MxMIndia

Category: Ad Agencies

  • Upadhyay will handle Viacom 18, Asian Paints and other key clients for the agency

    Girish Upadhyay joins Madison Media Infinity as COO

    By A Correspondent

     

    Madison Media has just announced another senior level appointment of Girish Upadhyay as Chief Operating Officer, Madison Media Infinity based in Mumbai. He will handle Viacom 18, Asian Paints and other key clients for the agency.

     

    Upadhyay joins the agency from Tata Motors where he was Head of Marketing Services responsible for Media Planning and Buying, Digital and Market Research.  He worked to develop a multimedia communication strategy with special focus on large scale impact, analytics and digital excellence for its brands.

     

    Said Vikram Sakhuja, Partner & Group CEO Madison Media & OOH on the appointment: “We are delighted to welcome back Girish to head Madison Media Infinity. He is a great combination of planning and deal making. And having been at the helm of Tata Motors Media for some years, he brings a great Advertiser perspective which our Clients will value.”

     

    Added Upadhyay: “I am super excited to be back in the Madison team embarking on a new journey, and I look forward to bring to the table, my experiences built at Tata Motors, as a Marketer, working across different functions. Today, communication reaches consumers at light speed, disseminating information and competing for attention at a pace we have never seen before and Madison with its vision to be the best communication agency is rightly navigating this space for its clients. I look forward to driving business results for clients and adding to the Madison culture of a balanced outlook and a client first approach.”

     

     

  • The agency will handle the brand’s digital media duties including media buying, media planning and the creative duties

    WatConsult wins Riso’s digital and creative mandate

    By A Correspondent

     

    WatConsult, the digital and social media agency from Dentsu Aegis Network India, has bagged the creative and digital media duties of Riso, the leading rice bran oil from Kamani Foods. The agency will handle the brand’s digital media duties including media buying, media planning and the creative duties.

     

    Said Rajiv Dingra, Founder and CEO, WatConsult: “We are very happy to welcome Riso in our roster of clients and are looking forward to extend our creativity in line with the brand philosophy. The market that Riso caters to is one of the growing and challenging ones hence it will be encouraging to produce work in the coming future.”

     

    Added Vinay Chawla, CEO, Kamani Foods: “This lends perfect synergies to Riso, our physically refined 100% Rice Bran oil brand which has been known for its bold and unconventional brand building approach.”

     

     

  • Together, they envision a seamless merging of marketing strategy, creativity and content with the action-oriented insights of big data

    Abhinav Verma to lead new data intelligence unit at Whyness Worldwide

    By A Correspondent

     

    Abhinav Verma

    Whyness Worldwide announced the launch of a new business vertical that aims to be the meeting point of both the future of marketing and data intelligence. Whyness has a strategic alliance with Boston-based Findability Sciences, a SoftBank portfolio company a leading data specialist. Together, they envision a seamless merging of marketing strategy, creativity and content with the action-oriented insights of big data.

    To kickstart this process, Whyness has brought on board Abhinav Verma as Director – Digital, Data and AI. He has previously led the digital marketing mandate at Airtel. He is also a Hyper Island alumnus and was also associated with Wieden+Kennedy, Whyness Worldwide, Geometry Encompass and Babajob.com (now bought over by Quickr) in the past.

     

    Said Ravi Deshpande, Chairman and Founder, Whyness: “The fusion of creativity and data gives clients a sophisticated marketing suite that gives much greater understanding and insights into consumer behavior. That means greater accuracy in communication and thus more bang for your buck. At Whyness, we are constantly changing ourselves with every progress in the digital ecosystem, and therefore we’ve appointed Abhinav, who I believe, has a natural flair for data, digital and AI and having him onboard adds great value to the Whyness-Findability alliance.”

     

    Added Anand Mahurkar, CEO, Findability Sciences: “Globally, we have experienced that every CMO is wondering how to make use of AI in the marketing function. With our Whyness collaboration, I say we now offer AI Inspired Creativity! Abhinav brings a combination of creativity and understanding of modern technology applications to the marketing function. We are very excited to have him onboard and offer one of the best solution to CMOs worldwide.”

  • He will operate out of the Gurgaon office and will report into NCD Anupama Ramaswamy

    Sumit Negi joins Dentsu Impact as ECD

    By A Correspondent

     

    Dentsu Impact has strengthened its creative function with the appointment of Sumit Negi as an Executive Creative Director. He will operate out of the Gurgaon office and will report into Anupama Ramaswamy, the National Creative Director.

     

    Said Soumitra Karnik, Chief Creative Officer, Dentsu Impact: “Sumit’s maturity, calm demeanour and the manner in which he leads his team is what sets him apart. His passion and knowledge on cars gives Dentsu Impact an added edge. We are very happy to have him and wish him a fabulous future.”

     

     

  • He will report to Paritosh Srivastava, COO – Publicis Ambience

    Publicis India appoints Sirish Suveer as Vice President

    By A Correspondent

     

    Publicis India has announced the appointment of Sirish Suveer as Vice President. To be based out of Mumbai, Suveer will manage the business and growth for multiple brands at the agency. He will report to Paritosh Srivastava, COO – Publicis Ambience.

     

    Commenting on the appointment, Srivastava said: “Sirish joins us at an opportune time wherein our agency is on a terrific growth path and in the thick of exciting action on many brands. He has a balanced head, a very human heart and a way to charm people around. His proven track record of building effective brand strategies and executing complex projects with ease will bolster our communication capabilities further. I wish him the very best for his journey at Publicis India.”

     

     

  • Khan has more than 20 years of experience across sectors and industries

    Fleishman Hillard appoints Rafi Khan to head Delhi

    By A Correspondent

     

    Fleishman Hillard has announced the hire of Rafi Khan as Senior Vice President and GM of its New Delhi office, building on the agency’s strong performance during the past year.

     

    “We’ve had an exceptional 2018 in India with growth in clients, award winning work and new people joining us to support our existing teams,” said Yusuf Hatia, Managing Director of Fleishman Hillard in India. “Delhi NCR offers great capacity to accelerate our growth, and Rafi’s addition to our team there will help us to capitalize on the opportunities we are already seeing in the capital city. He is exactly the kind of professional we need – with his deep knowledge of the creative industries, business acumen and network in Delhi – and I’m glad that he’s joining us at a time when the number of opportunities are coming in thick and fast!”

     

     

  • Iyer to take on a consulting role with the group, will transition out of the agency over the next year

    Amer Jaleel & Virat Tandon to head MullenLowe Lintas Group. Arun iyer to exit

     

    By A Correspondent

    The winds of change are blowing. And given that the headquarters are near the near-seafront end of Mumbai’s Nariman Point, these winds have been blowing hard and fast.

     

    So we woke this morning to the Brand Equity story on the development at MullenLowe Lintas Group. That Amer Jaleel has been named Group Chairman and Chief Creative Officer. Partnering him, on business, will be Virat Tandon who’s being named Group CEO. In their new roles, the duo will lead the group mandate in India overseeing its three agencies; Lowe Lintas, Mullen Lintas and PointNine Lintas. And, most importantly, Arun Iyer – Chairman and CCO of Lowe, the older agency, has decided to move on.

     

    Given the Economic Times supplement’s deadlines, this was a carefully planned exclusive given by the agency network. And we rest our case whether the exclusive lolly was really worth it.

     

    Speaking of the new group leadership, Alex Leikikh – global CEO MullenLowe Group said: “A few years ago, we had asked Amer and Virat to start our second agency in India, Mullen Lintas, and they have built it into a top 10 agency in the country in just two years. Amer has been a creative leader of our group in India for a very long time now, and Virat embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of the MullenLowe Group, and as such I am delighted to have them steer our overall business in India to even greater success.”

     

    Interestingly, the communique received from the agency network is silent on the roles of Raj Gupta, CEO, Lowe Lintas, the flagship agency and Vikas Mehta, CEO, PointNine Lintas. Gupta was elevated in March 2017 along with Iyer and Mehta was appointed CEO in mid-2017 along with the agency’s formation. Mehta was also essaying the role of CMO of the group. While the appointments have the blessings of the global guard, it needs to be seen how the appointment of Tandon impacts that of Gupta and Mehta.

     

    Meanwhile, speaking of their new roles, Jaleel and Tandon said this in a communique: “We have a lot of strong assets in the group. Two top ten agencies, Lowe Lintas and Mullen Lintas; a very promising incubation, the Omni-channel agency PointNine Lintas; some of the industry’s best and brightest creative, strategy and business leaders; and last but not the least a culture that makes us stick together and tick. The future is looking different and exciting. There could be no better time for the group to embark on this journey. To stay at the top of its game, MullenLowe Lintas Group realizes the importance of investing in building a strong talent pool with new skills that are relevant in the digital and hyper-connected world. It’s becoming more challenging for brands to win in the marketplace as the consumer is evolving and most categories are being disrupted and transformed due to technology. Clients are looking for all the help they can get from their agencies to win in this new reality. We want to continue to be our clients’ biggest strength.”

     

    Iyer, who plans to start a venture of his own and will transition out of the agency over the next year, has along with the agency planned a twelve-month transition period, during which he will continue to work for some key clients and help with succession planning. This is what he has said:  “I have had the privilege of being part of an institution. I have spent a little over 15 years here. And it is home. Over the last few years, I have been passionate about start-ups and have played a role in developing some strong brands such as Byju’s, Freecharge and Grofers. Going forward, I am planning to work more closely within the start-up ecosystem.” Added Jaleel: “Arun and I have been brothers-in-arms for over eight years now. We’ve been shouldering the equity and reputation of Lintas together and that gives you a sort of a feeling of being in the same womb! Arun has, over the last three years, taken the spirit that Balki infused in Lowe Lintas to a different zone and moulded the agency in his own way. A large part of my job for MullenLowe Lintas Group will be to take that imprint forward.”

     

    The last bit in the communique is critical: “Jaleel and Tandon’s appointments take place with immediate effect. They are working on plans to transform MullenLowe Lintas Group in a few critical areas to remain the key agency partner for clients.”

     

    Ah. Sorry, we aren’t Brand Equity, but this last line can be interpreted variously. Or perhaps not. We are journalists. We don’t have to necessarily do creative thinking. Tandon is a great guy, and so are Gupta and Mehta. But then there can be just one leader.

  • Gaurang will report to Vishal Chinchankar, Chief Digital Officer and will be based in Mumbai

    Gaurang Menon joins Madison Digital as NCD

    By A Correspondent

     

    Madison Digital has announced the appointment of Gaurang Menon as National Creative Director. He will report to Vishal Chinchankar, Chief Digital Officer and will be based in Mumbai.

     

    Menon has worked across agencies such as iContract, Quasar, Leo Burnett, BC Webwise and  Mediaturf and has worked on a wide range of brands such as Kellogs, Sunsilk GangofGirls, Jet Airways, Cleartrip, Microsoft, Reliance Communications, Honda Motors, Nestle, Twinings, Dettol, Durex, UTI MF, HSBC, Garnier India, Kissan, Pureit, etc.

     

    Said Chinchankar on the appointment: “We are very happy to have Gaurang on board. Our aim is to be a significant player in the Creative Tech and Content ecosystem of India. His experience in the area of content and smart creative tech solutions will add to our existing proficiency in media performance and we will be able to offer holistic solutions to our clients. I am confident that Gaurang, with his experience and expertise, will help us take this ambition forward.”

     

     

  • She will report into Sam Singh, CEO of GroupM, South Asia

    Motivator appoints Mausumi Kar as Managing Director

    By A Correspondent

     

    Motivator has announced the appointment of Mausumi Kar as its India Managing Director effective from October 1. She will report into Sam Singh, CEO of GroupM, South Asia.

     

    Kar has been associated with GroupM for over 10 years and has handled multiple roles from heading Maxus–North and East, to leading the Google Partnership for GroupM nationally. Before the move, she led the independent SBU that handled the Airtel mandate.

     

    On the announcement Sameer Singh, CEO of GroupM, South Asia said: “It’s a welcoming change in the organisation. I have seen her work and feel her leadership skills and experience will play a vital role in the firm. I’m looking forward to working with her and wish her all the best for her new role.”

     

    Talking about her new role, Kar said: “It has been a rewarding journey at GroupM. I am excited and looking forward to the new assignment. My aim would be to become a trusted advisor to my clients and help them in delivering superior value while  delivering the best to our partners . I would like to thank Sam and the leadership team for reposing their faith  in me. I am grateful to my team which has made me shine.”

     

     

  • The business will be handled out of Happy mcgarrybowen’s Bangalore office

    Happy mcgarrybowen wins integrated communication mandate for XSeed Education

    By A Correspondent

     

    Happy mcgarrybowen has been awarded the integrated mainline and digital communications duties for XSeed Education. With an aim to spread the brand’s footprint across the country, the business will be handled out of Happy mcgarrybowen’s Bengaluru office.

     

    Kartik Iyer

    “It is very inspiring to see what XSeed is doing to education in the country. Their unique teaching methodology not only improves learning amongst children but improves the quality of teachers as well. It is about time that one way, mugging methods of learning in schools be put to rest. What’s more, the fact that XSeed is being taken to schools across middle-income India is really a sign of great things to come for the children of our country,” said Kartik Iyer, CEO, Happy mcgarrybowen.

     

    Ashish Rajpal

    Commenting on the partnership, Ashish Rajpal, Founder, XSeed said, “Our mission is to help realise the innate potential of every child. To do so, it is essential to transform elementary education from rote and memorisation to a genuine ability to learn over a lifetime, beyond the elite, for children across the economic strata. Not only do we need to transform every dimension of the education eco-system-curriculum, teaching, assessment – at an affordable cost. The idea is also to build a powerful brand that parents recognise and trust. We believe our partnership with Happy mcgarrybowen will add significant firepower to that effort.”

     

     

  • BBDO will take on the creative process starting November 1, 2018

    WPP loses Ford creative portfolio to Omnicom’s BBDO. Activation, media, digital and production to stay with GTB. W+K also on board

    By A Correspondent

    Over the past five months, Ford Motor Company has been reviewing its advertising and marketing relationships. In the first major exit of a prized client after the exit of founder Martin Sorrell, WPP has announced it has lost the creative agency business to a rival. And the rival is BBDO. Wieden+Kennedy has also been hired for innovations and special projects.

    Said BBDO CEO Roberson Andrew via a tweet: “Today is a big big day. We have a wonderful new brand to help build.”

    WPP agencies will continue to handle activation, including media planning and buying, digital and production. These responsibilities also include Tier Two advertising work in the U.S., the China advertising operations with its joint venture partner, all Lincoln advertising, and all the Ford public relations business.

    BBDO will take on the creative process starting November 1, 2018. Meanwhile, WPP will internally be discussing the impact of this development and a townhall is said to have been arranged later today.

     

     

  • The mandate includes marketing strategy, creative development and public relations

    Product of the Year appoints PointNine Lintas

    By A Correspondent

     

    Product of the Year (POY) has partnered with PointNine Lintas to design its communication strategy.

     

    Speaking about the association with PointNine Lintas, Raj Arora, CEO of Product of the Year India, said: “We are proud to partner with PointNine Lintas as our agency of choice. They bring to the table a holistic and refreshing approach, and we are confident that together we will exceed expectations this season.”

     

    Added Vikas Mehta of PointNine Lintas: “Being a brand for brands, Product of the Year (POTY) is a very interesting win for us. Raj and his team have put in a lot of hard work over the past ten years in bringing the platform this far. Coming in as their agency in the eleventh year, the priority for us is to help the platform leap into its next stage of evolution into becoming one of India’s most prestigious. There’s been a natural meeting of minds in our discussions so far, about the future of these awards and I would like to see this relationship grow into a deeper partnership.”