MAM
‘Fail often, fail fast’: Sam Balsara’s advice to the ad sector
MUMBAI: Madison Media on 20 February released its Advertising Outlook 2015 report. While releasing the report, Madison World chairman Sam Balsara gave the advertisers five important pieces of advice to make the most of the busy, noisy media world.
Focus on effectiveness: The first peice of advice revolved around effectiveness and not just efficiency. Media, according to Balsara, wakes up the worst in everyone, when they hear the rates. Advertisers need to improve the brand health parameters, he said.
Expermentation: This, for Balsara, is the real mantra. “The guiding mantra should be fail often, fail fast. We suffer from analysis paralysis,” he pointed out.
Media can move mountains: The recent experience with BJP and the aggressive spends of e-commerce on print advertising, according to Balsara is a proof of the fact that media can move mountains. “Most brands do not take advantage of what media can offer,” he said adding that advertisers should concentrate on a few brands and then advertise it heavily using all possible media.
Prioritise markets: With limited budgets, one needs to prioritise the markets. “Spend and exposure should be more in priority one market, as compared to that in priority two or three markets,” he informed.
Greater involvement of corner rooms: As media spends are getting larger, media decisions, according to Balsara, are being largely taken by people at the lower level. “Greater involvement of corner room is needed to interact more with media agency leaders,” he concluded.
MAM
PNB Metlife bowls ‘Always Ready for Life’ with Smriti Mandhana
New positioning tackles 91 per cent protection gap plus ageing India’s 230 million seniors by 2036.
MUMBAI: When life throws a googly, PNB Metlife wants you padded up and ready not scrambling for cover. The insurer has unveiled its fresh brand positioning, ‘Always Ready for Life’, fronted by cricket superstar Smriti Mandhana, to spark real conversations about insurance and financial planning at every stage of the journey.
India’s life protection gap remains a stark 91 per cent meaning for every Rs 100 needed to secure families financially, only Rs 9 is covered. At the same time, the elderly population (60 plus) is projected to swell to around 230 million by 2036, roughly 15 per cent of the total population. The campaign underlines PNB Metlife’s holistic take on security, urging Indians to build clarity and confidence around retirement, child education and long-term goals.
PNB Metlife chief marketing & communications officer Sourabh Lohtia said, “There is a unique sense of freedom that comes when careful financial preparation meets present-day opportunities. With this campaign, we want to show that being prepared helps people focus on what truly matters. Financial growth and security are achievable and PNB MetLife wants to support Indians by helping to simplify financial planning, turning every future milestone into something to look forward to.”
The brand ambassador Smriti Mandhana drew a neat parallel, “As a cricketer, we study the pitch, understand opposition, and assess the situation before every match. Life works similarly, staying prepared for every goal or situation is essential, and financial readiness plays a key role in that. Life insurance helps build that strong foundation at every life stage whether we are achieving big dreams, starting a family, buying a home, or planning for a comfortable retirement.”
The push targets millennials and younger audiences through Mandhana’s appeal, rolling out across television, Youtube, Meta platforms, OTT, Google Display and high-visibility outdoor sites. In a country where life can change as quickly as a T20 over, PNB Metlife is betting that preparation not panic is the real winning shot.
