Industry Honchos Ring In The New Year With Resolutions And Expectations...
Given the tumultous 2016 we have witnessed, what with Trump in the US, Brexit in the UK and demonetization in India, I expect 2017 to be a good year when we will reap the benefits of the reforms that the BJP government has undertaken, including the benefits of demonetization. At Madison, I want to prepare all Madisonites including myself for the increasing Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA) world that we are likely to face in 2017, and seek out opportunity for our clients and ourselves in this VUCA world.
Sam Balsara
Chairman, Madison World
The New Year is an opportune moment to revisit old long term commitments and make newer short to medium term ones. For me, a recurring resolution every year is to give back to the society that we inhabit and in that spirit, I resolve to continue my support to the cause of providing quality education to underprivileged children. A more topical resolution this year is rooted in the new responsibility that the industry has bestowed upon me as the President of BARC. I am committed to work with all stakeholders to further strengthen our measuring mechanism and use data analytics to create an ecosystem that is more robust, inclusive and scientific.
Sudhanshu Vats
Group CEO, Viacom18
In 2017, Dentsu Aegis Network will become the second largest agency group in India overturning, for the first time, the existing ranking which has historically been in place for over 80 years in India. This will mark the coming of age of the first new age agency group and will free the industry from the lethargy and outdated thinking of legacy, old world creative agencies.
Ashish Bhasin
?Chairman & CEO South Asia, Dentsu Aegis Network
Like every year, this year too I have resolved to get my fitness agenda going.
Shashi Sinha
CEO, IPG Mediabrands India
I am looking forward to people entering 2017 with hope, and with a degree of ambition and belief that that it will be a boom year.
Vikram Sakhuja
Group CEO, Madison World
When you hold the philosophy that the best is yet to come, 2017 holds better promise than 2016! On a serious note, the positive effects of demonetization will be evident from the second quarter of 2107, when I expect our economy to move forward in an accelerated manner. The MarCom industry is sure to benefit from this surge and I look forward to the exciting period ahead.
Srinivasan Swamy
Chairman and MD, RK Swamy BBDO
While the outdoor industry did witness a hit in business post demonetization, things will get better by April 2017, and I’m sure the industry is going to bounce back. Personally, my resolutions for 2017 are ‘very BIG and very SERIOUS’.
Noomi Mehta
Chairman & MD, Selvel One Group
I expect digital consolidation in the industry. Also, I look forward to the IRS 2016 launch, that has been postponed to 2017.
I Venkat
Director, Eenadu
I hope to create more stillness in my universe within and outside, while retaining the energy I feel... and to do more of what I really feel intensely about and less of the trivial. In the industry, the best thing about 2017 will be the emergence of a ‘Forced Digitized Consumer’ as many will learn lessons on thrift and caution, while embracing a whole new world of choices.
Charulata Ravikumar
CEO, SapientNitro & Razorfish India
We will do more experiments in any area, definitely in digital and social media.
Manish Bhatt
Co-founder, Scarecrow Communications Ltd
It’s going to be a digital life, that’s what I am looking forward to.
Neeraj Roy
Founder and CEO, Hungama Digital Media Entertainment
The OOH industry will see double digit growth during 2017, which is the best thing to happen for any industry.
Pramod Bhandula
Managing Director, JCDecaux India
Hopefully, the Year of demonetization will finally be over! Personally, I will do something that I had actually planned for 2015 and did not manage to do in 2016 – start running!
Dhunji S Wadia
President, Rediffusion Y&R
I am really looking forward to GST getting implemented by the Government of India by April 2017. This will end all the indirect taxes levied on goods and services by the Centre and States.
Sudip Ghose
Vice President,Head Sales & Marketing, VIP Industries Limited
I am looking forward to making a big business impact. Last year, we did some really good work, but I think this year we will really make it.
Amer Jaleel
Chairman & CCO, Mullen Lintas
I am in a category which is supposedly a men’s category, and being a woman, I really want to make a mark because I think women understand men better and that’s how great work can happen. I am looking forward to some amazing work for Raymond in 2017, and to understand the insight of men and their mindspace.
Madhu Dutta
Head, Marketing, Lifestyle Business, Raymond
Demonetization has hit advertising in 2016, but it hasn’t hit hope. Everyone is expecting real estate prices to fall, but we are sure that won’t happen in 2017, instead the industry is going to grow as transactions become more transparent. On a personal note, my resolution for the coming year is to understand the consumer better.
Jaideep Gandhi
Managing Director, Jaya Advertising
The year 2017 for me comes as a beacon of hope and promise, both professionally as well as personally. The last three years, i.e., 2014, ’15, and ’16, have been years of growth and profit for Droom, which has seen us rise as the sixth largest e-commerce company in India. If we continue to put in the same amount of efforts and keep the wheels of innovation moving, I see Droom becoming one of the largest and quickest tech-enabled unicorns arising out of India. On a personal front, I want to spend more time with my two sons - I missed seeing them grow up. Also, I want to work on improving my skills as a golfer.
Sandeep Aggarwal
Founder & CEO, Droom
Social will soon modify its meaning to online as well as offline spaces that would connect like-minded people. Expect innovations to help people upgrade themselves, be it health, finances and skill sets. While some people will embrace change to better their lives, there will be people making an effort to help their community and social causes they really care about. Personally, I want to run 1000 km in 2017.
Malay Dikshit
Chief Communication Officer, Tata Sky
The best thing about 2017 would be the cashless revolution that began in 2016. It will make digital media grow by leaps and bounds in India. Personally, I hope to see the use of artificial Intelligence to create disproportionate impact for brands. My resolutions have only become fewer, bigger and bolder over the years. It is all about doing less, but doing impactful stuff.
Rajiv Dingra
Founder & CEO, WATConsult
I want the demons of demonetization to go away so that consumers can start getting excited about spending again – not to hoard the cash but to spend it on brands, so that brands advertise and the market revives. I am hoping for health and happiness for everybody, hoping for our industry to get back on a growth curve. It’s a theme of positivity that I am hoping for and I hope that works well for everybody.
Pradeep Dwivedi
CEO, Sakal Media Group
I want to keep working on the ambition of making Tata Motors the Number 3 brand in India, to establish Tata Motors as a maker of desirable cars. I plan to work on this every day of the year.
Vivek Srivatsa
Head - Marketing, Passenger Vehicle Business Unit, Tata Motors
My personal New Year resolution is that I am going to try and spend a little more time with my son. I have been too busy and have not been able to spend too much time with him. That’s what I am looking forward to.
Arun Iyer
CCO, Lowe Lintas
My resolutions have seen evolution! I used to make many and not keep to them. Now I make none and keep to them all!
Roshan Abbas
MD, Geometry Global Encompass Network
Rather paradoxically, they've become both, more realistic and more ambitious at the same time. More than anything, I've become more strategic in my approach. The key is to break each resolution down into smaller measurable goals.
Roopak Saluja
Founder & CEO, The 120 Media Collective
The year 2016 has been a great year in terms of business; however I haven’t managed to keep to any of the resolutions I made at the start of 2016. That makes me want to think over the resolution I really intend on holding up to sincerely. Therefore, for 2017, I’d just say that my ‘Resolution for the Year’ is to come up with a resolution I can see through to home stretch in 2018
Partha Sinha
Vice Chairman and MD, McCann Worldgroup
My New Year resolution is playing for an hour-and-a-half everyday and burning calories and then ensuring that I catch up on the burnt calories in the next 30 minutes.
Mandeep Malhotra
CEO and Co-Founder, The Social Street
I won the Bronze medal at the national-level Table Tennis Championship in 2016, and look forward to enhancing that performance in the upcoming championship in January. While, God has been kind in taking care of my wealth aspirations, I want to divert some focus toward my health. I shed 17kg this year, and that has propelled me to take care of my fitness.
Vivek Bhargava
CEO, DAN Performance Group
