GECs
Nothing misses Amul’s target
MUMBAI: Indeed, the pony-tailed and polka-dotted li’l girl of Amul fame has come to be an iconic part of the country’s socio-political and economic landscape, courtesy her cheeky yet responsible comments on issues ranging from IPL spot fixing to the more recent prosecution of Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade in USA.
When Amul approached Sylvester Da Cunha in 1966 to design a campaign for Amul Butter, little did the company imagine the ads would go on to become somewhat of a national tradition.
With Sylvester’s son Rahul now in charge of all Amul ads, we ask him to reveal the secret behind such brilliant, pun-intended ideas week after week?
“If I tell you, then I have to kill you,” laughs Rahul, attributing all the enthusiasm and creativity to the ‘raw material’ available in the country currently.
“From Bollywood to politics to issues, there is so much happening in this country. I don’t think we would have been able to do what we are doing here in any other country. It is all because of the colorful characters we have,” he says.
Rahul is part of a three-strong core team that works on the witty, topical ads. And while the trio is unafraid to take a stance on anything under the sun, there’s one topic it steers clear of – religion.
“It’s dicey and too sensitive a topic to indulge in and we try to avoid it unless and until it has got to do with someone like Asaram Bapu,” says Rahul.
At a time when most brands do not believe in commenting on ‘sensitive’ issues, Rahul prides himself on being part of a company that has never shied away from taking a stance. “It is our USP and others doing it is a rare case,” he adds.
Not that all their ads have met with bouquets; there have been the occasional brickbats too, for example, Amul’s recent commentary on the Tehelka scandal, which didn’t go down well with a majority of the people. But that doesn’t deter the team from keeping up the good work. As Rahul puts it, “We don’t look back as we feel it is all part and parcel of the industry and we cannot make everyone happy.”
As the year comes to a close, indiantelevision.com brings you some of its pioneering ads of 2013:
The year began with Kashmir’s top clergyman issuing a fatwa against an all-girls rock band, reasoning music is banned in Islam and girls should imbibe ‘better values’ instead of vices.
The IOC’s decision to drop wrestling from the Olympics came as a huge setback for fans and practitioners of the game. The only saving grace being it would be included in the 2016 Olympics.
Around mid-year, the Madras High Court passed a judgment saying that an unmarried couple of the right legal age “indulging in sexual gratification” would be considered married and could be called “husband and wife”. An entire nation was shell-shocked by the forward-thinking pronouncement.
Escalating prices and economic slowdown notwithstanding, some politicians were brazen enough to say food is cheap in this country. Congress spokesperson Raj Babbar went to the extent of saying it is possible to have a full meal for just Rs 12 in Mumbai even today. And the junta didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at this cruel joke…
In a body blow to the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community, the Supreme Court recently turned back the clock on Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalizes any kind of sexual activity “against the order of nature” including homosexual acts. In a 2009 judgment, the Delhi High Court had decriminalized all such activity, leading many such people to live together.
Meanwhile, at least one other Supreme Court judgment did not disappoint. The apex court ruled that persons in lawful custody – whether convicted in a criminal case or otherwise – cannot contest elections. The common man rejoiced even though the ruling does not apply to those on bail.
When a colleague claimed founder-editor of Tehelka Magazine Tarun Tejpal had sexually assaulted her in an elevator during a fest organized by the publication in Goa, it went on to become the mother of all scandals. However Amul’s take on the matter attracted a lot of criticism, possibly because rape doesn’t lend itself to humor.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was just that… till the unlikely hero of the Delhi Assembly Elections decided to take Congress support to form the government in the national capital.
GECs
ZEEL overhauls sales structure to chase growth across TV and digital platforms
New structure sharpens digital push as viewing habits fragment fast
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. is reshuffling its sales playbook as it looks to keep pace with a fast-changing media landscape, where audiences are scattered, screens are multiplying and advertisers are following the data.
According to media reports, the rejig is anchored in the company’s push to build a more integrated, data-led monetisation engine, one that can straddle both traditional television and fast-growing digital platforms with equal ease.
At the heart of the move is a reworked sales architecture designed to deliver cross-platform solutions. With connected TV gaining ground and digital consumption surging, ZEEL is aligning its teams to move quicker, think broader and sell smarter.
The restructuring is being led by chief operating officer, advertisement revenue, Sandeep Mehrotra, at a time when the company says it is seeing tremendous growth. The idea is simple: match the right talent to the right opportunity in a market that is anything but static.
As part of the overhaul, several long-serving executives have been elevated to chief sales officer roles across regions and content clusters. Sanjoy Chatterjee will head the east market, while Gunjarav Nayak takes charge of the west along with high-margin verticals such as hmg, brand works, intellectual properties and digital sales. Rajnish Gupta will oversee bengaluru and chennai markets alongside the kannada and tamil clusters.
In other key moves, Divjyot Dhanda will lead hyderabad and kochi markets and manage zee tv, zee keralam and the telugu cluster. Roshan Vasu Kotian will supervise a diverse portfolio including Zee Marathi, &tv, Zee Punjabi, Zee Anmol, Big Magic and Zee Biskope.
The company is also strengthening its bench, appointing national sales heads across retail, regional clusters, digital and brand solutions. Ankur Kapila’s appointment to lead digital sales signals a sharper push into a segment that continues to outpace traditional formats.
Behind the scenes, dedicated strategy and operations roles have been carved out for both linear and digital businesses. Nitin Shetty, Rajkiran Shrivastav and Priya Nambiar will take on key responsibilities to ensure the new structure runs with precision.
The broader aim is clear. ZEEL wants a bigger slice of advertising budgets that are steadily drifting towards digital and connected TV ecosystems. By integrating its offerings, the company hopes to deepen client relationships while unlocking new revenue streams.
The new structure takes effect immediately, with Mehrotra continuing to report to chief executive officer Punit Goenka and steer the company’s advertising revenue strategy. Senior executive Laxmi Shetty will support the transition, with her revised role expected to be announced soon.
In a market where content is everywhere but attention is scarce, ZEEL’s latest move is less about rearranging the org chart and more about staying in the game.
