MAM
Martin Sorrell fails to win shareholders support against pay hike
MUMBAI: Global advertising giant WPP CEO Sir Martin Sorrell was in for a rude shock as 59.5 per cent shareholders voted
Wednesday against the proposed 60 per cent hike in his annual pay package at the company’s annual general meeting held in Dublin on 13 June.
The proposed hike would have increased Sorrell’s pay to ?6.8 million.
Sorrell’s proposed pay hike had been the topic of debate for the past week as many advisory groups and leading stockholders deemed that the new wage is not in sync with investor returns.
In his defence, Sorrell said that his role in transforming WPP into an advertising force in 108 countries justified the proposed pay packet of ?6.8 million. According to media reports, his pay package is made up of ? 1.3 million basic salary, ?2 million annual bonus, ?3 million deferred shares and other benefits.
WPP shares have risen more than 11 per cent this year and despite the on-going financial crisis, the company’s stocks are up over 21 per cent from 5 years ago.
Over the past year, a lot of companies have faced dissent over CEO’s pay and the shareholders’ views on it. Earlier in the month, British insurer Aviva CEO Andrew Moss was forced to step down after shareholders voted against his remuneration plans.
In 1985 Sorrell left Saatchi & Saatchi and bought 15 per cent stake in WPP with the intention of building a global advertising business. Over the years, he has continued to make personal investment in the company to the tune of an estimated ?40 million.
Sorrell‘s stake in the company is worth ?140 million, accounting for less than two per cent holding in modern-day WPP.
The disagreement by shareholders was not entirely unexpected as last year too, 41 per cent of them voted against his pay hike. Eventually, Sorrell managed to get a hike of 30 per cent and his maximum potential bonus was inflated as well.
In a related development, nearly 20 per cent plus shareholders voted against the re-election of three directors who are part of the pay committee – Jeffrey Rosen, head of the pay committee (21.8 per cent), and non-executives Ruigang Li (28.7 per cent) and Koichiro Naganuma (29.7 per cent).
Industry experts are of the opinion that such indicators of non-confidence in the company’s management may in the long run threaten shareholder’s distrust in the way the company is run.
MAM
Dettol launches new emotional campaign for Antiseptic Liquid
Heartfelt film celebrates mother’s instinct with the tagline “Nothing protects like Mom & Dettol.”
MUMBAI: Dettol has found the perfect formula for its latest campaign, a generous mix of maternal love and antiseptic care that’s sure to tug at every Indian heartstring. The iconic germ protection brand has rolled out a touching new campaign for Dettol Antiseptic Liquid built around the universal truth of a mother’s instinctive care. The film brings to life the simple yet powerful idea: “Nothing protects like Mom & Dettol.”
Set against the lively chaos of a shaadi ka ghar, the story follows a young boy who hurts himself but puts on a brave face to hide his pain. The moment he reaches his mother, she instinctively senses something is wrong. As she gently tends to his wound with Dettol Antiseptic Liquid, his guard drops, leading to a tender role reversal where the child ends up comforting his mother. The film ends with the poignant line, “Apnon ki suraksha ka mazboot sahara.”
The campaign reinforces Dettol’s timeless place in Indian homes as a reassuring companion in moments of vulnerability. It was conceptualised and written by Prasoon Joshi
, with an original track composed by Vishal Khurana K, sung by Javed Ali, and lyrics by Prasoon Joshi. Amit Sharma directed the film.
Reckitt EVP regional director for South Asia Gaurav Jain said the campaign captures the deep emotional bond between a mother’s instinct and Dettol’s protection. “This campaign encapsulates that delicate, human truth, a mother senses hurt even before it is spoken, and Dettol strengthens her ability to respond with care and confidence,” he noted.
Prasoon Joshi added, “When a child is hurt, the first instinct is to reach for their mother, their ultimate safe space. And in that moment, the mother turns to Dettol, something she trusts to protect what matters most.”
As the flagship product in the Dettol portfolio, the Antiseptic Liquid continues to offer unmatched protection for cuts and wounds, standing shoulder to shoulder with mothers through life’s small scrapes and bigger worries.
In a world full of flashy advertisements, Dettol has quietly reminded us once again that the strongest protection often comes wrapped in the simplest, most heartfelt moments, the kind only a mother and a trusted bottle of Dettol can provide.
