MAM
Starcom MediaVest Group leads on RECMA’s list
MUMBAI: Paris-based research agency RECMA (Research Company Evaluating the Media Agency Industry) has named Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG) the number one ranked global media network in its 2013 Global Billings Rankings Report for the fourth consecutive year. This report evaluates the overall activity—including buying billings and specialised services—of all global media agencies across 62 countries.
In 2013, SMG increased its billings by 18.3 per cent, with an industry share of 12.5 per cent. RECMA also named the network number one in the ‘Top 14 Countries’ ranking, which is a key chart in the overall report that accounts for 81 per cent, of the media agency industry. In addition, SMG retained its position in the overall regional evaluations, including its top rank in north America and was named the number two agency in Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa and Latin America.
“Leading RECMA’s Global Rankings report is both an honor and a validation of our work at SMG. Everything we do, in partnership with the greatest brands in the world, is with an eye toward innovation. And RECMA’s report confirms that our ‘MakeNextNow’ approach is successful in both engaging consumers and helping steer our industry toward ‘what’s next,” said SMG Global CEO Laura Desmond.
SMG had its most celebrated year on record in 2013, with 525 product award recognitions. Award highlights included 15 agency and network of the year awards, 24 Cannes Lions, 35 Festival of Media awards (across all galas) and two Effie Grand Prix. Through July 2014, SMG has already been awarded media network of the year at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, along with being named the most effective agency and most effective agency network by the Effie Index at the North American Effie Awards Gala in New York, where Publicis Group also took top honors as Most Effective Holding Company.
Brands
Thermocool rolls out Navratri campaign on trains and stations
Nine day digital push blends devotion and storytelling for travellers
NEW DELHI: Thermocool Home Appliances has launched a high-visibility digital campaign during Navratri, turning railway stations and trains into storytelling spaces that blend culture with brand engagement.
The nine-day campaign spans key high-footfall locations including Katra, Anand Vihar, Gorakhpur, Prayagraj and Moradabad, along with the Vande Bharat Express on the Delhi-Katra route. Travellers encounter the campaign across station screens, concourses and onboard infotainment systems, making it hard to miss.
What sets the initiative apart is its narrative approach. Each day of Navratri is dedicated to one of the nine forms of Goddess Durga, with digital content explaining the significance and stories behind each day. The result is a campaign that does more than advertise, it informs and engages passengers in the middle of their journeys.
For director of sales and marketing Tanuj Gupta, the idea was to go beyond visibility. He noted that while Navratri is widely celebrated, awareness of its deeper meaning is often limited, and the campaign aims to bridge that gap in a simple and accessible way.
By tapping into high-traffic transit spaces, Thermocool is placing its message where audiences naturally gather, from busy platforms to train compartments. The repeated exposure across these touchpoints is designed to build familiarity while creating a more meaningful connection with consumers.
In a season marked by devotion and festivity, the campaign finds a clever middle ground. It turns everyday travel into a cultural moment, where storytelling travels alongside the passenger.
