindi news channels, 11 per cent towards English news channels, 34 per cent will be for the Marathi news channels and the remaining 40 per cent will be for Marathi GECs (general entertainment channels). “For the campaign, we will focus on the primetime strategy to capture attention of the entire family. While the campaign buzz will remain low in the beginning, there will be a major spike in the last 4-5 days of the 11-day campaign,” she adds. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has appointed Crayons Advertising to handle creative duties for the political party. The state assembly elections are scheduled for 13 October.
MAM
BLS International launches #VisaReady campaign to guide applicants
Initiative targets visa myths, delays and rejections with practical guidance
MUMBAI: Visa woes may soon meet their match because paperwork, it seems, is finally getting a user manual. BLS International has rolled out a new awareness drive, #VisaReadyWithBLSInternational, aimed at simplifying the often confusing visa application process and reducing delays caused by misinformation and incomplete documentation. The campaign, led across social media platforms, zeroes in on a long-standing pain point for travellers: lack of clarity around procedures, timelines and requirements. By offering step-by-step guidance, documentation checklists and clear Dos and Don’ts, the initiative attempts to turn what is typically a stressful process into a more predictable one.
At its core, the campaign also seeks to bust common myths that frequently derail applications issues that often lead to avoidable rejections or last-minute complications. The idea is to equip applicants with practical, actionable insights so they can plan better and submit stronger applications within expected timelines.
The push will not remain limited to digital channels. BLS International plans to extend the initiative across its Visa Application Centres globally, reinforcing awareness at key touchpoints where applicants engage with the process.
BLS International joint managing director Shikhar Aggarwal framed the campaign as more than a communication exercise, emphasising the company’s attempt to embed guidance and preparedness into every stage of the applicant journey.
Operating in over 70 countries and working with more than 46 client governments including embassies, consulates and diplomatic missions, the company has built a sizeable footprint in visa and consular services. With this campaign, it is now leaning into education as much as execution, signalling that in the world of visas, clarity might just be the new currency.
