To further strengthen its leadership team, Carat India has appointed Vasim Rakhangi as Associate Vice President – Strategy for North and East.
In his new role, Rakhangi’s core focus will be to spearhead and deliver integrated media strategy to the agency’s existing clients across the regions. He will report into Anita Kotwani, CEO, Carat India.
Commenting on the appointment, Kotwani said: “With his extensive experience and passion, Vasim will help our clients stay ahead of the curve, especially as he helps them demystify the complex digital media landscape. One of his focus areas will be, to translate the disruption of video and the future of measurement to the consumers’ dynamically changing needs and, how the role of data, privacy, and technology impact their business. Vasim’s remit in our North market will encompass Phillips Domestic Appliances, Microsoft, Mastercard, Havells, and the DS Group amongst others, as he also works with our local teams to drive growth for both North and East markets.”
Taboola, the recommendations engine for the open web, has released the readership insights for the month of April, 2022. Although Taboola is often considered adversely impacting the user experience, it offers much-need advertising dollars to publishers, and guess that’s what matters.
Here are some of the key insights revealed from the readership trends released:
1. The threat of new Covid Wave
The rising cases of coronavirus in the subcontinent alerted the readers as Taboola Newsroom saw a 65% surge in readership to 23MN pageviews peaking in mid-April. As Delhi and NCR region reported maximum cases, article headlines mentioning Delhi and COVID also peaked by 137%.
2. India’s love for cricket
Nothing causes a stronger buzz in India as much as cricket does. The new season of IPL caused an 877% surge in the readership by drawing a traffic of 14MN pageviews over the last 45 days. As people searched to gather updates about their favorite teams and players, Chennai Super Kings gained a lot of traffic during the season since the start of March while Gujarat Titans and Punjab Kings saw a surge from mid-April.
3. Celebrating celebrity unions
The celebrity wedding of Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor caused much anticipation in the country. According to Taboola Newsroom, Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor drove 24MN (350%) and 15MN (1,831%) pageviews since early April respectively. The couple tied the knot on 14 April 2022 and continue to drive readership in the entertainment segment as the country is geared up to know more about the newlyweds.
Madison Media Omega, a unit of Madison World, has been appointed Media AOR for Ki Mobility. The agency will handle the traditional media and digital media mandate for the client including TV, print and online video media buying and planning. The account was won in a multi-agency pitch.
Said Narasimhan Eswar, CEO, Ki Mobility Solutions Pvt Ltd on associating with Madison: “We are delighted to have Madison on-board as our Above-the-Line media partner. We believe that Madison with its incredible scale and talented personnel will add substantial value to Ki’s future plans to pioneer explosive growth in the Indian automotive aftermarket”.
Added Dinesh Rathod, CEO, Madison Media Omega:“We are very excited by Ki’s vision and plans to revolutionize the Indian automotive aftermarket and we are delighted to partner Ki Mobility and help make it a preferred destination for all vehicle owners.”
Omnicom Media Group India has tabled the Omnifluence Report to highlight key influencer marketing insights. A recent comparative data study on marketing to millennials and Gen-Z, initiated by OMG Content, using Omnifluence data powered by Qoruz, revealed some compelling information on Gen-Z consumer behaviour –
:: Of all the Gen-Z individuals, only 13% follow celebrities, while about 86% of them prefer to follow Instagram influencers
:: Influencers were segregated into different tiers based on their follower count and the study showed that mid-tier (50k – 500k) and nano tier (5k – 50k) had the largest Gen-Z following
:: After delving into the different categories, it was revealed that Gen-Z were more drawn toward fashion, travel and cinema-based pages
:: When comparing the millennial and Gen-Z demographics, the Gen-Z individuals follow about 97.9% of Instagram influencers and 13.1% of celebrities. On the other hand, millennials follow 52% of Instagram influencers and 47% of celebrities
E-commerce is gaining large traction in the country and businesses are looking at ways to increase online presence and mobility, targeting various social media platforms. Patterns observed on social commerce platforms were also a part of the Omnifluence report. Here are some key takeaways:
:: The study revealed that the platforms actively engaged in influencer marketing were Roposo, Trell and Meesho
:: The highest number of content created by influencers went up on Roposo, Trell and Meesho
:: For creators focusing on short video content, MX TakaTak, Josh and Moj were the most popular, each racking up huge numbers content-wise
Speaking about the surge in the domain of influencer marketing, Shailja Saraswati Varghese, Chief Content Officer, Omnicom Media Group India, said: “Going through the compelling and decisive data found in the report, it becomes evident that social media has been playing a major role in the surge of e-commerce and influencers are leading the charge in that realm. Gen-Z constitutes a huge portion of the population in the world and tapping into the interests of the younger generation is an effective strategy for businesses to maximize reach. Influencer marketing has positioned itself as the most lucrative medium for that purpose and Omnifluence makes strategizing around it data-focused, easy and reliable.”
The conclusive data in the report showcases how Omnifluence can assist with Planning, Real-Time Discovery, ROI management, Analytics and Campaign reporting for Brands and much more.
Here’s a brief highlight of some of the benefits the intuitive platform offers:
:: Discover the right influencers for your brand with the platform’s powerful suite of tools that match you with relevant candidates
:: Obtain information on the best influencers, including average likes and comments, user engagement rate, views and more
:: Connect with influencers directly on the platform for campaign briefs, negotiations etc.
:: Get in-depth information on the success of a campaign and track progress, helping you optimize your strategies on the fly
Added Priya Vivek, Managing Partner – Revenue at Qoruz – the company that powers the platform: “One must have access to the right set of data, backed by solid numbers and evidence, to make proper use of influencer reach. Omnifluence offers an extensive number of tools that can help a brand make smart decisions for its influencer marketing needs. It is no secret that influencers are here to stay and they will continue to play a crucial role in increasing brand exposure.
It was as if he waited for the book to be launched the evening before. If there’s one person everyone missed the most at the Mumbai launch of Open House, the book by Piyush Pandey and him, it was Anant Rangaswami.
Anant has meant many things to many people. He has spent years in the Indian advertising and media ecosystem: with Star TV, Sony Entertainment Television, Times FM, with CNBC-TV18 and First Post, Campaign India, Impact magazine and the last few years with Kyoorius. Many of these in a consultant mode.
But for hundreds of people in A&M, he was a dear friend. A friend who was there with them always, unconditionally. Caring, deeply personal.
Like he has been with Piyush Pandey. Unconditional love and respect for him. Ditto with hundreds of others. And to those who he didn’t like or whose actions he didn’t approve of, he would make it known to them loud and clear.
For instance, he didn’t agree with The Advertising Club’s Abby Awards. A former Ad Club president told me recently that he advised him not to waste his time helming the Club. Interestingly, the former president continued to be his buddy.
A breeze through his Facebook and Twitter timeline throws light on his personality. Very, very strong and clear views on most things in life. On advertising, media, news television (especially a couple of channels) and even paneer.
He was a good writer. Easy, racy style.
He loved to talk of his Kolkata connections. Or Pune, since he was aware of my connect with the city. He had great pride in his children and their accomplishments.
So, what makes the story on Anant Rangaswami’s passing the Big Story on MxMIndia today? Well, in the last 20-odd years, his has been one of the most significant voices in the large world of A&M journalism.
We have often rued the fact that many A&M journalists were moving to other industries. We worried about the quality of journalism, and the quid pro quo that exists in the trade press. Yet, he wouldn’t shy of talking on how he called a friend or two for an ad in Campaign when he was its editor.
He would love solving his newspaper crossword. In fact the first time I met him was when he approached Maneck Davar, then with the Indian Express group, and sold the idea of a puzzles and contests magazine. I remember standing for hours in the corridors of Tulsiani Chambers discussing the idea. That was in 1991. We became good friends, and we reconnected a decade later.
He commented once in a while on what he read on MxM. He was upset with an interview I did with Arnab Goswami. He thought I gave him too much publicity. As I look back, perhaps.
For his family, his children especially, it’s an irreparable loss. But for the several friends in advertising and marketing – in India and elsewhere, it’s huge as well. For Piyush, Rajesh Kejriwal and several others whose lives he touched very closely in the last decade-odd. For friends like Peter Mukerjea whom he stood by, always. For Martin Sorrell, Anant was a dear India connect.
~ ~
When I was planning to launch MxM in 2011, I invited Anant to write a regular column. We met over a coffee. He didn’t agree, he wasn’t sure. He thought it would be another pluggy publication with paid content and multiple award events to please all and sundry. He once told me that he was glad I proved him wrong.
We disagreed often. He didn’t like the idea that MxM (and I) supported Goafest and the Abby Awards. I once even criticised his stand in an article. But he was also happy to see me back Kyoorius when no one gave it any importance.
In Anant’s passing, the industry has lost a true, caring friend. #GoneTooSoon, is how the news was hashtagged in a WhatsApp group. He was just 61. Gone too soon, indeed.
22feet Tribal Worldwide has announced the appointment of Vishnu Srivatsav as National Creative Director. Prior to this, he was Creative Head of DDB Mudra’s South office. Srivatsav will take over from Debashish Ghosh, the former NCD at 22feet Tribal Worldwide, and will continue to report to Rahul Mathew, Chief Creative Officer, DDB Mudra Group.
Rahul Mathew
Said Mathew: “Vishnu has been a great partner to the organisation in our pursuit of creative excellence. He recently led our South office to one of our best years creatively. I look forward to him taking this momentum and his infectious energy into the exciting opportunity at 22feet.”
Preetham Venkky
Added Preetham Venkky, President, 22feet Tribal Worldwide: “Vishnu has always been a huge source of inspiration for the creative team at 22feet. His grasp on culture, specifically internet culture, is arguably the best in the country, and established through his work over the years. We are super excited to have him come aboard, to inspire, shape and establish the culture of excellent creative work for our clients.”
Anant Rangaswami with Piyush Pandey. Photograph from Rangaswami’s Facebook page
It’s no secret that Anant Rangaswami was one of Ogilvy big boss Piyush Pandey’s closest friends and supporters. He was associated with the two books written by the Ogilvy Chief Creative Officer Worldwide and Executive Chairman India. In fact, in the just-released Open House, Rangaswami’s name figures as co-author.
“I have lost a very close friend, a partner and a confidante,” Pandey told MxMIndia on Tuesday morning, adding: “The industry has lost a supporter and an objective commentator.”
Cred, the Bengaluru-based fintech company (Dreamplug Technologies) for Credit card payment promises its nine million-plus members points that can be redeemed against rewards. In a way, the customer not only earn rewards while buying things on a Credit card, but also when making Credit Card payment through Cred.
I have commented on Cred’s strategically quirky ads and clutter breaker creative devices. Personally, I was never a huge fan of Cred advertising and found it crazy. It did not really make sense, with hardly a real call for action and flogging the same message for too long.
With time, the advertising started making some sense. Cred advertising is impressive enough on focussed consistency. The message format has changed yet it has retained its basic flow and quirkiness. I can now appreciate the structure and the advertising a bit better, but am simply stumped with the scale and need.
Cred advertising is still about the rewards on Credit card payments. Other features like Expose Hidden Charges. Track Spends. Clear Bills, Free Credit reports and scores, referral programmes, Get Rewarded, Peer-to-peer lending or pay Rent are not promoted.
Cred – BOWLS OVER WITH RAVI SHASTRI
With the Ravi Shastri Cred ad, Cred seemed to have bridged a gap. The ad is all about the performer’s perception and image. Coming in towards the last leg of IPL, the timing is right. Being a country that focusses a lot on cricket, viewers relate to the act as Ravi Shastri and his passion for drinks is a joke shared too often.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=vLHpfulLcUE
The ad is humorous. It exploits the media image of Ravi Shastri. It has dialogues that one may find crazy and cheesy, but they are on the dot. And then Cred promising more fun than what Shastri is having. That is the week link.
‘Sattar minute for happy hours’, ‘I used to be a batsman, but for you, I can be a keeper’, ‘Waste mat karo yaar’ are spot-on. The timing perfect. Add to them my favourite: the poker-faced answer at the press conference, ‘Hate Talking to sports journalists’.
The Cred Ravi Shastri ad, like any other Cred quirky ad, is gaining views on YouTube. The small write-up under the ad on the Cred YouTube channel is equally interesting. Here it is.
As Ravi Shastri, I want to make it very clear that all my parties are invite-only. But I admire our youth and their potential, so if you’re able to do all of the following, you’re automatically on the guest list: (1) Open beer bottles with a bat. If you ask how, you’re already out. (2) Analyse footage from the party to see where drinks were wasted (3) Bartend 24×7(4) Carry an extra case of cough syrup at all times (5) Parallel park the bar-counter
If you make the cut, congratulations. You’re never going to remember another night in your life again. But if you don’t, cheer up: you can find an equally rewarding experience on Cred. All for paying your credit card bills. Believe me, I know what’s fun. To join me as a member, download the app.
What Next With Cred Ads
If Cred remains true to its advertising SOP, we can expect a series of ads in the format where the Celebrity may project their unwarranted images. Maybe Shashi Tharoor, Kangana, Chetan Bhagat, and Salman Khan could be good extensions to the series. Maybe the next series can pick trends with social media influencers. Hope it remains away from the region, religion, sex and politics – the four pointers that tilt the Smear Index for any communication.
Cred Clutter Breaking Communication Recipe.
Something must be right. Cred claims ( as of Oct 2021) a 700% increase in app downloads after the 2020 audition campaign featuring Madhuri Dixit, Govinda, Alka Yagnik and Udit Narayan, Bappi Lahiri, and Anil Kapoor. And I was questioning – what the hell Cred was doing?
The next lot of communication has celebrities portraying images that you don’t associate with. The series featured Rahul Dravid, Jackie Shroff, Kumar Sanu, Venkatesh Prasad, Neeraj Chopra, and Kapil Dev. These were fun, and everyone had their favourite, with the Dravid ad being the most loved.
Then came the old era imagery with Karishma Kapoor in Nirma ad, Zee Antakshari with Renuka Shahane and Annu Kapoor, Sharma Ji-Gupta Ji, Shaan-Sonu Nigam song. I thought Cred was becoming too constrained with its own format and boundaries. And then it surprised us with Ravi Shastri ad that pushed me to rethink. The Ravi Shastri ad is fresh and one of the most enjoyable- but if it does anything to the business is a question mark. I will any day have the fun Ravi is having then go for the Fun of earning rewards by making Credit card payment on Cred.
Too Much Of Advertising!
That’s too many films in the last two-three years with not much to show in revenue other than valuation. So many celebrities and four format mutations. I may be bowled over with Cred Ravi Shastri for its timing and content. Still, I am stumped at the need and purpose of this considerable advertising.
Thanks to the advertising and some positive word of mouth, the brand enjoys a high recall and decent usage among Credit card users. However, the ad never made me want to check out or download the app. Maybe and hopefully, I am a minority. And perhaps the advertising is more cantered for VC, Investments and valuation.
Cred Not-so-Cred-ible Performance!
It is different when it comes to financials. Cred marketing spends outscore its revenue by huge multiples. It became a Unicorn within two years of launch, and the current expected valuation is around $6 Billion! And it behaved like one burning at a high rate.
Reports tell that Cred had a 95 cr total income and 88.6 revenue from operations in FY 21 (against 18.1 cr and 0.5 cr in FY 20), with total expenses at 619.4 cr and a loss of 523 cr in FY 21 (( against the expense of 3979 Cr and a loss of 361 cr in FY20)! Additionally, the marketing expenses themselves are pegged at 418 cr in FY21.
The brand seems to have launched or substantially grown products, including Cred Max, Cred Cash and Cred Travel which were not pushed aggressively with advertising.
One would here like to believe the founder Kunal Shah, statement: “At Cred, we are constantly working to enhance members’ experience to make it more engaging, frictionless and rewarding. With new design philosophy, gamified rewards constructs, best offers and high value jackpots, we are consolidating our message of rewarding the right financial decisions and the privileges that come by being a member of the Cred community.”
Will Cred Credibility get stronger in the future? We will have to wait and watch? Being Bowled by advertising is bad enough but getting stumped with financials is worse.
Dentsu India has announced the appointment of Saagar Sethi the President of its supply side management platform, Amplifi. In his new role, Sethi will lead the network’s Investment Management, Media Trading (Media Owner Services and Principal Buying) and Content (Original Partnerships & Entertainment) businesses in India. He will also have responsibility for helping drive the continued growth of The Story Lab and Posterscope, two specialist agency units within Dentsu which focus on entertainment production and Out of Home (OOH) capabilities, respectively. Sethi will report into Divya Karani, Media CEO, Dentsu – South Asia and work closely with the global Amplifi leadership.
Divya Karani
Commenting on the appointment, Karani said: “We are excited to have Saagar join our management team as we consolidate and prepare for the next stage of growth. In today’s increasingly complex media market, the experience he brings to the table will help us increase our client delivery skills in India.”
Added Sethi: “I have always been passionate about media. The timing of this opportunity could not have been better. This role complements my transformation experience and passion. I am committed to creating synergies and incremental value for all our clients, stakeholders, and partners, underpinned by the need of driving compliance and transparency. Truly, it is an exciting time to be at Dentsu India.”
Annalect India, an Omnicom group company, has announced the elevation of its executive leadership team in India. Effective immediately, Vishal Srivatsava, former President, Annalect India, will be taking up the role of Chief Executive Officer. Meanwhile, Kiran Guruswami will take charge as Chief Operating Officer, Kaushik Srinivasan will take charge as the Chief Client Officer, Devya Patney will take charge as the Chief People and Culture Officer.
In addition, Annalect India is launching three key organisations to drive growth and efficiency in the business outcomes and promoting leaders to take the charge of each.
The company will be completing their 10-year milestone journey in India this August as Omnicom’s delivery and capability centre. Annalect India currently has four Centres of Excellence in Gurugram, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad, with a strength of over 1200+ employees in the field of Tech, Creative Services, Marketing Science, Media and Global Shared Services.
Speaking on the occasion, Steve Tobengauz, Chief Financial Officer & Chief Operating Officer, Annalect Group, said: “We will be celebrating our 10-year anniversary, this August. So far this year, we have witnessed immense growth in talent, and support from Omnicom Group partners. We are confident of our strategy given the solid results and are going to double this year and expected to quadruple in next few years.”
Added Srivastava: ” I take immense pride and satisfaction in leading such an amazing group of talent at Annalect India. As I take on the role of CEO, I also believe it takes a team to get the job done and support from everyone as we work towards it. I am privileged and thankful to be surrounded by great leaders in this organization. We are excited about the great future of our organization and the business value it delivers to Omnicom agencies and their clients.”
As a kid when radio was the primary source of entertainment, news and advertisements, ads would resort to jingles to be memorable. Memorable was the keyword but there was another reason for the same. In a short jingle one could mention two-three brand benefits, sometimes more. Take Nirma for example. It was doodh ki safedi, rangeen kapda, sabki pasand, dher saari jhaag, Or Vicco Turmeric and many more. Of course there were some memorable ads that had singular refrain, Vicks; gale mein khich khich or Lifebuoy hai jahan tandoorasti hai wahan.
With the advent of TV, the songs were accentuated with dances. The Zupee ad exemplifies this. An old song tune which resonates to Zupee has been remixed and there is a whole lot of song and dance added to it. Thankfully choreographed and executed by professional dancers.
Thankful because, with the advent of film and sports celebrities we started having a cocktail; song, dance and celebrity. IPL of course started a new trend wherein sponsor brands could use many team players. Kingfisher was the pioneer of this strategy with the Ooh la la la leo campaign featuring three-four main players from almost all teams singing and dancing to the Kingfisher jingle, rather awkwardly. And then Jio took over doing exactly the same with dhan dhana dhan campaign. It does lead to some hilarious moments with sports celebrities trying their best to emote and show off their two left foot.
So, I was very thankful when Meesho, having sponsored four IPL teams did not go the song and dance route. They have still used the top three-four players who are trying their best to act and say “arre wah”. And the benefit is also straightforward and simple. Unseen variety, unheard prices. I am not a big fan of using celebrities or song and dance as to me it is a reflection of lazy strategy, indeed, no strategy at all. But Meesho has done a better job than the above mentioned brands.
Talking of song, Tata Neu sticks on to its lure of Neu pass coins or rewards. With a song. Of course the song very cleverly showcases the mindboggling range that the Neu app offers. From a lotta to a latte to a shoe to an air ticket to a laptop and so on. But the product, the App, still leaves me in tangles.
I had spoken about Swiggy Instamart recently, lauding their quick delivery premise without getting into specifics of 10 minutes or 19 minutes, but still owning quick delivery. Dunzo has taken the route of freshness to highlight quick delivery. The execution though was not at all convincing. After all a fridge is used to do much more than just keep groceries fresh. And then it could also not escape the lure of mentioning 19 minutes. If you have it flaunt it.
There is also no escape from celebrities. Just when one thought that all sports celebrities have been exhausted in the use of fantasy games brands, the quintessential Shah Rukh Khan pops up. This time for a game site called A23. This ad though is quite a change and relief from other celebrity ads. Some iconic dialogues of Mr Khan’s movies are used to illustrate that one can meet and play with many interesting people. A debateable, or at least a thought provoking angle, especially when online games are seen to make people more anti social and introvert.
Talking about Mr Khan, did you see his Byju’s ad which focusses on doubt clearing? We were till now focussing on the pressure on students to deliver. But now the pressure shifts onto the Byju’s teachers. Looks like they have to be on call all the time to clear the student’s doubt. Phew! Never thought I will see the day when teachers will be available on demand too. We do live in interesting times.
Since this was the last week of IPL, my editor suggested that maybe I should decide on the Top 4 ads of the season. Like the Top 4 play-off teams. But with IPL being unusual in so many respects, I decided to do something unusual too. What if we had an IPL ads awards? Not just the best four, but look at many more. So, here is a list of the categories and the winners.
Oh, before I forget, these awards are sponsored by MF, as yeh bilkul sahi nahin hai.
The Paisa Vasool Entertainment Award is a toss-up between the Ravi Shastri Cred ad and the Swiggy Instamart Dolly Aa Rahi Hai ad.
While at Swiggy Instamart we cannot forget Dunzo. It gets the award in the Prophet of Doom category for announcing the demise of refrigerators in the midst of summer.
Spotify gets the award in the Saannu Ki category for using music to blank out all the worldly debates.
The Hum Nahin Sudherenge Award goes to Jio for its song and dance routine by cricket stars season after season.
Jio also wins the Can’t Act for Nuts, Can’t Dance for Nuts Award for forcing cricketers to dance and act year after year.
The undisputed winner of the Cooked Up Nostalgia Award goes to Dream 11 Ashwin ad.
Pepsi Salman Khan double role ad is the winner of the Faulty Time Machine category.
Pepsi is the winner again, in the Tag Line with an Asterisk category. It was the sole entry but the 7 point, 50 word explanation of the asterisk in the last three seconds of the ad made it a clear winner.
The Good from Far but Far from Good Award is again a toss-up. This time between the Kareena Kapoor MedNet and Aamir Khan PharmEasy ads.
The MedNet ad also won the Jab We Net category award, courtesy the Railways.
The Indigo paint ad featuring Dhoni was the clear winner in the No Animal was Harmed while Shooting an Ad category, as the only people who suffered were human beings like us.
Bas Naam hi Kaafi Hai Award goes to all ads featuring Dhoni.
PhonePe Aamir and Aalia ads get Police Story Indian version award.
Meesho ads are the recipient of the Wah, Kya Scene Hai award.
Tata Neu is the winner of the It Happens Only in India award for raising hopes of spending on a honeymoon by buying a sui (needle).
The Study, Study, More Study Award goes to Byju’s + Aakash classes and the Money, Money, More Money Award goes to all fintech companies except PayTM.
PayTM gets the Neend Se Jaago Award for explaining the concept of UPI five years after its launch.
Vimal, Kamla Pasand and Budweiser get the Cock a Snook Award for neatly bypassing rules and regulatory bodies.
Jiomart gets the impossible is nothing award for letting Ranveer Singh be a normal person.
A special award to Aamir Khan in the category, Any Publicity is Good Publicity, for asking Rashid Khan about the Eid spread that Rashid made for his teammates. Not an ad? You are wrong. Am sure his next release is round the corner. And as I write this, I see a trailer for his new film releasing in August. The interview was a quid pro quo for screening the trailer. Self-promotion.
And finally, if you do see this last award below being mentioned, then it means my editor does not read my columns.
The biggest award of the season, the KLPD Award goes to Tata Neu for having a great set of teasers but then the revelation being like a hole in the sui.
Do you have any more categories to suggest?
Disclaimer: Tsk Tsk Tsk. All of you with dirty minds….KLPD stands for Kaise Log Proposition Dubate hain
Vikas Mehta is a senior strategic advisor and educator based in Dehradun. This is the second season that he’s been reviewing ads around the IPL coverage. His views here are personal.
Cred, the Bengaluru-based fintech company (Dreamplug Technologies) for Credit card payment promises its nine million-plus members points that can be redeemed against rewards. In a way, the customer not only earn rewards while buying things on a Credit card, but also when making Credit Card payment through Cred.
Annalect India, an Omnicom group company, has announced the elevation of its executive leadership team in India. Effective immediately, Vishal Srivatsava, former President, Annalect India, will be taking up the role of Chief Executive Officer. Meanwhile, Kiran Guruswami will take charge as Chief Operating Officer, Kaushik Srinivasan will take charge as the Chief Client Officer, Devya Patney will take charge as the Chief People and Culture Officer.
By Vikas Mehta