Blogs
The Next Generation of the Advertising Landscape by Sajan Raj Kurup
The advertising industry is a constant flux. Whether it’s the changing perception of the consumers or the changing mediums, advertisers have had to constantly adapt. Just this last decade as social media has taken over our lives, digital marketing came to the forefront as the decisive medium for advertising. The internet has brought methods of communication we didn’t think possible 10 years ago, data collection and management allow advertisers to understand their customers better, and has fundamentally altered the relationship between an advertiser and their consumers. Shifts in the industry are no surprise as brands try to stay on the cutting edge of the future of advertising. There is no guarantee of how the next decade or even the next five years of the industry will shape up but following trends in the market can give us an idea of what the trajectory of advertising will be.
The biggest change we have been seeing and we will be seeing in the future is the domination of digital over traditional media. Traditional marketers like Print, Television, and Radio are losing their foothold in the market fast and trying to cope up with the emerging digital standard. Success in advertising is now being achieved on the latest consumer trends in social media, like the rise of influencers, brand sponsorship, video advertising, and content marketing. Companies like BBC, a company that grew and became iconic through traditional media, is quickly changing their focus to digital mediums through podcasts, OTT platforms, and web content.
This change in medium has come through a natural shift in the younger generation trends. Younger generations like Millenniums and Generation Z are attracted more towards visual mediums. Where the older generation preferred their information through print or Television, the ‘digital natives’ seek info exclusively through social media. Mobile phones, tablet, laptops and similarly easy to use technology has now become the norm. We are not only finding products on our mobile phones but making purchases using them. The emphasis on mobile advertising and integrating products into our daily content can offer significant returns and will likely continue in the future. Integrating products into our daily consumption of content will become the norm as we start to personalize ads as per the viewer.
Personalization of ads is another trend we are seeing now that is very likely to expand into the future. Personalized ads that seamlessly and consistently integrate into the customer experience while not disrupting that experience just might be the future. We are now at a point of data sharing that advertisers can make intentional and relevant targeting of their audience based on the dynamic content they consume.
As the marketing world changes, like many other industries, advertising will also become increasingly automated. The use of algorithms and data analysis to determine ad performance and monetary value will allow companies to provide better, and more importantly the right content to their audience. Tech companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft are slowly getting into the marketing landscape and providing platforms for both brand owners and consumers to better understand each other. Tech companies are integrating into the advertising market and they are here to stay. As Adman Sajan Raj Kurup says “it is inevitable”. His Advertising agency Creativeland Asia seems to be prepared for tech companies forward integrating into the creative landscape.
We have seen the landscape of marketing drastically change over the past decade and with our current fast-paced technological progress, we can only speculate and guess where this landscape might go in the coming decade. But following trends and staying current would help us determine the right business practices to follow.
The biggest change we have been seeing and we will be seeing in the future is the domination of digital over traditional media. Traditional marketers like Print, Television, and Radio are losing their foothold in the market fast and trying to cope up with the emerging digital standard. Success in advertising is now being achieved on the latest consumer trends in social media, like the rise of influencers, brand sponsorship, video advertising, and content marketing. Companies like BBC, a company that grew and became iconic through traditional media, is quickly changing their focus to digital mediums through podcasts, OTT platforms, and web content.
This change in medium has come through a natural shift in the younger generation trends. Younger generations like Millenniums and Generation Z are attracted more towards visual mediums. Where the older generation preferred their information through print or Television, the ‘digital natives’ seek info exclusively through social media. Mobile phones, tablet, laptops and similarly easy to use technology has now become the norm. We are not only finding products on our mobile phones but making purchases using them. The emphasis on mobile advertising and integrating products into our daily content can offer significant returns and will likely continue in the future. Integrating products into our daily consumption of content will become the norm as we start to personalize ads as per the viewer.
Personalization of ads is another trend we are seeing now that is very likely to expand into the future. Personalized ads that seamlessly and consistently integrate into the customer experience while not disrupting that experience just might be the future. We are now at a point of data sharing that advertisers can make intentional and relevant targeting of their audience based on the dynamic content they consume.
As the marketing world changes, like many other industries, advertising will also become increasingly automated. The use of algorithms and data analysis to determine ad performance and monetary value will allow companies to provide better, and more importantly the right content to their audience. Tech companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft are slowly getting into the marketing landscape and providing platforms for both brand owners and consumers to better understand each other. Tech companies are integrating into the advertising market and they are here to stay. As Adman Sajan Raj Kurup says “it is inevitable”. His Advertising agency Creativeland Asia seems to be prepared for tech companies forward integrating into the creative landscape.
We have seen the landscape of marketing drastically change over the past decade and with our current fast-paced technological progress, we can only speculate and guess where this landscape might go in the coming decade. But following trends and staying current would help us determine the right business practices to follow.
Sajan Raj Kurup: The Life story of the Indian creative genius
Sajan Raj Kurup is an Indian entrepreneur and businessman. He is the Founder and Creative Chairman of the Advertising Agency, Creativeland Asia (CLA). Kurup and his team at CLA aim to provide their clients with creative and innovative marketing solutions. It is now one of the most sought-after advertising agencies in India.
Sajan Raj Kurup has made many strides in the creative industry since CLA’s inception. Kurup has garnered and provided services for several multinational brands such as Godrej, Audi, Mercedes Benz, Frooti, Appy Fizz, and Taj just to name a few. His success has been ever-expanding, but like all things in life, his journey in the industry started small.
Sajan Raj Kurup attended Xavier’s college and graduated with an honors degree in Mathematical Economics and later dropped out of business school to opt for a career in creativity. Kurup’s interests in creativity and design bloomed at a very early age in the campuses of the National Institute of Design (NID). Kurup grew up with his father who worked for NID and stayed on the campus. Kurup never studied at the campus but staying in a community of design and creativity, molded him to be the person he is today. The campus provided him with knowledge and insights about aesthetics, design, and innovation. All of these qualities allowed him to shape his career in creativity.
He started his career in 1996 and worked as a Senior Copywriter at the DDB Mudra Group before moving onto work as a Creative Director at Leo Burnett, Lowe Lintas, and Grey Worldwide. In 2007 Kurup finally made the decision of starting his own company. With four of his colleagues from Grey Worldwide, Kurup started Creativeland Asia from his living room dining table. A huge risk at the time, Creativeland Asia strived to be a platform for creativity and innovation. Their goal was to provide their clients with solutions that create strong and proactive relations between the brand and the users. Starting off as just an advertising agency, CLA’s activities now range from branding, design, licensing to film production, digital media, and event management.
Kurup’s huge success in the industry stems from the uncompromising beliefs and the Lifestyle the follows for creativity. His personal life beliefs in creative thinking come from his love for history, religion, and the study of ancient cultures. He loves to study the psychologies of the human mind to better understand people’s thinking about his products. He practices Bach flower therapy and counsels people with psychosomatic disorders. He is a very spiritual person and loves to spend his time practicing yoga, chantings, and meditation.
Sajan Raj Kurup has made many strides in the creative industry since CLA’s inception. Kurup has garnered and provided services for several multinational brands such as Godrej, Audi, Mercedes Benz, Frooti, Appy Fizz, and Taj just to name a few. His success has been ever-expanding, but like all things in life, his journey in the industry started small.
Sajan Raj Kurup attended Xavier’s college and graduated with an honors degree in Mathematical Economics and later dropped out of business school to opt for a career in creativity. Kurup’s interests in creativity and design bloomed at a very early age in the campuses of the National Institute of Design (NID). Kurup grew up with his father who worked for NID and stayed on the campus. Kurup never studied at the campus but staying in a community of design and creativity, molded him to be the person he is today. The campus provided him with knowledge and insights about aesthetics, design, and innovation. All of these qualities allowed him to shape his career in creativity.
He started his career in 1996 and worked as a Senior Copywriter at the DDB Mudra Group before moving onto work as a Creative Director at Leo Burnett, Lowe Lintas, and Grey Worldwide. In 2007 Kurup finally made the decision of starting his own company. With four of his colleagues from Grey Worldwide, Kurup started Creativeland Asia from his living room dining table. A huge risk at the time, Creativeland Asia strived to be a platform for creativity and innovation. Their goal was to provide their clients with solutions that create strong and proactive relations between the brand and the users. Starting off as just an advertising agency, CLA’s activities now range from branding, design, licensing to film production, digital media, and event management.
Kurup’s huge success in the industry stems from the uncompromising beliefs and the Lifestyle the follows for creativity. His personal life beliefs in creative thinking come from his love for history, religion, and the study of ancient cultures. He loves to study the psychologies of the human mind to better understand people’s thinking about his products. He practices Bach flower therapy and counsels people with psychosomatic disorders. He is a very spiritual person and loves to spend his time practicing yoga, chantings, and meditation.
Sajan Raj Kurup’s life story will surely inspire you
Founder and Creative Chairman of Creativeland Asia, Sajan Raj Kurup is one of the most discussed and elusive creative heads in the industry. With well over 200 employees and 14 years of experience, Creativeland Asia’s clientele comprises names like Mercedes, Kalpataru, Micromax, Cinthol, Dominos, and several brands from Godrej.
Kurup’s dedication and uncompromising nature have brought the company many multinational and high-profile clients, but the agency wasn’t always on top of the world. His underdog story will surely be an inspiration to you. In March of 2007, Sajan Kurup started the company in his dining room with no more than 4 people. Their goal was simple, to provide brands with design solutions to build energetic and driven relationships with their customers.
Humble beginnings it was for Kurup and his team, and the road had a tough trudge. Despite industry pressure and trends, Kurup has always stuck to his beliefs of creative design over everything else. Even avoiding labeling themselves as an ‘advertising’ agency and preferring to call themselves a ‘creative’ agency. This belief, Kurup says, has been there since his childhood. Growing up with his father who worked in the National Institute of Design (NID) Sajan Raj Kurup was exposed to a life of creativity and design from a very young age. The campus provided him with knowledge about aesthetics, design, and innovation. And although he never studied there, he says the NID campus played a huge part in helping him grow up in the way that he did. He also claims that while at NID he has attended more pre-diploma projects than the average design student.
For Sajan Kurup, the entrepreneur bug had grown at a very early age, in an interview with UTV, Kurup tells a story about how he convinced a newspaper delivery boy to let him help deliver newspapers to earn enough money just to buy some samosas. In the same interview, he let us into his personal life. He also claims that he worked as a bartender at a friend’s place when he was just 16 years old. In his own words, Kurup has come from a “starry-eyed hot-blooded upstart creative enthusiast to a wide-eyed optimist”. From a creative enthusiast during his time at NID to a creative investor, launching and investing in several innovatively driven projects, Sajan Raj Kurup seems to be at top of his game for his entire life. He started his now multinational company as small as one can and built it brick by brick, his motivational non-compromising attitude and sheer will have allowed him to launch himself to be one of the most sought-after creative heads in the industry today.
Kurup’s dedication and uncompromising nature have brought the company many multinational and high-profile clients, but the agency wasn’t always on top of the world. His underdog story will surely be an inspiration to you. In March of 2007, Sajan Kurup started the company in his dining room with no more than 4 people. Their goal was simple, to provide brands with design solutions to build energetic and driven relationships with their customers.
Humble beginnings it was for Kurup and his team, and the road had a tough trudge. Despite industry pressure and trends, Kurup has always stuck to his beliefs of creative design over everything else. Even avoiding labeling themselves as an ‘advertising’ agency and preferring to call themselves a ‘creative’ agency. This belief, Kurup says, has been there since his childhood. Growing up with his father who worked in the National Institute of Design (NID) Sajan Raj Kurup was exposed to a life of creativity and design from a very young age. The campus provided him with knowledge about aesthetics, design, and innovation. And although he never studied there, he says the NID campus played a huge part in helping him grow up in the way that he did. He also claims that while at NID he has attended more pre-diploma projects than the average design student.
For Sajan Kurup, the entrepreneur bug had grown at a very early age, in an interview with UTV, Kurup tells a story about how he convinced a newspaper delivery boy to let him help deliver newspapers to earn enough money just to buy some samosas. In the same interview, he let us into his personal life. He also claims that he worked as a bartender at a friend’s place when he was just 16 years old. In his own words, Kurup has come from a “starry-eyed hot-blooded upstart creative enthusiast to a wide-eyed optimist”. From a creative enthusiast during his time at NID to a creative investor, launching and investing in several innovatively driven projects, Sajan Raj Kurup seems to be at top of his game for his entire life. He started his now multinational company as small as one can and built it brick by brick, his motivational non-compromising attitude and sheer will have allowed him to launch himself to be one of the most sought-after creative heads in the industry today.
Sajan Raj Kurup’s 14-year journey at Creativland Asia
Creativeland Asia (CLA) is an Indian advertising agency. But its Founder and Creative Chairman, Sajan Raj Kurup would rather call it a creative agency. Since CLA’s inception in 2007, Kurup has aimed to provide a platform for creative people to come up with design solutions for their clients. The company’s activities range from advertising, brand management, design, film production, digital media, and event management. It is often considered as one of India’s top advertising agencies with several multinational clients like Audi, Cafe Coffee Day, Godrej, Kalpataru, Mercedes, The Indian Express, Taj, Pizza Hut, and Parle Agro just to name a few. With over a decade’s worth of experience and an inspirational story, CLA has come a long way from its humble beginnings. Here is a recap of the ups and downs, CLA has gone through over the years.
In 2007, after working as a Creative Director for several ad agencies, Sajan Raj Kurup decided to start his own venture. Creativeland Asia was born at a dining table in Kurup’s living room alongside four other people. Kurup believed in creativity over everything else. He was a non-compromising dreamer who wasn’t afraid to break the norms of this industry, norms like pitch fees. Kurup states that CLA never participates in free pitches as they are only interested if the agency has paid a fee for the effort. “If we win the pitch, the fee gets adjusted against our remuneration. And if for any reason we don't win the business, the pitch fee comes to us as a rejection fee and compensates us for the time spent.” Kurup quotes. As they’ve grown and expanded, CLA has moved from advertising to film production, design, digital media, and even brand incubation. Kurup didn’t want CLA to be focused on one task and rather be a “creative culture”.
CLA has served many iconic brands over the years but notable among them is Parle Agro. Parle Agro is an Indian beverage brand and CLA handled the creative mandate for their brands Frooti, Appy Fizz, Hippo, Bailey, and Cafe Cuba. Running several famous ad campaigns for all their products, CLA clocked in about 18-19% of their revenue from Parle alone. A massive decision for Kurup then to end their partnership in 2015. Parle Agro’s chief marketing officer Nadia Chauhan is in fact married to Sajan Kurup. Both husband and wife state that the split was a mutual decision to separate their personal life from their professional one and Kurup was quoted saying “Sometimes you have to make tough decisions and put personal life above business.” Losing Parle Agro surely was a big hit for the company but it didn’t keep Kurup down and over the years CLA bagged brands like Audi, Mercedes, Pizza Hut, and Kalpataru. Kurup doesn’t think that Parle defined his career, rather a stepping stone for the company. “I didn't start Creativeland to become a force to reckon with or to become the largest or the biggest. Be it creating a flier for Café Coffee Day or a poster for Medimix to creating an integrated campaign for Audi, all of them, have marked a turning point in CLA's growth trajectory.”
In 2017, a decade after starting CLA, Kurup launched Ventureland Asia. Ventureland is an investment firm that funds, partners, and guides the marketing efforts of budding entrepreneurs and businesses. Backed by the experience at Creativeland of branding and design, Ventureland aims to provide a platform for entrepreneurs to achieve success. "The kind of segments Ventureland Asia will be looking to invest in would be infrastructure, lifestyle, retail for marquee and design-tech driven concepts, innovation for bridge rounds. But both will be B2C-focused. We may take the majority in marquee fund but obviously not in bridge”
Creativeland Asia also has a student arm, youngcreative.org. It offers guidance and motivation to up-and-coming talent in the industry alongside scholarships and promotion for their work. Kurup believes it’s more than a responsibility to share experiences and knowledge with the people trying to get their foot in the door. From a starry-eyed hot-blooded upstart creative enthusiast to a wide-eyed optimist, Sajan Raj Kurup has brought CLA from his dining table to set up in three different cities, with over a decade of learning to take into the future, Kurup and CLA are ready to springboard into a world of new possibilities.
In 2007, after working as a Creative Director for several ad agencies, Sajan Raj Kurup decided to start his own venture. Creativeland Asia was born at a dining table in Kurup’s living room alongside four other people. Kurup believed in creativity over everything else. He was a non-compromising dreamer who wasn’t afraid to break the norms of this industry, norms like pitch fees. Kurup states that CLA never participates in free pitches as they are only interested if the agency has paid a fee for the effort. “If we win the pitch, the fee gets adjusted against our remuneration. And if for any reason we don't win the business, the pitch fee comes to us as a rejection fee and compensates us for the time spent.” Kurup quotes. As they’ve grown and expanded, CLA has moved from advertising to film production, design, digital media, and even brand incubation. Kurup didn’t want CLA to be focused on one task and rather be a “creative culture”.
CLA has served many iconic brands over the years but notable among them is Parle Agro. Parle Agro is an Indian beverage brand and CLA handled the creative mandate for their brands Frooti, Appy Fizz, Hippo, Bailey, and Cafe Cuba. Running several famous ad campaigns for all their products, CLA clocked in about 18-19% of their revenue from Parle alone. A massive decision for Kurup then to end their partnership in 2015. Parle Agro’s chief marketing officer Nadia Chauhan is in fact married to Sajan Kurup. Both husband and wife state that the split was a mutual decision to separate their personal life from their professional one and Kurup was quoted saying “Sometimes you have to make tough decisions and put personal life above business.” Losing Parle Agro surely was a big hit for the company but it didn’t keep Kurup down and over the years CLA bagged brands like Audi, Mercedes, Pizza Hut, and Kalpataru. Kurup doesn’t think that Parle defined his career, rather a stepping stone for the company. “I didn't start Creativeland to become a force to reckon with or to become the largest or the biggest. Be it creating a flier for Café Coffee Day or a poster for Medimix to creating an integrated campaign for Audi, all of them, have marked a turning point in CLA's growth trajectory.”
In 2017, a decade after starting CLA, Kurup launched Ventureland Asia. Ventureland is an investment firm that funds, partners, and guides the marketing efforts of budding entrepreneurs and businesses. Backed by the experience at Creativeland of branding and design, Ventureland aims to provide a platform for entrepreneurs to achieve success. "The kind of segments Ventureland Asia will be looking to invest in would be infrastructure, lifestyle, retail for marquee and design-tech driven concepts, innovation for bridge rounds. But both will be B2C-focused. We may take the majority in marquee fund but obviously not in bridge”
Creativeland Asia also has a student arm, youngcreative.org. It offers guidance and motivation to up-and-coming talent in the industry alongside scholarships and promotion for their work. Kurup believes it’s more than a responsibility to share experiences and knowledge with the people trying to get their foot in the door. From a starry-eyed hot-blooded upstart creative enthusiast to a wide-eyed optimist, Sajan Raj Kurup has brought CLA from his dining table to set up in three different cities, with over a decade of learning to take into the future, Kurup and CLA are ready to springboard into a world of new possibilities.
Sajan Raj Kurup’s history with Award Shows
Awards are a token of recognition. They are a badge of excellence that recognizes an individual or a brand’s contribution to their work. They act as symbols of excellence in a certain field that motivate and appreciate a person’s work. Awards help individuals gain the recognition they deserve as this could lead to further opportunities, they also motivate individuals to strive for better results creating competition and camaraderie. Awards exist in all sorts of fields to honor excellence, and the advertising field is no different. Advertising festivals like Goafest, APAC advert festival, and Spikes ASIA hold yearly festivals to award the latest and greatest talent in the industry. One of India’s most recognized and awarded advertising agencies is Creativeland Asia (CLA).
CLA was founded in 2007 by Adman Sajan Raj Kurup. Founder and Creative Chairman, Kurup is a firm believer in the power of creativity. Over the past 14 years, CLA alongside Kurup has driven and nurtured many famous multinational brands such as McDonald’s, Toyota, Appy Fizz, Frooti, Cinthol, Hippo, and Godrej to name a few. CLA has also gained a great number of awards through the years. They’ve been a frequent contender for the top spot at the Goafest for several years in a row, gaining multiple silver awards for their campaigns for Frooti and Hippo. Their complete redesign for both these brands was highly recognized by the community and secured them several awards. The Hippo ‘Plan T’ campaign also won them two Grand Prix at the FAB awards in 2012. Their ad campaign for the Audi A8 L that presented a 3D model of the Audi A8 being assembled around a man, won them two Grand Prix at Spike Asia and GoaFest in 2011 and 2012 respectively. The Audi campaign named ‘The Advanced State of Mind’ was also accompanied by what CLA claimed to be India‘s first 3D microsite, where users can further explore the intricate detail within the vehicle. In 2011 CLA was also awarded the ‘Independent Agency of the year Award’ alongside a ‘Bronze Spkie’ in digital marketing. They were recognized as the best advertising agencies that amassed the most points across all categories that year. Apart from these, the agency has been finalists at many festivals such as D&Ad, Cannes Lions International, Spikes Asia, Asia Pacific Adfest, and Abbys. Sajan Raj Kurup himself has been a frequent Jury member at the aforementioned international festivals. He has been recognized as one of the most enterprising entrepreneurs in the business of creativity.
Although Kurup and CLA have enjoyed many awards recognizing their talents over the years, in 2013 Kurup made a personal decision to opt-out of judging the Goafest awards. Kurup believes in authentic recognition creativity and found that brands were ‘faking’ their success just to achieve a gold medal. With many controversies surrounding the categories of awards that year, Kurup decided not to attend in an attempt to stand up against the scam culture plaguing the industry, calling it an “award hunger strike”. Sajan Raj Kurup says, “Awards are nice. I have nothing against awards, but I think the credibility of an award is very important.” He believes that the status of winning makes recognition a mandate for many people. It makes people think that the award is a measure of success and not winning one means you failed to make an impact. This affects people’s creativity especially young talent in the industry and creates a “generation of hollow creative people” Kurup quotes.
CLA was founded in 2007 by Adman Sajan Raj Kurup. Founder and Creative Chairman, Kurup is a firm believer in the power of creativity. Over the past 14 years, CLA alongside Kurup has driven and nurtured many famous multinational brands such as McDonald’s, Toyota, Appy Fizz, Frooti, Cinthol, Hippo, and Godrej to name a few. CLA has also gained a great number of awards through the years. They’ve been a frequent contender for the top spot at the Goafest for several years in a row, gaining multiple silver awards for their campaigns for Frooti and Hippo. Their complete redesign for both these brands was highly recognized by the community and secured them several awards. The Hippo ‘Plan T’ campaign also won them two Grand Prix at the FAB awards in 2012. Their ad campaign for the Audi A8 L that presented a 3D model of the Audi A8 being assembled around a man, won them two Grand Prix at Spike Asia and GoaFest in 2011 and 2012 respectively. The Audi campaign named ‘The Advanced State of Mind’ was also accompanied by what CLA claimed to be India‘s first 3D microsite, where users can further explore the intricate detail within the vehicle. In 2011 CLA was also awarded the ‘Independent Agency of the year Award’ alongside a ‘Bronze Spkie’ in digital marketing. They were recognized as the best advertising agencies that amassed the most points across all categories that year. Apart from these, the agency has been finalists at many festivals such as D&Ad, Cannes Lions International, Spikes Asia, Asia Pacific Adfest, and Abbys. Sajan Raj Kurup himself has been a frequent Jury member at the aforementioned international festivals. He has been recognized as one of the most enterprising entrepreneurs in the business of creativity.
Although Kurup and CLA have enjoyed many awards recognizing their talents over the years, in 2013 Kurup made a personal decision to opt-out of judging the Goafest awards. Kurup believes in authentic recognition creativity and found that brands were ‘faking’ their success just to achieve a gold medal. With many controversies surrounding the categories of awards that year, Kurup decided not to attend in an attempt to stand up against the scam culture plaguing the industry, calling it an “award hunger strike”. Sajan Raj Kurup says, “Awards are nice. I have nothing against awards, but I think the credibility of an award is very important.” He believes that the status of winning makes recognition a mandate for many people. It makes people think that the award is a measure of success and not winning one means you failed to make an impact. This affects people’s creativity especially young talent in the industry and creates a “generation of hollow creative people” Kurup quotes.