‘2015 was India's year of the ‘Troll’’

Elvis Sequeira

Chief operating officer, Hakuhodo India

 

I'd say 2015 was India's year of the ‘Troll’. More people discovered their voices on social media than I can ever recall, their angry outpourings sparing no one and nothing – brands (Maggi, Volkswagen, Honda, HUL), celebrities (Anushka Sharma, Sonakshi Sinha, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Gajendra Chauhan, Chetan Bhagat, Arvind Kejriwal, Rahul Gandhi), plays, books, food habits, awards, court rulings and so on. On the flip side, those voices also had a positive part to play with the Chennai Flood situation.

 

I'd expect 2016 to be the year of content co-creation and the rise of smaller 'creators' that even large scale advertising agencies will turn to as they begin to finally understand the power and potential of digital platforms.

 

Shavon Barua

Managing partner, PHD India

 

It was the year of many old guards giving way to new. Many rounds of musical chairs in adland. Some deserving and some real odd ones as new leaders. I see some who have done zilch in their new role and brought in only more politics.

 

2016 should see more deserving people in the right place. Real work and real talent should be getting the spotlight.  Less drama from the prima donnas of the business.  After all, the new year is for hope...

 

Bobby Pawar

Managing director, South Asia, Publicis Worldwide

 

2015 was by many accounts Publicis' best ever. The team came together, our idea-centric culture took root and the work took off. We created some of the most talked about campaigns, Ambuja Cement's Khali, Nerolac's Ghanshu, Maggi, the HDFC Mutual Funds campaign etc. Plus, we did very well on the new business front, where our hit rate was well over 75 per cent.

 

We face a really good problem. We have the size and great work, but our reputation isn't quite there. For 2016, we have to make our perception catch up to our reality. We are far bigger, and far, far better than most folks think.