MxMIndia

Category: ADVERTISING

  • The account will be handled out of the agency's Mumbai office

    Carat wins global mandate for Standard Chartered Bank

     

     

    Carat, part of Dentsu Aegis Network, has won the global remit for media strategy, planning and buying for Standard Chartered Bank, led out of Singapore across 60-plus markets including India. The win follows a competitive pitch process.

     

    Said Sean O’Brien, CEO, Carat APAC:“We are very pleased to start the year with the win of this prestigious account out of our Singapore hub for the global Carat network. Our strength in strategic thinking, quality of product and consistency across markets enabled us to win this business. It’s also testament to Dentsu Aegis Network’s collaborative brand value that we have expanded from the pre-existing iProspect relationship. We’re looking forward to working with the team at Standard Chartered Bank and their agency partners.”

     

    Added KartikIyer, Managing Director, Carat India: “We are delighted to have been appointed the agency on record by Standard Chartered Bank. This is a prestigious account and we look forward to a long and fruitful partnership where Carat and Dentsu Aegis Network will bringstogether all their capabilities to create cutting edge communication solutions that deliver true business value for SCB in India.”

     

    The account will be handled out of the agency’s Mumbai office headed by HimankaDas, Executive Vice President –West. Said Das: “It’s a great way to begin the new year with such a prestigious business win.”

     

  • 2017 will be a defining year in sports and entertainment marketing, predicts GroupM arm ESP Properties in its Top 10 Trends for the year

    Sports & Entertainment on a high

     

    For a few years now, ESP Properties India, a specialist business unit of GroupM dealing with sports and entertainment partnerships, has been publishing its Top 10 trends in, well, sports and entertainment. ESP has done it once again which predicts the following trends:

    New monetisation avenues sparked by film surround content

    While full-length features will go all out in terms of marketing associations, there will be a strategic effort to tie in pre-release, release and post-release film content to drive audience engagement. This strategy will be used more creatively for movie marketing and build up. Leveraging celebrity popularity will be closely tied to a thriving digital ecosystem; thus, creating a conducive environment for content-driven film promotions for brands to capitalise and invariably engage via a robust social media conversation.

     

    Targeted movie marketing because of digital influence

    While the past couple of years have exemplified the necessary role of big data, targeted movie marketing as an avenue benefits from the rich marketing data accumulated from both digital and traditional media. Harnessing psychographic data will essentially lead to even smaller and medium budget films to grab a precisely engaged audience. 2016 paved the way for this trend and 2017 will only define it to a cleverly adapted manner.

     

    Media rights market influenced by newer platforms for sports in India

    2017 will bring the spotlight on disruptive trends in the way bids are traditionally made for media rights; considering multiple media rights are up for renewal. As is the case in every industry and realm, digital and social platforms are expected to take long termpositions to build, engage, influence and disrupt the consumer mindscape and consumption pattern.

     

    Continual enhancing of sports programming

    Sports programming will keep challenging technology norms and further enhance the quality of broadcast and webcast. Sharp, interactive and trendsetter modes of sports programming will help foster fanhood on a social and individual level. While the focus is on the consumer and trending platforms of consumer engagement, sports programming will also be heavily relying on exacting media rights and ensuring that a holistic media plan is actioned that ties in all new platforms together.

     

    Major overhaul in measurement metrics for Sports & Live

    Marketers will work vigorously to challenge the current measurement metric of the singleminded focus based on media valuation. A confluence of Big Data and Technology will help transform the measurement process to capture the true potential of sports and live properties in forms of broader contours/ dimensions of consumer impact and better linkage to brand and business.

     

    Sports CSR to witness an investment of upwards of Rs 100 crore

    An amplified focus on grassroot programmes for emerging sports and talent will guarantee a boost in not only new categories for corporate investments in sports but will also open new cash reserves for sports under the head of CSR.

     

    eSports leagues to debut on the Indian scene

    With 30% YoY growth, gaming may have been an international player for quite a few years. With over 19,000 registered gaming professional players in India, 2017 will witness the launch of at least two eSport leagues that will kickstart momentum in the gaming community and beyond.

     

    The coming of age of the Indian theatrical

    Broadway is not just a cultural attribute of the West anymore. India has been absorbing and making the most of large format stage shows. The Indian audience is also willing to pay the premium for a quality experience. Since content is king, a worthy consort is production value, which the Indian theatre circuit is investing in. This coupled with a keen interest of sponsors for offbeat properties can drive positive conversation around Indian theatricals.

     

    International music icons to enhance live musical experience

    Better infrastructure, implementation of single window clearances and an established, additional support to host large format events will have an exponential effect on bigger, bolder, international music icons redirecting their routes to India to entice Indian fans.

     

    Stadium naming rights to gain momentum

    Over 200 days of live action in various arenas, especially large stadia are the evidence of the gargantuan rise in popularity of sports, musicals and theatrical live events. Over 10 million people are in attendance annually at such events; with the outcome being that stadia naming rights will announce its presence with a bang in 2017.

     

    “While 2016 saw a lot of upheaval and a change of existing norms, 2017 will be the official harbinger of change in the world of sportstainment,” said Vinit Karnik, Business Head, ESP Properties, adding: “Harnessing the reach of the digital medium and constantly reinventing  the way consumers engage and interact with the sports and entertainment realm; will not only be the highlight of the year but also the underlying driver of all marketing and revenue-led initiatives. Augmented reality is now tied into social media. Movie marketing can reap results basis a resonant hashtag. eSports will change the very fabric of Indian sports consumption and take fandom to its very zenith. The Indian theatre industry is constantly breaking new boundaries and testing newer, more experimental waters. And most importantly, consumers are keen to dig into their pockets and not compromise on missing out such an experience. 2017 is going to be the gamechanger, the year that solidifies trends that will shape, evolve and escalate the very meaning of sports and entertainment in India.”

     

  • On Youtube alone, the video garnered more than 600,000 plus views globally in one day

    Moto’s #SayHello campaign on ‘World Hello Day 2016’

    By A Correspondent

     

    Leading the longest chain of ‘hellos’ on World Hello Day (November 21), Moto urged people to reconnect with their loved ones through its #SayHello campaign and start a conversation they have been holding on to for a while. The idea was to bridge the gap of physical distance between people and encourage them to explore the power and warmth of greeting someone.

     

    The campaign witnessed massive participation across the globe and with 18 countries being a part of it, the activity generated 186 million+ impressions, 26 million reach, 340K social engagements by consumers across Moto’s social media channels. In India, the #SayHello campaign trended on twitter for straight 11 hours on that day with 24,000+ tweets.

     

    The campaign kicked off with a YouTube video on Moto’s official page and registered good attention by consumers. On Youtube alone, the video garnered more than 600,000 plus views globally in one day. As part of the campaign, the video was displayed at 12 PVR multiplex screens in the top four metros in India.

     

    Said Rachna Lather, Marketing Head, Motorola Mobility India and Lenovo Mobile Business Group India  on the campaign, “Moto is a pioneer of mobile telephony and the easiest, most convenient way to connect is to say ‘hello’. Given the power of social media in today’s day and age, we wanted to re-kindle that simple act of saying Hello to re-connect. We are super glad that we could initiate a global campaign from India and reach millions and help bringing them closer from across the globe.”

     

    “Social media is a huge part of our culture and allows us to generate discussion and increase conversations, building community and e-connectivity with people around the globe. We are always a part of people’s celebration be it festivals or special days and through Say Hello campaign, we have reached out to people and urged them to connect and bridge the physical distance with a simple hello,” said SimranDhindsa, Digital Marketing head, Asia Pacific, Lenovo MBG

     

  • Sambit Mohanty joins J Walter Thompson India as National Creative Director

    Sambit Mohanty joins JWT as NCD

    By A Correspondent

     

    Sambit Mohanty
    Senthil Kumar

    JWT India has announced the appointment of  Sambit Mohanty as National Creative Director. He will be based out of the Delhi office.An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) New Delhi, Mohanty has spent 18 years in the advertising and design industry. Said Senthil Kumar, Chief Creative Officer, on the appointment: “Sambit was the youngest and more importantly the hungriest of all the potential creative leaders we considered for the NCD role, based in Delhi. He will work with me and ignite fresh energy into the JWT India creative product.He has the ambition and the drive to champion pioneering ideas and path breakin solutions for all our clients.”

     

  • He will report to Saurabh Varma, CEO, Publicis Communications India

    Prashanth Challapalli joins Leo Burnett as Chief Integration Officer for South Asia

    By A Correspondent

     

    Prashanth Challapalli

    Leo Burnett has announcedthe appointment of Prashanth Challapalli as Chief Integration Officer for South Asia. In his new mandate, Challapalli will report to Saurabh Varma, Chief Executive Officer, Publicis Communications India, and will work with leaders across Publicis Communications to drive integration. His last stint was with iContract, where he was the Executive Vice President and Digital Head.

     

    At Leo Burnett, his key mandate predominantly includes operationalising and scaling up Leo Burnett’s, Play methodology, which puts context at the heart of creating content.  Challapalliwill also be a key bridge between Publicis Communications and Publicis.Sapient, responsible for bringing the best of Publicis.Sapient to all Publicis Communications clients.

     

    Speaking about the new appointment, Varma said, “Prashanth joins us at a critical stage in our transformational journey as Publicis Communications. He brings with him boundless energy, and the ability to integrate across mediums. He will be key as we put digital at the core of our offering and increasingly create cutting edge ideas and stories which emanate from the product itself.”

     

    Added Challapalli, “When I met Saurabh, the people, ambition and momentum at Leo Burnett were the deciding factors for me. Publicis Communications is poised at the cusp of transformation right now with a diverse range of skill sets across mainline, digital, shopper marketing, PR and content production. My role will be to bring all of these together through PLAY. I have always been a big believer in the one brand, one consumer and one communication approach and most of the leaders at Publicis Communications are either ex-colleagues or friends for a long time. I am really looking forward to partnering all of them.”

     

    With over 19 years of experience, Challapalli has worked with agencies like Ogilvy, Lowe, Dentsu, Publicis Ambience and Rediffusion Y&R, and has also successfully built and lead Jack in the Box Worldwide and iContract in the digital space. He has won multiple national and international awards like the Effies, Spikes, and AME, among others, for his work across brands and campaigns like Puma, Pepsi, Slice, Louis Philippe, Durex and Kolaveri Di.

     

  • Media agency network Zenith has unveiled 10 trends that show how artificial intelligence will help to power the consumer journey in 2017, driving engagement opportunities and effectiveness for marketers

    10 Artificial IntelligenceTrends for Marketers

     

     

    Zenith has unveiled 10 trends that show how artificial intelligence will help to power the consumer journey in 2017, driving engagement opportunities and effectiveness for marketers.

     

    Artificial intelligence is the ability of machines or computers to emulate human thinking or decision making. Zenith’s 10 trends assess how machine learning and other areasof AI will enhance the consumer experience along the journey to purchase and will create new marketing opportunities for brands.

     

    Trend 1

    Predicting Our Needs: AI enhances the Role of Search in the Consumer Journey

    Search is becoming increasingly predictive, providing tailored recommendations throughout the consumer journey to drive both consideration and conversation. During 2017, search engines will begin to factor in additional behavioural data – artificial intelligence technology will use this information to power predictive search. Enhanced predictive search gives clear opportunities for brands to better anticipate consumer needs in order to serve more relevant and also to cross-sell products.

     

    Trend 2

    Speed is the New Black: Turbo-charging the Delivery of Trend Content

    In recent years, there has been an explosion in the quantity of consumer data available to marketers. This enables brands to quickly spot trends and react to this in their marketing to consumers. With data set to grow in quantity, machine learning will significantly help to streamline the process, digesting data from a variety of sources to quickly identify underlying patterns. Using AI in trend analysis will help marketers to stay ahead of both the trend curve and the competition. Content specialists will be able to create a pool of assets that can be quickly served to consumers in line with trend analysis, and product development teams will be better equipped to stay on top of the latest category demands.

     

    Trend 3

    Always-on Insights: Non-stop data collection through the Passive User Interface

    The Passive User Interface (PUI) continually collects behavioural data from consumers’ digital devices and by applying machine learning techniques can provide brands with powerful insights than can be used to customise consumer experiences. Companies are already using PUI data, for example Spotify’s running platform uses data from fitness trackers to customise its playlists for consumers. Greater use of PUI data will enable brands to design personalised content and services and to set appropriate pricing strategies. PUI data can also be shared by brands across different categories to help improve multiple consumer experience points.

     

    Trend 4

    Cross-Device Storytelling: Advances in Programmatic Automate Brand Conversations

    Machine learning technology is starting to help brands to tie their conversations to specific individuals. Brands have plenty of first party data, but this specific application of AI links individuals to their devices and helps brands to understand how consumer engagements and brand actions can be attributed to different messages in different contexts at different times. Brands can then automate their conversations with consumers using cross-device programmatic advertising. This will really help to create seamless experiences, and to accelerate both purchase and re-purchase.

     

    Trend 5

    Shoppable Content: Buying Direct from Branded Content Enhances Consumer Experience

    2017 will be the year of ‘shoppable content’: purchasing items directly from editorial and branded content. ‘Evolutionary algorithms’ can tweak and optimise content in response to consumer’s navigation, creating live content. Universal shopping carts recreate the functionality of e-commerce sites without consumers having to create new accounts or provide credit card details for each new site they visit. This combination of technologies will enable brands and publishers to keep consumers on their sites rather than forcing them to go elsewhere to buy. Brands will need to treat content as a compelling combination of text, images and interactive features that create a shopping experience.

     

    Trend 6

    Smart VR: Brand Opportunities as Virtual Reality Moves to Smartphones

    Virtual reality is moving from the solitary world of gamers to the mainstream of consumers experiencing VR through their smartphones. Facebook and Twitter already have live streams that can be accessed using headsets attached to smartphones. The shift to smartphones and to mainstream applications will present brands with many marketing opportunities. For example, retailers with the opportunity to transform how people shop – trying out products without having to visit a store.

     

    Trend 7

    The Rise of the Chatbot: All hail frictionless communication between brands and consumers

    Powered by machine learning, chatbots enable automated interaction between consumers and brands via a messaging interface. While there are obvious limitations with automated communication, chatbots can help consumers with process functions such as making payments and notifying of delivery/shipping. Chatbotscan help brands to reduce customer support costs and to open up greater dialogue with consumers. There is also a great opportunity for brands to create personalised recommendations for consumers based on insights from the trails of chats.

     

    Trend 8

    Playing to Our Emotions: Emotion Recognition Technology Helps Brands to Tap into Human Truths

    The spread of smartphones and the rise of embedded emotion recognition technology means that many people now carry mood-sensing devices in their pockets. This gives brands the opportunity to match consumers’ moods and behaviours with relevant content at the right moment. For example, brands that have an association with a particular sport or team could use this technology to offer more relevant experiences based on consumer reactions during a sporting event.

     

    Trend 9

    Dynamic Pricing: Algorithms enable automated demand-led pricing

    Driven by high-performance computing and analytics, Dynamic Pricing enables retailers to price items at a point determined by a particular customer’s perceived ability and willingness to pay. Pricing on some website and apps now changes from minute to minute. For example, Uber introduced its Surge Pricing algorithm to enable pricing to automatically rise at times of peak demand.

     

    Trend 10

    Automated Assistance: Service Robots Hit the High Street Stores

    Industrial robots have been in use for many years. Now, technology is blending physical and digital automation to create service robots, working alongside humans. The most obvious and immediate opportunities are in retail and hospitality. Service robots will be able to provide pricing and stock availability information and using algorithms will be able offer discounts and related product suggestions. The opportunities could stretch beyond retail and hospitality into healthcare and domestic help.

     

    Acoording to Tanmay Mohanty, Group CEO of Zenith India, the year 2017 appears full of possibilities: “The business of marketing communications will be largely predictive going forward, aided by big data, virtual reality (VR) and machine learning or artificial intelligence (AR). Brands that win, will be the ones that offer powerful transformative experiences. Experiences that come with dramatic emotional triggers. Business models will be cast and re-cast, based on omni-channel, omni-device and offline-online integration. Zenith, in preparation of this great change has already made significant investments in the area of machine learning and automation, within digital planning.  We are one of the few agencies, alreadyprepared forwhat’s waiting in the corner.”Mohanty said.

     

  • Sethi will be overseeing the company's entire communications strategy in India and international markets

    ALT Balaji ropes in Manav Sethi as Chief Marketing Officer

     

     

    ALT Balaji has roped in marketing veteran Manav Sethi as its Chief Marketing Officer. Sethi will be overseeing the company’s entire communications strategy in India and international markets.

     

    Said Sameer Nair, Group CEO, Balaji Telefilms: “Manav is ideally suited to support the vision we’re working towards at ALT Balaji. We are looking forward to harnessing his experience and expertise as we launch, grow and expand our footing. Manav’s role will cover a wide array of activities including Marketing and Communications, and we look forward to his leadership in shaping our journey”

     

    “We are delighted to add such an experienced resource to the ALT Balaji family. Manav not only comes with a vast experience in the field but also will add a new layer and dynamism to the team, we think. I’m sure he will only complement to our venture of creating a solid and valuable brand”, added Nachiket Pantvaidya, CEO, ALT Balaji.

     

    Commented Sethi: “It’s an exciting time in the digital space and to be a part of a company since its launch always adds to the excitement. I’m looking forward to playing a part in this journey towards making ALT Balaji one of India’s leading brands”

     

  • Munro replaces Nathan Cook, the former Maxus APAC Head of Trading

    Maxus APAC appoints Anita Munro as Head of Trading

     

     

    Maxus Asia-Pacific has appointed Anita Munro as Maxus Asia Pacific Head of Trading. Munro replaces Nathan Cook, the former Maxus APAC Head of Trading who moves to Australia as GroupM Deputy Trading Director.

     

    Munro has an excellent track record in Maxus over last three years and has been working with Nathan Cook and eaMunro replaces Nathan Cook, the former Maxus APAC Head of Tradingrlier with Simon Porter, overseeing the investment and negotiations for key accounts including Loreal, Huawei, Jetstar, Unicharm and working closely with countries to drive trading practice to deliver client KPIs at a local level.

     

    Munro has 15 years of experience across both Australia and APAC, based out of Hong Kong for the last five years. Her career has focussed on trading and tactical planning across all key industry segments. She has also gained strong experience in planning and team leadership, and multiple facets of the digital landscape giving her a unique versatility in the role.

     

    In the new role, she will be working closely with Nick Binns, CIO GroupM APAC and will lead the trading and investment product for clients across the APAC market, supported by Scotty Ho (Associate Trading Director), bringing the best in class capability of GroupM trading to Maxus’ client base.

    Said Binns: “Anita joined the regional trading team over five years ago and immediately took to the then position naturally; injecting immense passion, dedication and energy into the role and local trading teams. Anita’s style being consistently to get the job done, whilst delivering unprecedented media value and new thinking to advertisers, and at the same time being a pleasure to work with. I very much will continue to enjoy working with Anita in this new role, and I know she will succeed and deliver winning results for Maxus and their clients.”

    Added Maxus APAC CEO Ajit Varghese: “Anita has been a great asset to the Maxus regional team already since few years and giving her the opportunity to lead the practice for entire APAC is a natural and well deserved promotion. She is a great leader of people and teams, goes beyond just looking at buying as a silo and integrates the knowledge of planning, buying, data, content and digital and that’s gives her the extra edge to lead client conversations and KPI. Am sure she will be taking it a notch higher for the clients in the new role and help Maxus grow the business further.”

     

  • Ashish Bhasin is the Chairman & CEO Dentsu Aegis Network South Asia and Chairman Posterscope and MKTG – Asia Pacific

    Ashish Bhasin to head jury at APAC Effies

    By A Correspondent

     

    Ashish Bhasin

    Asia Pacific Effie Awardshas named Dentsu Aegis Network South Asia CEO Ashish Bhasin as jury head for the 2017 edition of the APAC Effie Awards.

     

    Commenting on the appointment, Bhasin said: “I am very pleased to accept the invitation to be the Head of Jury at the APAC Effie 2017. It gives me a great opportunity to see some of the best work around the region, across markets as well as to interact with some of the best minds in our business. I look forward to APAC Effie 2017 being a grand success.”

     

    Also appointed to the jury is Jean-Paul Burge, Chairman and CEO of BBDO Asia.

     

    Now in the fourth year, the APAC Effie is recognised by agencies and marketers to be the most prestigious and ‘must-enter’ effectiveness awards in the region. It celebrates ideas that work and honours marketing communications that have achieved the most significant results.

     

  • Lowe Lintas Delhi won the agency mandate for all consumer brands under Cargill Foods India

    Cargill Foods appoints Lowe Lintas as creative agency

    By A Correspondent

     

    Leading FMCG company Cargill Foods India has appointed Lowe Lintas for the creative duties for consumer brands – from edible oils to atta.

     

    The pitch was announced for Cargill Foods India’s brands, such as the Leonardo range of Olive Oils, Nature Fresh range of edible oils, Nature Fresh Sampoorna Chakki Atta, Sweekar Refined Sunflower Oil, Gemini Refined Cooking Oil, Sunflower Vanaspati and Rath Vanaspati. Out of the 11 agencies, Lowe Lintas is said to have brought it alive in the form of creative advertising ideas and communication with a 360 degree integrated approach.

     

    On this new journey, Neelima Burra, Chief Marketing Officer at Cargill Foods said, “Edible Oil is a highly fragmented and regionalised market. Cargill India follows multi brand approach and micro-marketing strategy to win in market place. Looking at the business dynamics, in last two years we have rejigged our portfolio and brand positioning. We thank our earlier agencies Leo Burnett and FCB Ulka, who helped us to re-position and re-launch our brands. I really appreciate their efforts in helping us evolve our campaigns and make them noticeable. We are extremely choosy of our approach to businesses and marketing. While our products and brands are doing well in top league, we believe customized campaign approach is pivotal for success in Edible Oil Market. The brief we shared and the ideas proposed by Lowe Lintas were in complete sync with the ethos of the brands which were pitched for.  We are excited on this association to lead all our brands to a leadership position in consumer’s hearts and minds“.

     

    Said Naveen Gaur, President, Lowe Lintas, Delhi: “We are truly excited about our partnership with Cargill. At Lowe, we have a tradition of building brands which not only enjoy mass support but also become a part of everyday conversation. And that’s exactly been the crux of our conversations with Cargill. Looking forward to create some great pieces of work!”

     

     

  • ZIRCA will work on showcasing Microsoft Bing's strength as a credible challenger in the INR 3000 crore search market

    Microsoft extends partnership with ZIRCA in India

    By A Correspondent

     

    Zirca Digital Solutions has announced that the company will expand its current partnership with Microsoft and in addition to Display Ad Sales will also act as Miscrosoft search platform Bing’s sales partner for search advertising sales in India. Zirca will work on showcasing Microsoft Bing’s strength as a credible challenger in the Rs 3000 crore search market bringing in new audiences and new searches.

     

    “Bing’s increasing popularity in India, especially among well-informed audiences, provides the perfect catalyst for marketers to engage with a large, diverse population,” said Grant Watts, Regional Director of APAC, Microsoft Search Advertising. “Zirca’s strong heritage in providing smart advertising and marketing solutions to brands with great strategic frameworks will support our mission of increasing our presence in the Indian market and deepening our relationships with customers in the country.”

     

    “We’re extremely proud to exclusively represent Microsoft Bing in India. We have seen Bing gaining significant momentum and adoption among the Internet users in the country and a major uptake amongst brands for their domestic and international search marketing. In the last 6 months we have seen a significant 150% growth in wallet share,” said Neena Dasgupta, CEO, Zirca Digital Solutions. “This win fortifies our relationship with Microsoft, further demonstrating our expertise in bringing successful digital partnerships to India,” she added.

     

    “We are delighted to partner with Microsoft Bing search advertising business in India. This partnership will provide advertisers and marketers with a unique opportunity to make the most of one of the world’s most innovative global search platforms. Additionally, it will also help us understand how search is powering next- generation technology solutions,” said Karan Kumar Gupta, Managing Director, Zirca.

     

     

     

  • He's quitting Future for a Brighter Future: to set up consultancy specialising in the media and retail space

    Sandip Tarkas moves on from full-time role at Future Group, to consult with Future and set up own consultancy

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Veteran advertising and media professional SandipTarkashas called it quits at the Future Group, though he will continue to stay on as a Consultant. December 31 was his last day at Future where he was CEO Sports Media and Special Projects.

     

    So what prompted the decision, we asked him. “Well, I have been discussing for around three years with the boss [Kishore Biyani] and I am not really growing any younger.”

     

    Tarkas will continue to consult with Future on its kabaddi foray and instore media, and is working on his new venture. Which is? “Well, it’s got to do with the media and retail space,” is all that he says for now. A team of around six professionals has already been assembled, though it may be a few months or weeks before operations start.

     

    After his education at IIT Bombay and IIM Bangalore, Tarkas worked across marketers and the media over the last 27 years. These being: Blow Plast, GroupM, MPG, Media Direction, Reliance ADAG and Future Group where he spent nine days short nine years.