Mediaboss Marketing

PhonePe, Indias digital payments platform has piloted a truck art campaign with a fleet of trucks on highways in Maharashtra, covering Pune, Nashik & Mumbai. With this campaign, PhonePe is promoting its two and four-wheeler insurance products, through catchy phrases on art canvases put up on truck tailgates. With this campaign, the company aims to engage with the target audience on highways in the A&B categories as per the New Consumer Classification System (NCCS), who are in the age group of 22-40 years.

Truck art, often known as Phool Patti in Hindi and Urdu, has traditionally been a popular art form in India and other parts of South Asia. The trucks are lovingly decorated by their drivers, who spend their days and nights driving them through the length and breadth of the country. Decked in vibrant colors and bells, inscribed with romantic and often quirky couplets and even images of celebrities and famous personalities, each truck tells a unique tale. Trucks in India often have a beautiful display of interesting slogans, decorative articles and countless convoluted symbols. They are also a melting pot of the influences of different cultures, usually with a melange of color schemes, fonts, and symbols on display.

Interestingly, PhonePe discovered something unique that triggered the idea of promoting insurance products behind trucks. We were surprised to stumble upon an interesting insight. In the decades gone by, trucks often used to have images of demons to ward off evil. We spoke to a few veteran truck drivers & truck art experts who said that drivers used to believe that these images of demons protect them from untoward incidents on the road. When insurance for trucks wasnt well understood or adopted, this provided mental assurance and 'insurance' of sorts to drivers!",says Ramesh Srinivasan, Director Brand Marketing, PhonePe.

As a result, PhonePe decided to experiment with truck art as a medium to build awareness and preference for its motor insurance products.

"We believe that trucks are a great medium to educate consumers about the importance of two & four-wheeler insurance as the use for insurance is felt the most when one is driving on the road. We believe that this campaign will be very contextual and seamlessly extend itself on the back of these trucks which can be easily noticed by drivers of two & four-wheelers. This also helps in the message manifesting at the point of truth - highways and the roads,adds Ramesh.

Traditional truck art is on the decline with the arrival of transportation companies and their large fleets of modern trucks with containers. Stickers, plastic and steel ornaments are replacing the tedious work of painting by hand and the next generation of truck owners are uninterested in learning the art of painting trucks.

In India, most of the insurance companies choose traditional mediums such as print, TV and outdoor for advertising. PhonePe is using quirky idioms that people love to read while driving on the highways in order to break the clutter and create an impactful campaign by choosing a rare and significant real estate to communicate the insurance message in a fun and quirky way. This also brings to life a forgotten art form and hopes to encourage other brands to consider this medium in their communication in the future.

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PhonePe pilots truck art campaign to build awareness on motor insurance products - Exchange4Media

Healthcare platform MediBuddy has unveiled a new campaign titled #HealthUnlimited featuring their brand ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. The campaign advocates prioritizing your health and that of your loved ones, promoting MediBuddy Gold and other healthcare services available on the MediBuddy platform. The campaign includes an emotional film depicting an Indian family, highlighting the fact that in a household, common health issues can arise at any time, affecting anyone.

The campaign #HealthUnlimited will be a multimedia campaign leveraging social, print and outdoor. To reach out to maximum Indians, the film will also be promoted heavily on television across leading Hindi and English channels. The ad film has been Created by ITW Playworx, Produced by Ten Films, and Directed by Narayan Shi with Avinash Gowariker as the Lead Photographer. Through this campaign MediBuddy wants to use its leadership position to encourage people to embrace digital healthcare and, in general, make health a priority.

Commenting on the campaign, Satish Kannan, Co-founder and CEO, MediBuddy, said, "We are thrilled to release our latest campaign #HealthUnlimited, to urge people to make their own and their familys health a priority. Its been our constant endeavour to make high-quality healthcare accessible across the country. Understanding Indian core values and their diverse needs, MediBuddy Gold offers unlimited expert doctor consultation for you and your entire family."

Here's the campaign:

Commenting on the same, Ashish Bajaj, Head of Marketing, MediBuddy, said, "Built on consumer insights that health issues can arise anytime anywhere; our campaign #HealthUnlimited answers to the problems of the consumers offering MediBuddy Gold. We are confident that this campaign will resonate strongly with our consumers, given the emotional quotient in this film and will encourage them to make health a priority.

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MediBuddy's new campaign with Amitabh Bachchan urges everyone to prioritise health - Exchange4Media

Founded in 1995, BIC Cello Pens (originally Cello) is India's most recognized stationery brand and the leading manufacturer and distributor of writing instruments. The brand, which was acquired by French stationery major BIC, is known for its consumer-led innovations, impressive product diversification, and continuous improvements to ensure the best writing experience for its customers. The brand, reportedly, sells at least 5 million pens every day and has a robust presence in North America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and other Asian countries.

In todays edition of the e4m Pride of India series a celebration of top homegrown businesses BIC Cello General Manager India Manos Nikolakis talks about the brands journey and its focus on promoting education for kids in the country.

Talking about the initial days of the brand, Nikolakis shared, It was in 1995 that the brand was launched in India and within no time, because of its products became quite successful. It was doing a good job in distributing quality products and our company (BIC) was always looking from a distance in India. We were impressed with the professionalism of the founders and thats how our first meeting happened sometime around 2007-8. In December 2015, we acquired the brand.

He added that the brand is building the inherited business since then. BIC Cello enjoys a great brand awareness, if I am not wrong, it is close to 90%. We have 60% recommendations too. We want to follow this heritage and take this to the next level.

Along with business KPIs, BIC Cello is really passionate about contributing to the education levels in the country and has dedicated great CSR and marketing efforts in that direction.

He elaborated, Education plays a very important role in society. And in India, the government too is investing heavily in promoting education for all, which is a very good thing. This also positively impacts our industry. We, too, have an aim of benefitting around 250 million children by 2025 by aiding them in getting an education. We are partnering with third parties for this.

Nikolakis feels that education is the sector that is most important for their business in modern times when most of the other activities have moved online. Yes, the industry is changing but every child is going to start their education with a pen in their hand. And thats why we see a great scope of growth for our business.

BIC Cello, therefore, extensively works on diversifying its products for the changing needs of the consumers. We do not want to bind us to a specific type of product. Each consumer is different and has different preferences. So, the first task for us is to build products for everyone and the second is to position the brand in such a way that consumers can identify you. They must affiliate your brand with something, Nikolakis shared.

He also highlighted that the brand is working hard to have a solid e-commerce presence while still utilising the scale they have in modern trade and local stores. We want to be present everywhere. If you buy from a store, our products are designed to stand out and feel comfortable in your hands, and if you are buying online, our products will appear in top search results, he concluded.

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We want to be present everywhere: BIC Cellos Manos Nikolakis - Exchange4Media

Texas progressives won, or made runoffs in three Democratic primary contests. Thats got some more traditional Democrats talking. At least one longtime operative calls progressives a loud minority in the party.

Previously we dug into how the March 1 primary contests helped elevate Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw as be the leader of the new right in Texas, according to a conservative columnist for the Fort Worth Star Telegram. On the Democratic side, a recent headline in The Nation read, Democratic Insiders Keep Bashing Progressives, but Progressives Keep Winning Key Elections.

John Nichols, national affairs correspondent for The Nation, spoke with Texas Standard about how longtime Democratic operatives are reacting to progressive success in congressional primaries in Texas. Listen to the interview above or read the transcript below.

This transcript has been edited lightly for clarity:

Texas Standard: Lets talk about the idea that progressives are being called a loud minority. Where exactly is this coming from?

John Nichols: Well, that comes from some of the key players in the Democratic Party establishment. And this notion that progressives are a loud minority is pushed by Democratic consultants like James Carville. He is the source of that quote. But its also pushed by a lot of the media, which has developed a fantasy that that somehow progressives live in a couple of neighborhoods in New York City and Washington, D.C., and in other ways that the movement doesnt really exist. Its quite the opposite as the Texas primary showed.

In fact, you narrowed in on three Democratic primaries in Texas. Give us a few more details about those three races and why you believe they signaled something for the left going forward.

Three congressional primaries in Texas all for open seats that got a lot of attention at the national level. You saw progressives and more moderate forces in the party show up. And those were in the Austin-San Antonio area thats the race that Greg Casar, a former Austin City Council member ran in. Then you had one in the Dallas area where Jasmine Crockett was running. And then down closer to the border, you had Jessica Cisneros running.

In those three seats, those people I mentioned all ran as extremely progressive candidates. They accepted endorsements from very progressive groups. They really distinguished themselves as folks who were on the left of the party. And in each case they ran very, very well. Greg Casar won his primary. Jessica Cisneros forced the incumbent congressman, Henry Cuellar, into a runoff, and Jasmine Crockett is also in a runoff, although she came within a whisker of winning a majority and looks to be very strongly positioned for the runoff.

What does that add up to? Does it mean that progressives need to be taken more seriously within the Democratic Party? Whats your whats your take?

My take would be that the issues progressives are running on need to be taken more seriously, and maybe we need to be a little careful about the labels. And whats interesting to me is that, in the case of Greg Casar, as well as Jessica Cisneros, they ran on single payer Medicare for all health care. Which, in the media is often identified as this left wing progressive stance. But the fact is, when you look at the polling, its very popular across the line. In fact, when you describe it to Republicans, theres a lot of them who like it.

And similarly with talking about the Texas grid and talking about how that relates to some climate issues, you find that theres an awful lot of people that are concerned. And so I guess one of the things that I would remind folks of is that both on the left and the right, there are issues that resonate beyond the labels. And I think what Texas showed is that some of the issues that progressives are running on resonate in a state that that isnt necessarily thought of as a bastion of left wing politics. Although admittedly, the districts were talking about doing relatively Democratic.

Do you think that were looking at the end of an era? Perhaps.

Thats an exceptionally good question. Clearly, weve seen the end of an era to an extent, because we now have a Democratic president in Joe Biden, whos certainly no left winger. Joe Biden pretty much defines the center of gravity in the Democratic Party. And yet he has governed with a lot of respect for the left. I think thats really the lesson: that since Bernie Sanders campaign in 2016, youve seen adoption of a lot of progressive policies and frankly, the advancement of a lot of progressive thinkers within the party. Theres still a wrestling match, though, and there are a lot of what would be described for lack of a better term is establishment Democrats that dont like that change. Its a push and a poll. But clearly, that sort of new Democrat moment has faded. And again, Texas gives you a very good set of examples to back that case up from its primary results.

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What does progressives' primary success mean for Texas Democrats? - Texas Standard

The deal to supercharge the Pentagon budget is partly thanks to a $25 billion boost to the administrations defense proposal that Democrats and Republicans endorsed in military policy legislation Biden signed in December. But congressional leaders must still pass legislation to fund the Pentagon, and their negotiations could produce Pentagon spending even higher than the $740 billion they agreed to months ago.

Despite that cash influx for the military, the funding bill could actually win more progressive support than in years past, thanks to an emboldened Vladimir Putin and years of uncertainty to come. Its the latest sign of the difficulty that Democrats left flank has encountered translating its Biden-era ambitions into policy progress.

Its going to be tough, said House Budget Committee Chair John Yarmuth (D-Ky.), who was critical of the hefty Pentagon spending increases under former President Donald Trump. I dont like it. I think were spending far too much anyways. But I think its a harder political vote now to vote against significant increases in defense.

This years sprawling spending bill is Bidens first and perhaps best chance to shape the future of government funding in his first term, with control of at least one chamber of Congress widely expected to change hands in November.

With Democrats controlling all of Washington for the first time in a decade, progressives saw an opening to at least hold the line on military spending this Congress, if not decrease it. But the left lost the battle on Pentagon spending to a coalition of Republicans and Democrats, and instead focused on at least matching those increases on the social-programs side of the government ledger.

And many liberals already see the writing on the wall for more Pentagon spending to come. Bidens upcoming budget request is also certain to disappoint progressives when it is released in the coming weeks, as the White House looks to counter an even more urgent Russian threat and gear up for longer term security and economic challenges posed by China.

Without question its going to have to be bigger than we thought, House Armed Services Chair Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said last week. Im always going to be cautious of the people who always want to spend more money no matter what ... But the decision to invade Ukraine by Russia changes it, and its going to go up. Theres no doubt about it.

House Armed Services Committee Chair Adam Smith speaks in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on June 29, 2021.|Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Smith is a skeptic of shoveling more cash at the Pentagon whos unsuccessfully fought efforts to increase the defense budget. Still, he acknowledged that Moscows aggression means U.S. military posture is now more complicated and more expensive.

Indeed, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer suggested late Monday that the final total aid for Ukraine could be as much as $12 billion in the spending package. And Republican defense hawks are applauding Smiths change of heart: Good for Adam, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said about the Armed Services chairs support for higher military funding in light of the invasion.

The reality of the moment has hit a stronger America is a safer world, right? Graham said Monday. Any politician willing to adjust is doing the country a service left or right.

The top House Armed Services panel Republican, Rep. Mike Rogers of Alabama, agreed: We have huge threats that we have to get after.

Weve got to stop this, Rogers added of the monthslong stretch without a budget boost for the military. We have to be bipartisan in dealing with these threats.

Progressive leaders dont plan to take a formal stance on whether to vote in favor of the broader spending bill and have not been formally whipping their members. Privately, many liberals believe that most of their members with the exception of a dozen or so of the caucus most liberal members, such as the so-called Squad will ultimately back the funding package, according to multiple lawmakers and aides.

I do support military aid to Ukraine, said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). I think thats the thing. We never support the defense budget, but she noted her vote could come down to the procedural details of how exactly that bill is brought to the floor.

Its situational. And theres a lot riding on it. We need to support Ukraine, added Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), who has voted against defense bills in the past.

Democrats hope to bring the full package to the floor as soon as Wednesday, with hopes of quick action in the Senate before the Friday night deadline. But if a deal isnt reached by Tuesday, lawmakers and aides acknowledged that another stopgap could be needed to avoid a shutdown even as they stressed it would be the last possible resort and all focus is on the broader spending bill.

Senior lawmakers are still discussing possible options for those progressives who do oppose the Pentagon spending hike: The House could take multiple votes on the package, allowing progressives to vote no on the military budgets, but yes on funding for social programs such as health, infrastructure or housing. A similar strategy was used to pass last years bipartisan funding deal, though a final tactic hasnt been decided yet for this year.

There is overwhelming interest in providing assistance to Ukraine. And I think thats going to factor into the calculus that members usually use to decide how theyre going to vote, said a senior appropriator, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.).

Asked whether the emergency spending for Ukraine might help win progressives votes on the funding bill, Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) said it would depend on what was in the package.

It might. It just depends on what its for, Jayapal said, noting that some House liberals also have issues with other controversial pieces of the spending bills, such as the Department of Homeland Security.

These are big bills. I think well have to see how it all shakes out. Whats actually in there, and then how its actually divided, Jayapal said.

Democrats could also decide to package the longer-term spending bill together with the Ukrainian aid to maximize pressure on Republicans to deliver a united vote. But doing so would also squeeze the left.

The White House last week proposed $10 billion in emergency Ukraine aid. Roughly half, $4.8 billion, would go toward the Pentagon for troop deployments to Europe, restocking weapons shipped to Ukraine and cyber operations.

But a portion of that money would also go toward humanitarian relief efforts to mitigate a burgeoning refugee crisis in Europe the piece of the package that progressives have been far more interested in touting.

Another major reason many liberals will eventually back the deal is the intra-party pressure House Democrats are under to pass the bipartisan funding deal through their chamber, with or without the support of Republicans. Theyll have just a handful of their own votes to spare.

Theres no guarantee with them, Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) said of GOP votes on spending bills. People understand the margins we have, and the fact that we have to act. We dont compromise principle, but we have to compromise on the practicality of it.

Jennifer Scholtes and Nancy Vu contributed to this report.

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Progressives grit their teeth as defense wins big in spending bill - POLITICO