MAM
Integrating data analytics, combining diverse generations are challenges for HR department of media cos
MUMBAI: The digital transformation has not left any niche behind, even if it is the human resources department of the media and entertainment industry. HR has moved far beyond backend and soft skills; data analytics is now in a crucial position.
Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari held a session “Responding to megatrends” in its first-ever Media HR Summit. MullenLowe Lintas group HR director Heather Saville Gupta, Reliance Entertainment’s Big Synergy CEO Rajiv Bakshi, Madison World executive director Lara Balsara Vajifdar and Reliance Broadcast Network Ltd CEO Abraham Thomas participated in the panel discussion.
MullenLowe Lintas’ Gupta said that the media industry is most dynamic. Other industries do not have to deal with such face-paced movement. Adding to this, Thomas said, “Two disruptions which have actually changed our lives as consumers and professionals are digital disruption and the huge societal change that has come upon us. We currently have almost five different generations working together.”
According to Thomas, the role of HR has become a watchdog looking for trends and insights in the industry. The HR department is like a composer, trying to scale the company goals. Thomas is of the view that HR role has suddenly become front-end and frontline. He opined that with digital, HR is the other important buzz word.
Bakshi added that while that bastion was held by the word ‘transformation’ for the last three years, now HR has arrived to play the role of not just a partner but also an anticipator. HR has to anticipate business trends for the survival of the company.
“HR is very important for the agency as our business is all about people. HR is not just the HR head’s responsibility; it is each and every senior management’s responsibility especially in an agency business which is full of young people coming with its own set of challenges,” Vajifdar said.
According to her, media is getting a good share of young employees who are ambitious, impatient, have a sense of purpose for work and don’t want to listen to someone just because they are senior. She said that they want their leaders to command respect not just demand and expect.
Gupta’s company delves in producing 30-60 second TVCs where upscaling older employees is a challenge while millennials understand digital faster. Added to this are the budget constraints while hiring, training, recruiting and retaining employees due to smaller client budgets.
Bakshi added that one major challenge the industry is facing is creating a value proposition which will attract multi-generation people. This means creating an organisation where there are stalwarts, experienced people as well as energetic youngsters who have to collaborate for the same project. He also added that HR needs personalisation with the help of data analytics. This can be done via customised training programmes and incentives.
Experts also agreed that younger employees look for direct communication from authority to get a sense of what they are doing. Hence, taking out time for personalised informal communication without any agenda is important. Any key factor is HR management is to align personal goals with the company’s and get employees to look at the bigger picture with greater contribution to society.
MAM
VML India lands two finalist spots at Cairns Hatchlings 2026
The Mumbai agency is back in Australia with two teams, a UN brief and 24 hours to impress
MUMBAI: VML India is heading to Australia again. The Mumbai-based creative agency has secured two finalist spots at the Cairns Hatchlings 2026 competition, one in the Audio category and one in Design, making it the only Indian agency to have reached the finals in both editions of the contest since its launch in 2025.
Four people will make the trip. Senior copywriter Shilpi Dey and senior art director Raj Thakkar will compete in Audio. Art directors Shabbir and Shruti Negi will go head-to-head with the world’s best in Design. The finals take place at the Cairns Convention Centre from 13th May, culminating in an awards ceremony on 15th May.
The work that got them there is worth examining. For the Audio category, Dey and Thakkar tackled a brief for LIVE LIKE MMAD with a campaign called Inner Voice, Interrupted. Using spatial audio techniques, the campaign recreates the overwhelming self-doubt that descends after a long workday, physically panning negative thoughts left and right before cutting the noise entirely to reveal a confident inner voice. Strategically targeted at commuters via Spotify during evening rush hours, the campaign reframes the hours after work as an opportunity for personal growth and charitable action.
For the Design category, Shabbir and Negi worked on a brief for Canteen’s Bandanna Day, a campaign highlighting how cancer pushes teenagers out of their own defining moments. Using a pixelated design language to create stark contrast between a blurred world of isolation and a focused world of connection, the campaign, titled The Flipside of Cancer, shows teenagers fading into the background of birthdays, skateparks and school proms. As a Canteen bandanna appears, the blur flips and the teenager snaps back into sharp focus.
Kalpesh Patankar, group chief creative officer of VML India, made no attempt to disguise his satisfaction. “We are immensely proud to see our teams consistently excel on the Cairns Hatchlings platform since its inception,” he said. “They have masterfully tackled challenging briefs across diverse categories, demonstrating both layered storytelling and a unique creative approach. This exceptional teamwork is truly inspiring.”
Dey and Thakkar, returning to the finals after last year’s run, were candid about the demands of the audio medium. “It’s one of the most demanding mediums, where we only have a few seconds to capture a listener’s world with sound alone, so absolute clarity is essential,” they said. “The true measure of creative work is its ability to create positive change, and our audio submission was made to help those who need it most while encouraging people to silence the inner voices that hold them back.”
Shabbir and Negi, competing in Design for the first time, described the experience as “a completely different beast.” “We see it as an opportunity to showcase our expertise, raise the bar, and challenge ourselves in new ways, while also learning from creative minds from across the globe,” they said.
In Australia, the four finalists will face a live 24-hour brief from the United Nations before presenting in a live pitch session. Twenty-four hours, one brief, one shot. VML India has been here before. It knows exactly what is at stake.
