Adtech regulation a priority for Modi govt in third term: MoS Rajeev Chandrasekhar

Credibility of news and platforms are as important as monetisation challenges: Anurag Thakur

HUL: Meet the leaders who have emerged from "The CEO Factory"

Punit Goenka addresses Zee employees; ensures no layoffs due to failed merger

Disney's strategic sale to Viacom18 set to boost market share to 40 percent

The Leader's Edge: Storyboard18 in conversation with leaders, decision makers and disruptors

Nobody’s Perfect Retro Porsche Ad

In Conversation With Raja Rajamannar, Mastercard

Shahid Kapoor And Varun Ganjoo Speaks On PokerBaazi's Campaign

In conversation with IHCL’s Puneet Chhatwal & GroupM’s Kate Scott-Dawkins

Why are brands including e-sports in their sports marketing itinerary?

Storyboard18 x The English Nut: How to pronounce these 10 brand names

Experts' Take On Reinvention Of Ad Campaigns Through Technology

Experts Speak On Key Emerging Trends In Cannes Lions Entries

Leaders of the future have to be outstanding human beings: Nestle MD

In conversation with VMLY&R’s Hari Ramanathan

Homegrown personal care brand Bombay Shaving Company has taken moment marketing to 'new lows', it seems, with a print advertisement addressing Prachi Nigam. The ad is for BSC's female-focused brand Bombae. 

Nigam made headlines recently after she topped Uttar Pradesh's Class 10 board exams. Soon after her image appeared in the press, internet trolls began mocking the teen for her facial hair. But netizens also fought back against the trolls, voicing their support of the teenage girl. Several internet users raised serious concerns about online bullying and the impact of social media trolling and abuse on person as young as Nigam.

This, of course, is a serious matter. But BSC seems to have "commercialized" the issue with an attempt to "monetize" a young girl's story with an "opportunistic ad" that claims not to be opportunistic.  

The company's founder Shantanu Deshpande shared the ad, saying, "It was shocking to see the amount of hate targeted at a teenage girl who had TOPPED AN EXAM because of her facial hair. Our simple message to this amazing young woman with such a bright future." 

He added in the post, "Love to see my team ooze class. No opportunistic sale, QR code, nothing. Just a heartfelt message to a fellow Bae." 

But the attempt to send a "heartfelt message" has fallen flat. 

<iframe src="https://www.linkedin.com/embed/feed/update/urn:li:share:7189839545729744897" height="493" width="504" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" title="Embedded post"></iframe>

Here are some internet reactions to the ad. 

"Poorly done. A different form of bullying that puts the girl in national spotlight. If the brand really wanted to do something, it could have supported her silently. That is actually advertising." 

"A scholarship to further her studies would have done more to help her ignore her haters." 

"Class? Don't think so. It is mauke pe chauka at the cost of a young girl and desperately screaming 'I am trying to be a cool brand'." 

"Haven’t seen something this desperate." 

"This message goes to their own TG, not to the people who bullied her, hey pls remember to buy our razors while you shed a tear for her. Read the line on the bottom right. Laughable." 

"Speechless. And, not in a good way. IMHO, the very intention of doing this sounds noble at first glance, but somehow still reeks of opportunism," wrote Shantesh S Row on LinkedIn tagging the company and the founder.

He added, "Feel for Prachi. First, she gets trolled, inconsiderately. And now, she's an unwilling participant of a let-us-support-her-with-some-look-we-care-brand-moment-marketing-bullcrap-ad. Also, ironically, that subhead is just plain insensitive. Sorry, but this is an epic misfire...and utterly dishonest..." 

A female ad executive, who wished not to be named in this article, told Storyboard18, "They've tried to make the anti-ad with the comment at the end stating, "we hope you never get bullied into using our razor". What were they thinking! It's cringe, it's lazy and it is a blatant attempt to monetize and commercialize a serious issue." 

The young agency executive adds, "I wonder who are they speaking to? The answer is probably themselves. I am a woman and this ad is not only opportunistic but also pandering and condescending. It's a new low. I feel bad for Prachi too. She didn't deserve this after all the trolls and hate has had to face."  

"The kid would want this episode to end as soon as possible. But No! A brand wants to splash her name again. Without her consent most likely. To sell their own razors," says Abhishek Asthana, founder of creative agency, GingerMonkey. 

"Very poor taste!," he said, adding, "Also, somehow the brand assumes their Razors are the cure for a hormonal disorder. Belabouring the point that it’s “NOT Normal” and she needs their razors to look “normal” The ad just assumes, she must need razors. Pathetic." 

Deepak Gupta, co-founder and COO of Bombay Shaving Company, took to LinkedIn within a few hours of the ad's release and backlash beginning, to say, "While the jury is still out, and there are ongoing debates within our internal team as well about whether we should have released this public message, this is what our brand Bombae stands for “spirit of freedom and self-expression”. Cheers to all the Prachi's from our team at Bombae for their courage and aspirations!"

A senior advertising executive told Storyboard18 on the condition of anonymity that startup brands often have a holier-than-thou attitude. He added, "We see it in personal care, in tech and in the food space. They think they are better than everyone else. That kind of unquestioned thinking and hubris can be detrimental to the brand. These brands should know when to speak and when not to speak. It's Purpose without true direction. Everything is not a moment marketing opportunity."  

Bombay Shaving Company's 'opportunistic', 'desperate', 'laughable' Dear-Prachi ad slammed by internet users

According to a recent report by a wealth management startup, Tanmay Bhat is worth an estimated Rs 665 crore – making him one of the richest content creators in India. 

However, the comedian and creative brain behind the advertising agency Moonshot says the estimate is not true. Bhat denied reports of his Rs 665 crore net worth. Responding to the report on X, he said, “I can assure you this number is wildly off - at least for me,” wrote Bhat in response to a post listing the net worth of a few popular content creators."

Tanmay Bhat started his career as a writer for TV shows. In 2013, he co-founded the YouTube channel AIB with Gursimran Khamba, Rohan Joshi and Ashish Shakya. The channel  for was famous for its comedy sketches, parodies and spoofs. There were controversies as well including the time in 2018 when Bhat was accused during the Me Too movement of allegedly shielding employee Utsav Chakraborty, who was accused of lewd conduct by a woman. Bhat was removed as CEO of AIB.

Is Tanmay Bhat’s net worth Rs 665 crore? Comedian and creator shares the truth

Meta Platforms, Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, reported its financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2024. Meta reported a significant rise in Q1 profits, driven by increased advertising revenue and a 6 percent rise in average ad prices on its platforms. Meta's advertising revenues grew to $35.63 billion in the three months ended March 31, 2024, up from $28.10 billion in Q1 2023. 

Meta's total revenue for the quarter saw a 27 percent rise to $36.46 billion, as compared to $28.65 billion in Q1 2023.

Meta also revealed plans for increased capital expenses in 2024, mainly due to investments in artificial intelligence. It forecasts expenses in the range of $35-40 billion. 

"It's been a good start to the year," said Mark Zuckerberg, Meta founder and CEO. "The new version of Meta AI with Llama 3 is another step towards building the world's leading AI. We're seeing healthy growth across our apps and we continue making steady progress building the metaverse as well." 
  
<strong>First Quarter 2024 Operational and Other Financial Highlights</strong>

Family daily active people (DAP) – DAP was 3.24 billion on average for March 2024, an increase of 7% year-over-year.

Ad impressions – Ad impressions delivered across our Family of Apps increased by 20% year-over-year.

Average price per ad – Average price per ad increased by 6% year-over-year.

Revenue – Total revenue and revenue on a constant currency basis were $36.46 billion and $36.35 billion, respectively, both of which increased by 27% year-over-year.

Costs and expenses – Total costs and expenses were $22.64 billion, an increase of 6% year-over-year.

Capital expenditures – Capital expenditures, including principal payments on finance leases, were $6.72 billion.

Capital return program – Share repurchases were $14.64 billion of our Class A common stock and dividends payments were $1.27 billion.

Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities – Cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities were $58.12 billion as of March 31, 2024. Free cash ow was $12.53 billion.

Headcount – Headcount was 69,329 as of March 31, 2024, a decrease of 10% year-over-year.

Meta expects second quarter 2024 total revenue to be in the range of $36.5-39 billion. Meta said, "We expect full-year 2024 total expenses to be in the range of $96-99 billion, updated from our prior outlook of $94-99 billion due to higher infrastructure and legal costs. For Reality Labs, we continue to expect operating losses to increase meaningfully year-over-year due to our ongoing product development efforts and our investments to further scale our ecosystem." 

"We anticipate our full-year 2024 capital expenditures will be in the range of $35-40 billion, increased from our prior range of $30-37 billion as we continue to accelerate our infrastructure investments to support our artificial intelligence (AI) roadmap. While we are not providing guidance for years beyond 2024, we expect capital expenditures will continue to increase next year as we invest aggressively to support our ambitious AI research and product development efforts." 

"Absent any changes to our tax landscape, we expect our full-year 2024 tax rate to be in the mid-teens. In addition, we continue to monitor an active regulatory landscape, including the increasing legal and regulatory headwinds in the EU and the U.S. that could significantly impact our business and our financial results. Q1 was a good start to the year. We're seeing strong momentum within our Family of Apps and are making important progress on our longer-term AI and Reality Labs initiatives that have the potential to transform the way people interact with our services over the coming years." 


Meta Q1 2024 Results: Ad revenue grows to over 35 billion dollars

Major social media platforms like Facebook, Google, TikTok and many others launched ad transparency tools in recent years. This tools, almost like public archives let users see platforms ads, some even with spending and targeting information. Naturally, these became crucial for tracking political ads. However, in a year when over 2 billion voters are prepping for elections in over in 50 countries, a new audit by Mozilla Foundation and the Finnish disinformation research company CheckFirst revealed Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, Alphabet (Google),X (formerly Twitter) and many others, have shortcomings in their ad libraries, hindering transparency.


“None of the ad transparency tools created by 11 of the world's largest tech companies to aid watchdogs in monitoring advertising are operating as effectively as needed, leaving voters worldwide vulnerable to disinformation and manipulation,” said Mozilla in its blogpost on the audit report. 


Mozilla Foundation and CheckFirst run a stress test on platforms where they assessed whether the available ad repositories are ready for action. The results were not as expected. 


Some of the major findings of the audit report included missing ads, where ads in the user interface were not found in the ad repository, accessibility issues, lack of filtering and sorting option and missing repositories for paid influencer content or branded content.


“Ad transparency tools are essential for platform accountability — a first line of defense, like smoke detectors. But our research shows most of the world’s largest platforms are not offering up functionally useful ad repositories. The current batch of tools exist, yes — but in some cases, that’s about all that can be said about them,” said Claire Pershan, EU  Advocacy lead, Mozilla.


X for instance, offers public access to its ad repository, but ads are only accessible through the export of a CSV file. 

A CSV (comma separated values) file is a plain text file that stores data by delimiting data entries with commas.

X includes information about the funding entities of ads and the duration of ad display. 

“However, there are gaps in targeting parameters and recipient data, limiting transparency into audience reach. The creative information (the content of the ad), is not disclosed - only a URL to the ad is available,” said the report.
The audit also found gaps in ease of accessing datasets for political advertisements.

Also the repository does not offer filtering and sorting capabilities immediately (though you can filter after converting the file). It also lacks in providing user assistance, offering no tooltips, guidance or feedback mechanism.


Then for Alphabet that includes Google Search and YouTube, the audit found targeting parameters and recipient data to be somewhat limited and sometimes totally absent.


Even while their transparency tools functioned better than many other platforms with their repository's reliability being high and filter options being adequate, the report points out how the lack of sorting options impede usefulness. 


Among other things, the report points out how there are no keyword-based searches possible on the web repository - users may only search by domain and advertiser name.


“The repository includes a help page and tooltips, and users can provide feedback or report ads directly. We also note that the repository mixes advertisements from the different platforms owned by Alphabet without providing a way to easily filter by platform,” the report said. 


Similarly, Meta's library wasn't immune either, with its own transparency gaps.


The audit report’s recommendation for the platform included ensuring complete disclosure of ads, ad entities, including detailed information about micro-targeting strategies and funding sources.


According to them the platform also needs enhancing ad data by providing extensive details on ad content, ad duration, targeting strategies, audience metrics, and advertiser disclosures.


Removing access restrictions, developing advanced search tools to allow for more efficient and comprehensive exploration of advertisements, like filters and sorting options and upgrade the API and repository functionalities to support advanced research, with simplified access and updated documentation for researchers, were also mentioned in the report. 


While these are global parameters that were tested, the gaps apply to data disclosures across markets including India that is currently in the mists of its Lok Sabha polls.


Analysts, media planners and strategists rely heavily on the ad libraries for data, spending patterns and transparency. 


Among all the digital platforms, Google has been seeing the highest spends when it comes to political ads. Rs. 62.64 crore has been invested in 121,719 political ads on Google's platform in the last one month. The spends have seen a year on year growth of close to 92 percent. Same time last year, political ad spends on Google stood at Rs32.64 crore.


When compared to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the spends in the same period stood at Rs 15.87 crore. The growth in spends on the platform between the two elections is over 200 percent.


“Who pays for ads and how they’re targeted is crucial in helping watchdogs look out for the public interest - whether that's fair elections, public health, or social justice. In short, if you see an ad telling you that climate change is a hoax, you might be interested to know if that ad’s paid for by the fossil fuel industry,” said Amaury Lesplingart, Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of CheckFirst. 

Elections 2024: Big tech's ad transparency tools not so transparent?

On April 22, the European Union opened a second formal proceedings against TikTok under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The probe is to assess whether the company may have breached the DSA when launching TikTok Lite in France and Spain. Under the DSA, designated Very Large Online Platforms are obliged to submit a risk assessment report, including measures to mitigate any potential systemic risks, prior to launching any new functionalities that are likely to have a critical impact on their systemic risks.

The Commission is concerned that the “Task and Reward Program” of TikTok Lite, which allows users to earn points while performing certain “tasks” on TikTok - such as watching videos, liking content, following creators, inviting friends to join TikTok, etc. - has been launched without prior diligent assessment of the risks it entails, in particular those related to the addictive effect of the platforms, and without taking effective risk mitigating measures. The EU commission said this is of particular concern for children, given the suspected absence of effective age verification mechanisms on TikTok. The lack of effective age verification mechanisms and the suspected addictive design of the platforms are already under investigation in the first formal proceedings against TikTok.

This investigation will thus focus on the following areas: TikTok's compliance with the DSA obligation to conduct and submit a risk assessment report prior to deploying functionalities, in this case the “Task and Reward Lite” program, that are likely to have a critical impact on systemic risks. In particular negative effects on mental health, including minors' mental health, especially as a result of the new feature stimulating addictive behavior. The measures taken by TikTok to mitigate those risks.

If proven, these failures would constitute infringements of Articles 34 and 35 of the DSA. 

In addition, the Commission has also sent TikTok a formal request for information, compelling the company to provide a reply to its request for information of 17 April 2024. In particular, the Commission had requested TikTok to provide by 18 April the risk assessment report for TikTok Lite, as well as information about the measures the platform has put in place to mitigate potential systemic risks of these new functionalities. TikTok failed to provide such document within the deadline.

TikTok now has until 23 April to submit the risk assessment report to the Commission and until 3 May to provide the other information requested.

In case TikTok fails to reply to the Commission's request for information by decision within the indicated deadlines, the Commission may impose fines up to 1% of the provider's total annual income or worldwide turnover and periodic penalties up to 5 % of the provider's average daily income or worldwide annual turnover.

Finally, given TikTok's inability to submit the risk assessment which should have been carried out prior to launching TikTok Lite, the Commission suspects a prima facie infringement of the DSA and considers that there are risks of serious damage for the mental health of users. 

The Commission has therefore also communicated to TikTok its intention to impose interim measures consisting in the suspension of the TikTok Lite rewards programme in the EU pending the assessment of its safety. It could be renewed if necessary and proportionate. Before formally adopting the suspension, TikTok has been given until 24 April to bring arguments in its defense which the Commission will carefully assess.

<strong>Next Steps</strong>

The opening of formal proceedings empowers the Commission to take further enforcement steps, such as interim measures, and non-compliance decisions. The Commission is also empowered to accept any commitment made by TikTok to remedy on the matters subject to the proceeding.

The opening of formal proceedings relieves Digital Services Coordinators, or any other competent authority of EU Member States, of their powers to supervise and enforce the DSA in relation to the suspected infringements.

<strong>Background</strong>

The Commission designated TikTok as a Very Large Online Platform under the Digital Services Act on 25 April 2023 based on TikTok's userbase that reaches the threshold of 45 million average active users in the EU. Since the end of August 2023, TikTok has been subject to the comply with the obligations under the Digital Services Act.

TikTok Lite is a new app with a functionality aimed at users aged 18+ referred to as the “Task and Reward Program”, which allows users to earn points while performing certain “tasks” on TikTok, such as watching videos, liking content, following creators, inviting friends to join TikTok, etc. These points can be exchanged for rewards, such as Amazon vouchers, gift cards via PayPal or TikTok's coins currency that can be spent on tipping creators. TikTok Lite was launched in France and Spain in the last month.

Under the DSA, designated Very Large Online Platforms are obliged to submit a risk assessment report, including measures to mitigate any potential systemic risks, prior to launching any new functionalities that are likely to have a critical impact on their systemic risks.

In February 2024, the Commission opened a first formal proceedings against TikTok to assess whether TikTok may have breached the DSA in areas linked to the protection of minors, advertising transparency, data access for researchers, as well as the risk management of addictive design and harmful content. The investigation is ongoing.

Two other formal proceedings are currently open under the Digital Services Act: one against X and one against AliExpress.

Since 17 February, the Digital Services Act applies to all online intermediaries in the EU.

EU opens second formal probe of TikTok under the Digital Services Act

Leaked emails, that first came out in 2020, allegedly showing a discussion between Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and David Ebersman, CFO of Facebook at the time, have surfaced online again. 

It is claimed that Zuckerberg wrote the following in the leaked email to Ebersman: "How much we should be willing to pay to acquire mobile app companies like Instagram...These companies have the properties where they have millions of users (up to about 20m at the moment for Instagram), fast growth, a small team (10-25 employees) and no revenue." Adding, "The businesses are nascent but the networks are established, the brands are already meaningful and if they grow to a large scale they could be very disruptive to us. These entrepreneurs don't want to sell (largely inspired our success), but at a high enough price -- like $500m or $1b -- they'd have to consider it...we're vulnerable in mobile..."

He wrote. “Given that we think our own valuation is fairly aggressive and that we’re vulnerable in mobile, I’m curious if we should consider going after one or two of them. What do you think?”

“All the research I have seen is that most deals fail to create the value expected by the acquirer,” Ebersman wrote back. “I would ask you to find a compelling elucidation of what you are trying to accomplish.” Ebersman listed four potential reasons to buy companies: neutralizing a competitor, acquiring talent, integrating products to improve the Facebook service, and “other.”

The emails first surfaced in 2020. Now in 2024, on Elon Musk-owned social media platform, X, Professor Paul Nary, shared the alleged leaked emails written by Zuckerberg while sharing his takeaways: "Fascinating thread illustrating real world/real time thinking about corporate (not just business) strategy and a potential acquisition that turns out to be transformative for Facebook $META. Very cool." 

Nary added a few comments from an academic perspective: "Mark repeats the old line about "most deals fail to create value". This is one of those things I wish I could erase from collective memory because it is not true, and is largely based on imprecise/bad citations. Nuance is important here. How do we measure performance? What type of deals are we comparing? By some measures, more acquisitions create value, especially acquisitions of smaller, private, well-matched, and perhaps not overvalued firms like IG. Yet on the other hand, very large, public transactions like most "mergers of equals" (no such thing in reality, but that's a different story) destroy so much value that they bias absolute value results on average.. at least in my reading of research."

Nary made another observation: "This is at least a reasonably careful, thoughtful approach to doing a deal. Yet only a couple years later, Zuckerberg acquires WhatsApp where sure, maybe there are similar reasons, but both valuation and path to monetization are questionable (I teach this case in my MBA class). Would love to see similar emails about that." 



Why did Mark Zuckerberg buy Instagram? Leaked emails resurface

Content consumption is going through a transition in India. Two-thirds of consumers in India consider user-generated content to be as entertaining as traditional forms of media, according to Accenture.


In all scenarios presented to consumers, such as “when I want something funny” or “when I want to relax,” social media and social video platforms were consistently picked over streaming video services as the media of choice.



Accenture today announced the launch of its Media Thrive Index to assess the impact of reinvention strategies on media and entertainment companies’ ability to succeed financially and strategically in an increasingly challenging industry.


According to the report, more than 35 percent of consumers in India say they struggle to navigate between different entertainment services, apps and devices while 72 percent say recommended content does not match their interests.
 


Nearly 65 percent of consumers in India are cancelling and resubscribing to services based on the availability of desirable content. In 2023, 63 percent of consumers in India cancelled more subscriptions than the previous year.



The Media Thrive Index is a response to the findings of Accenture’s third annual “Reinvent for Growth” global entertainment study, which surveyed 6,000 consumers across 10 countries including India about their media consumption behaviours. The study highlighted a complex landscape of challenges facing traditional media companies in which marginal strategies won’t restore them to economic or strategic health.
 


“While the media industry is growing, the industry players are not. This essentially means that the value is shifting elsewhere. It is amply clear that incremental actions taken with a survivalist mentality will not help media companies thrive in the future,” said Neeraj Sharma, MD and Lead for Accenture’s Media industry in Growth Markets. 



“For media companies, the need of the hour is to place big bets, go where consumers want to be while exploring new avenues of growth, redefining new roles in the entertainment value chain, and tapping new sources of revenue,” said Sharma.
 


The Media Thrive Index assessed 50 different strategic options for reinvention, identified from a range of initiatives launched by companies and from Accenture’s own strategic analysis. The assessment found most options so far are modest adjustments, which do not substantially alter a company’s economic profile. Only radical moves show a path for legacy media companies to secure the sound financial footing needed to thrive and sustain success.



The study also found opportunities for media organisations to expand beyond traditional content offerings, including aggregation platforms and lifestyle bundles. A majority (89 percent) of consumers in India said they would be inclined to use a single app to access all their digital services across both media and non-media categories. 




Additionally, Accenture projects lifestyle bundles to reach $3.5 trillion in consumer spending by 2030 with technology brands better positioned over traditional media brands to be the creators of these bundles.
 


User-generated content rivals OTT and traditional media in India: Accenture

"It's difficult to educate people about sex when the content gets censored. I can't even talk about sex when its the core of my business. On Meta, terms and guidelines specifically say you cannot advertise products which talk about sexual gratification or pleasure. So the content one is viewing on Sangya Project's Instagram handle is deemed as smart or witty but the audience has to realize that its not out of choice. Meta has strong armed us into trying to say things without saying things; we are not being to explain the usage of our products fully to our audience; they are left it in the dark. It's not fair to them, nor is it fair to me," says Aashish Mehrotra, co-founder at Sangya Project, a sex-tech startup.

Aastha Vohra, co-founder of Manzuri, a sexual positivity startup says, "It is very strange that Meta doesn't allow us to advertise sexual wellness products because viagra and testosterone boosting supplements are allowed to be advertised on the platform. Somehow when the conversation occurs about women and their pleasure, the conversation is removed."

In the case of a man uploading a nude picture versus a woman uploading a nude picture on Instagram, there is more risk of the woman's picture being taken down. According to Vohra, this is common not only in the sexual wellness industry but even body positive influencers witness gender playing a massive role on Meta.

"The irony here is that initially Manzuri started as an Instagram page, and now we are not able to use the very same platform. Initially, the push for Manzuri came through word of mouth and even now it's the same."

While talking about her experience on LinkedIn, Vohra shares that two years ago, Manzuri changed the trajectory of sex related content on LinkedIn. A lot of emails went back and forth;  we were able to reverse their policies and now when you read their policies, you will see they want to encourage a lot of sex positive content as well."

Vohra points out that content creators like Seema Anand also have limited number of follower compared to fashion influencer which also plas out a role because they talk about sex related things, the chances of content going viral loses significantly.


Mehrotra points out that to understand this censorship, one needs to also understanding how the government can affect Meta in that country. The review process is different in different countries. 

Tanisha Rao, co-founder of Sangya Project says when Sangya's content has been removed, the team has written to Meta and contested. "We have gotten lucky at times, but there are glitches in that as well. Sometimes the content is getting down because of mass reporting and you don't get the opportunity to review it. If there is a product on a pillow with no human touch, you may get lucky, you have to be subtle on Instagram and lead the viewer to your website."








Sex-ed content creators discuss shadowbanning and censorship on Meta platforms

The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity has announced the launch of LIONS Creators. A new experience taking place on 18–20 June during the week of Cannes Lions, this dedicated forum will include a curated mix of exclusive learning and networking experiences for creators and those working in the wider creator economy.

In 2023, Goldman Sachs analysts estimated that the creator economy was a $250bn industry and could reach $480bn by 2027. Simon Cook, CEO, LIONS, said: “With potential growth of this scale, it’s crucial that the Festival plays a role in bringing together the platforms, the brands, the creators and the agencies, and a wider cross-section of the industry to have the most pressing conversations around how we co-create, collaborate and unlock greater value and progress for the wider industry in this space.”

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/watch-listen/mastercards-%e2%80%8braja-rajamannar-on-ai-and-its-impact-on-society-10584.htm">Read more: Storyboard18 at Cannes Lions: Mastercard's ​Raja Rajamannar on AI and its impact on society</a>

Speaking about the initiative, Thea Skelton, VP of Events, LIONS, said: “Creators are an increasingly important part of the marketing mix, and their presence at Cannes Lions has been steadily growing for many years. LIONS Creators has been established in collaboration with creators from around the world who all see the value in convening, doing business and learning from each other at the International Festival of Creativity.”

For LIONS Creators’ first year, Cannes Lions has partnered with Viral Nation, the leader in social-first transformation. Skelton added: “We’re excited to be launching LIONS Creators in partnership with Viral Nation. Collaborating with a partner that is committed to innovation and excellence in social-first marketing means that we are well placed to bring our collective expertise and knowledge to this exciting launch.”

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CIWK3bQTLQI?si=4KRJBUzPjnRzWUGy" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

“Embracing the power of creators, the inaugural LIONS Creators signals a pivotal moment for the marketing industry, and we’re thrilled to be at the forefront,” said Joe Gagliese, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Viral Nation. “Creators are at the heart of everything we do at Viral Nation. Through our social-first brand work, powered by our AI-based solutions, we're constantly helping brands and creators elevate consumer and audience engagement in authentic and innovative ways. By collaborating with Cannes Lions, we are not only amplifying the voices of creators but also solidifying influencer marketing's position as a cornerstone of social-first transformation, globally. We are excited to help steward a new era of brand collaboration at the heart of creative marketing in Cannes this June.”

Activities include a series of exclusive LIONS xChange Roundtables, filmed in front of a live audience of LIONS Creators delegates. Bringing together leading voices across the big players in the creator marketing economy – the platforms, brands, creators, agencies and others – the series will focus on discussing the biggest challenges we face in this rapidly growing and increasingly important part of the marketing mix.

LIONS Creators will take place on 18–20 June, incorporating the Social & Influencer Lions Awards Show on the Wednesday of Cannes Lions. 



Cannes Lions launches LIONS Creators, a first-ever creators experience at the festival

Anupam Mittal, the founder and CEO of People Group and Shaadi.com, and a prominent investor on Shark Tank India, is widely recognized for his strategic investments in renowned startups and unicorn companies such as Ola Cabs, BigBasket, Druva, among others. Mittal is also one of the leading voices to take on big tech firms like Google and Meta, slamming them for their "unfair" monopolistic practices in markets like India. 

On April 9, Meta "arbitrarily" disabled his company's account, prompting Mittal to call out the Mark Zuckerberg-led company on social media. Mittal also tagged Meta's India operations' head Sandhya Devanathan in the post. 

A frustrated Mittal said, "So, shockingly our Meta account was arbitrarily disabled this morning with nobody in the know or able to help, even at our scale. This is the dysfunction of Big Tech & monopolies, something hashtag#cci must take note of. Sandhya Devanathan" 

Netizens chimed in with sympathies and suggestions. Relating to Mittal's frustration users said Meta is "only sale no support" while some urged Mittal to assemble all the Sharks and create their own Made-in-India social media platform like X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.  

<strong>When Mittal took on Google</strong> 

On March 1, Google announced it would remove apps from 10 Indian developers, including Shaadi.com, Naukri.com, jeevansathi.com, and Bharat Matrimony, from its Play Store in India for non-compliance with its billing policies. Among the most prominent voices that spoke out against Google's practices, was Anupam Mittal. 

“Today is a dark day for India Internet,” Mittal said as he came out hitting hard against Google’s action of delisting Indian apps. 

Mittal wrote on X, “Google has delisted major apps from its app store even though legal hearings are underway @CCI_India & @indSupremeCourt Their false narratives & audacity show they have little regard for India. Make no mistake - this is the new Digital East India Co and this #Lagaan must be stopped! Pls RT and #SaveOurStartups”.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/anupam-mittal-asks-is-google-evil-as-the-battle-between-google-and-indian-app-developers-rages-on-25363.htm">Read more: Anupam Mittal asks, "Is Google evil?", as the battle between Google and Indian app developers rages on</a>

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/brand-marketing/interactive-avenues-anupam-mittals-first-investment-as-an-angel-investor-25997.htm">Read more: Interactive Avenues: Anupam Mittal’s first investment as an angel investor</a>



SOCIAL MEDIA