Frankfurt-based 3K will join WPP’s Hill+Knowlton Strategies, advancing the company’s growth in the global healthcare sector

WPP announces that it has acquired 3K Agentur für Kommunikation (3K), one of the leading healthcare specialist PR agencies in Germany. 3K will become part of the Hill+Knowlton Strategies (H+K) global network, strengthening its healthcare presence in Europe and expanding its operations in Germany.

Founded 25 years ago, 3K is known for its expertise in healthcare, biopharmaceuticals, and related sciences, working with some of the world’s most notable global pharmaceutical companies, consumer health brands, and local biotech start-ups.

The addition of 3K aligns with WPP’s strategic focus on healthcare and marks the company’s continued investment in Germany. In the second half of 2022, WPP appointed Wendy Lund as Chief Client Officer for Health & Wellness and FM Schmidt as WPP’s first President of the German market.

The acquisition is also the latest milestone in H+K’s ongoing transformation. The agency has grown more than 25% over the last two years, expanding its global leadership team – including Brenna Terry as Global Chair of Healthcare – and acquiring the JeffreyGroup in Latin America.

AnnaMaria DeSalva, Global Chairman and CEO of Hill+Knowlton Strategies, said: “Healthcare is in a perpetual cycle of growth and transformation, demanding superior communication and stakeholder strategies. Hill+Knowlton has a large role to play in this dynamic market. The addition of 3K will meaningfully strengthen our international capability in healthcare, and I am delighted to welcome them to the H+K family.”

Ruth Bastuck, Founder and Managing Director of 3K, said: “I’m incredibly proud of what we have successfully built at 3K over the past 25 years, but I am equally excited for our future with Hill+Knowlton. Healthcare is such an important component of H+K’s global strategy, and we could not have found a better fit, culturally, strategically, or operationally. We are equally dedicated to shaping excellent medical-to-human interactions. Tapping into the diverse resources and global reach of the H+K and WPP networks will create many exciting new opportunities for both our clients and our employees.”

Mark Read, CEO of WPP, said: “Amid today’s dynamic macroeconomic conditions we have seen great resilience and growth in the healthcare sector, as well as across our own PR businesses. Germany is our third largest market, and the addition of 3K to Hill+Knowlton’s growing portfolio further strengthens WPP’s global healthcare offer to clients.”

3K becomes the latest in a series of acquisitions – including Fēnom Digital, Diff, Passport, Newcraft and Corebiz in the last six months alone – that form part of WPP’s accelerated growth strategy and focused M&A approach to continue to build on the company's core capabilities.

69% of APAC marketers are shifting investments to target interest-based communities, with 67% reevaluating their media mix towards TikTok

A TikTok and WARC report: When entertainment meets effectiveness - a guide to maximising impact

Media effectiveness is becoming harder to achieve, but is more important than ever in successfully driving long term impact. New research released today by WARC, the global authority on marketing effectiveness, in partnership with TikTok, the leading destination for short-form mobile video, provides a holistic overview of what it means to deliver impact at a time of flux.

According to WARC’s Marketer’s Toolkit survey, the cost-of-living crisis and media/audience fragmentation were the top two concerns for APAC marketers cited for 2023, creating increased pressure to prioritise media investments that deliver on measures of profitability. Additionally, short-termism, the death of the cookie and the ever-changing media landscape, are factors making it difficult to achieve marketing effectiveness.

The report ‘When entertainment meets effectiveness - a guide to maximising impact’ released today, revisits the fundamentals of effectiveness and draws on new evidence and thinking that will help marketers navigate with confidence and leverage new opportunities.

Ashik Ashokan, Head of Advisory APAC, WARC, said: “Through our latest partnership with TikTok, we aim to provide insights and analysis that will empower marketers to create content that connects with customers and benefits their brands’ soft and hard metrics. Our research delves deep into industry pain points and emerging consumer trends that marketers need to be aware of to navigate today’s dynamic market environment. Through case studies and expert opinions, we provide practical guidance on creating and measuring campaigns that resonate with audiences”

Key insights outlined in the white paper are:

The foundations: Measuring short and long term impact holistically

In recent years there has been a strong tendency towards short-termism and an excessive focus on performance metrics, which have undermined the true impact of what advertising can deliver. A study by consultancy Ebiquity found 42% of advertising’s profit happens in the short-term and 58% in the long-term.

To deliver impact, marketers should:

(1) Move away from focusing on short-term performance and account for long-term.

(2) Strike a balance across time frame (long and short term effects), messaging type (brand building and performance marketing), audience type (broad reach and active in-market buyers), and buyer journeys (upper and lower funnel).

(3) Develop targeting strategies to create future demand.

Trends: Delivering more holistic and effective measurement

Developments in data protection and privacy, fueled by the impending death of the cookie, is accelerating in APAC and has a wide-ranging impact on performance advertising, such as tracking technologies and measurement.

To deliver more holistic and effective measurements, the study recommends that advertisers should: (1) Build their own first-party data for better contextual targeting. (2) Experiment with SaaS (software as a service) based models to measure more efficiently its advertising impact at scale. (3) Utilise AI-powered solutions to effectively test and evaluate creative more efficiently.

Tomohiko Sugiura, Executive Vice President, Dentsu Digital Inc., says: “To optimise media allocation based on consumer insights and purchase behavior, brands need to establish a new measurement environment and data/technology stack that includes tools such as data clean rooms, API connections for offline CV data, and marketing mix modelling. By leveraging these tools, brands can better track and measure the full-funnel impact of their marketing efforts, from brand awareness to revenue generation, and make more informed decisions about their media strategy.”

Opportunity: Leveraging entertainment to drive impact

According to data.ai, 200 billion hours are spent by consumers on entertainment and short videos globally. This compares to 40 billion hours spent on other apps such as social media networks.

Entertainment platforms are among the main drivers and beneficiaries of a shift towards ‘bubble up’ (versus top down), where culture is being shaped and disseminated by communities and creators. This is evidenced in WARC’s Marketer’s Toolkit survey, where 69% of APAC marketers are shifting investments to target interest-based communities, with 67% reevaluating their media mix towards TikTok.

To leverage entertainment to drive impact, the study recommends (1) Utilising entertaining content to connect with audiences and bring them down the funnel. (2) Participating in the culture and communities found on entertainment platforms to generate new demand and find new customers in an authentic way. (3) Taking advantage of the infinite opportunities to convert with ‘shoppertainment’.

In practice: Amplifying and optimising creative impact with online video

Utilising the power of sound and storytelling are two key creative strategies proven to drive brand recall. Ipsos research shows that ads that use sound as brand cues are 8.53 times more likely to be high performing for branded attention. Research by MediaScience and the Ehrenberg–Bass Institute found that six-second ads deliver 60% of the impact of a thirty-second ad.

To amplify and optimise creative impact with online video, the study recommends: (1) Utilising the power of sound and music into ad formats. (2) Using real people, remixing trends incorporating suspense into video storytelling. (3) Harnessing social cues, using episodic storytelling to reinforce the brand. (4) Leveraging audience signals on digital platforms to optimise ad strategy and creative effectiveness.

Maybelline Australia leveraged a combination of creators and ad formats on TikTok in their Colossal Curl Bounce Mascara launch campaign to drive remarkable sales uplift (75% above benchmark) and over 28 million video views.

Siuok Chung, Head of Consumer Research Center, COSRX said: “Short form content can be filmed easily, lasting for only 15 seconds, yet it is still able to convey emotion, positive and/or negative feedback on our brand’s products in a fun way, which results in higher engagement.”

Summing up, Shant Oknayan, Head of Business, TikTok APAC and MEA, said: “Besides being the go-to entertainment platform for over 1 billion users every month, TikTok is also where entertainment meets marketing effectiveness. The power of entertainment enables brands to engage consumers along their full journey - from discovery to purchase, helping brands achieve measurable results and ultimately grow their business. Through this report our aim is to empower brands with insights and solutions to deliver sustainable and scalable impact in the face of today's macro uncertainty."

India Today Conclave, the country’s original platform for intellectual discourse and exchange of ideas, is back with another edition taking place on 17th and 18th March 2023 at Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi.

This year, it is proud to celebrate the completion of 20 years, bringing together some of the most thought-provoking speakers from across the globe to this prestigious platform.

India Today Conclave has established its legacy as the most sought-after platform for cutting-edge discussions and debates on a wide range of subjects. With a speaker profile that is unparalleled, India Today Conclave is the epitome of a powerful forum dedicated to evolving a discourse for the betterment of India and mankind across the globe. It has cemented its place as the leading summit and continues to break barriers with each edition.

The India Today Conclave stage has been graced by the powerful voices and endearing ideas of the world's most influential leaders, including Narendra Modi, A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Bill Gates, Imran Khan, Sachin Tendulkar, Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Mukesh Ambani, Neeraj Chopra and many other stalwarts from across the world.

Over the two decades, not only have there been annual events, there have also been regional editions of India Today Conclave, propelled by its immense national success. The annual summit was into regional editions to use this invigorating intellectual Galloring to inspire various parts of the country.

India Today is set to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its Conclave this year with the theme ‘India Moment, bringing to light how amid global challenges such as wars, recessions, polarized polities, and the climate crisis, India has emerged as a beacon of hope. A recent Morgan Stanley report reveals that by 2027, India is poised to become the world's 3rd largest economy and drive 1/5th of global growth. However, the impact of this "India Moment" goes beyond just statistics, as India's stewardship of the G20 presents a significant opportunity for it to influence geopolitics, energy transition, technology, and the international conversation on development, equitable growth, justice and more.

All this and more will be tackled by this year’s edition of India Today Conclave, with an esteemed list of speakers such as Union ministers Amit Shah, S. Jaishankar, Kiren Rijiju, Smriti Irani, Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, Rockstar political philosopher Michael Sandel, former Union ministers P. Chidambaram and Shashi Tharoor, actors Ram Charan and Janhvi Kapoor and many more.

The two-day event will feature a series of thought-provoking panel discussions, engaging keynote speeches, and interactive sessions that will challenge attendees to expand their horizons and think more deeply about the issues that matter the most. India Today Conclave is undeniably a true, original & biggest ideas fest.

Here is the confirmed list of speakers:

Amit Shah, Union Minister of Home Affairs and Co-operation
S. Jaishankar, Union Minister of External Affairs
Sachin Tendulkar, Cricket Legend
Ram Charan, Actor
Michael Sandel, Rockstar political philosopher, Harvard University
Kiren Rijiju, Union Minister of Law and Justice
Smriti Irani, Union Minister for Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Entrepreneurship, Skill Development, Electronics and Technology
Ren Ito, COO, Stability AI
Sanjiv Goenka, Chairman, RPSG Group
Sheeba Aslam, Islamic feminist, scholar, columnist
Abha Adams, Educator, author
Shashi Tharoor, Former Union Minister and diplomat, author
Anita Sengupta, Former NASA scientist, aerospace entrepreneur
Michael Pillsbury, Author, Director, Chinese Strategy, Hudson Institute
Anil Agarwal, Chairman, Vedanta Resources Limited
Ruha Shadab, Founder, LedBy Foundation
Fawzia Koofi, Afghan political leader and activist
Amitabh Kant, India’s G20 Sherpa; Former CEO, NITI Aayog
Justice SA Bobde, Former Chief Justice of India
Justice UU Lalit, Former Chief Justice of India
Malaika Arora, Actor, model
P. Chidambaram, Former Union minister of Finance and Home Affairs
Neelkanth Mishra, Economist, Credit Suisse, Advisor to the Prime Minister
David Sinclair, Miracle Man, Geneticist, Harvard Medical School
Mahua Moitra, Member of Lok Sabha, TMC
Lt General Zameer Uddin Shah, Former Deputy Chief of Army Staff, Former Vice-Chancellor, Aligarh Muslim University
Suhani Shah, Mentalist, psychological illusionist
Sanam Naraghi Anderlini, Iranian peace activist
PTR Thiagarajan, Finance Minister, Tamil Nadu
Baba Jackson, India’s Best Dancer contestant
Byju Raveendran and Divya Gokulnath, Co-Founders, Byju's
Supriya Shrinate, Chairperson, Social Media and Digital Platform, Congress
Brad Smith, Vice-Chairman and President, Microsoft
Amit Malviya, In-charge, BJP’s National Information and Technology Department
Chintan Rachchh, Cwaayal Singh, Gurfateh Singh Pirzada, Moses Koul, Naina Bhan, Zeyn Shaw, Actors of web series Class
Ajay Bijli, Chairman and Managing Director, PVR Ltd
Janhvi Kapoor, Actor
Puneet Chhatwal, MD and CEO, Indian Hotels Company Ltd
Raghav Chadha, Member of Rajya Sabha and National spokesperson, Aam Aadmi Party

Dentsu Asia Pacific today announces the appointment of Harsha Razdan as CEO, South Asia, dentsu effective 1 May 2023.

“India has been through the most profound and impressive digital transformation and the future of the digital economy is bright; with new opportunities being generated by the advent of 5G, proliferation of affordable devices, and the development of a new economy accessible to all,” said Rob Gilby, CEO APAC, dentsu. “Harsha is an exceptional leader with a deep strategic understanding of the competitive landscape. His background in brand building, overlayed with deep knowledge of tech-driven transformation brings formidable cross-capability expertise and will drive growth opportunities in creating a new value ecosystem for clients with consumers at the centre.”

Harsha will be responsible for leading nearly 4,000 talented people across South Asia, uniting teams around dentsu’s vision to be at the forefront of people-centered transformations that shape society. He will work with leaders to bring this long-term vision to life while building upon dentsu’s strong reputation of creativity and innovation and delivering excellence for clients.

Harsha Razdan commented on his appointment: “It is a very exciting time to be leading an agency network in India, especially with the significant progress we are seeing in the digital development of our market and what that means for brands. India is leap-frogging other markets in its adoption and development of new technologies, and it’s critical that agencies are capitalising on new opportunities for brands to speak to new consumers. I can’t wait to get started.”

Harsha is a well-known and respected leader with over 25 years of experience, having worked across large, global FMCG organisations PepsiCo and Unilever, and consulting practices including Accenture where he spent four years in the UK. In all his roles he has consistently delivered growth and excellence for his clients. He joins dentsu from KPMG where he is a Senior Partner, responsible for overseeing both Clients & Markets and Consumer Markets, Life Sciences & Internet Business. He also sits on the Advisory Leadership team as well as the Global Consumer & Retail leadership team.

He will be based in Mumbai reporting to Rob Gilby, CEO APAC, dentsu.

Welcomes Google as the ‘Presenting Sponsor’, TV9 NETWORK and MiQ India Commercial as ‘Co-Powered by Sponsors’, and The Times of India as ‘Associate Sponsor’

The Advertising Club ramps up the celebration of Media Awards Oscars of the media world with the newest edition of the EMVIES, presented by Google, co-powered by TV9 NETWORK and MiQ India Commerical, and in association with The Times of India. With over 1469 entries received, which is the highest ever in the history of EMVIES, the best minds of the media and marketing fraternity will battle it out for recognition and glory on Friday, 10th March 2023, at Seaside lawns, Hotel Taj Lands’ End, Bandra, Mumbai, at 6:30 PM.

The country’s most coveted media award which focuses on Innovation, Strategy, Research, and seamless Integration, EMVIES 2023, was adjudged by a distinguished and versatile jury of 172 media professionals in round 1 of the judging process. Out of 1469 entries received, 370 were shortlisted. The final round of judging saw case studies being presented online for a period of 10 days which were evaluated by 179 marketing professionals and some chosen creative directors.

As you all are aware of the fact that any campaign which goes on to win an EMVIE, the trophy is presented to both – the media agency and the client. Thus, the elite audience will have the presence of top-notch professionals from not only the media and advertising world but also from the marketing fraternity.

Partha Sinha, President Times of India group and President of The Advertising Club, said, “I have always called EMVIE ‘the Oscar of media award’ and over the years it has been doing justice to that reputation. The quality of work, the presentations, and the energy around the whole event are improving every year. It is a world-class platform today and is owned equally by the media, marketing, and advertising fraternities. It is a burning example of our overall theme of excellence.”

Aditya Swamy, Chairperson, EMVIES Committee, said, “This year we have a record number of entries and that is a reflection of the high quality of work our industry produces and it’s our privilege at the Ad Club to celebrate the best of the best at our favorite awards show - The EMVIES.”

The EMVIE Awards is attended by 1000 plus die-hard professionals from the Media, Advertising, Research, and Marketing fraternity i.e., the entire gamut of the communication industry. It is a vibrant, young, and high-decibel event.

It’s time to book your donor passes and see for yourself who will win the Grand EMVIE, Best Media Client of the Year, and Best Media Agency of the Year.