Category: DIVAS UPCLOSE

(Experience – 16 years)

Vaishali has over 16 years of experience in Media Planning/Buying ranging across a vast set of clients like Nestle, Samsung, Reckitt Benckiser, Madura Garments, General Motors, Gillette, Intel, TVS Motor , Wipro Consumer Care, ING etc. Her career graph reads thus: worked for seven years in Delhi (2 years with Mudra/ 5 years with Universal McCann); in mid 2002, she moved to Bangalore to set up UM Bangalore office and managed TVS Motor, Intel and Madura Garment’s media business. After the merger of Lodestar and UM in 2007, she has been heading and leading the Bangalore office of Lodestar UM.

 

On what drives her to give out her best, she says: “My work reflects the deep understanding of my client’s business as well as the Indian consumer and I guide my clients to accomplish their business objective by providing effective media solutions. I have built a strong team in LUM Bangalore in the last 9 years and have nurtured a lot of talent in the industry today.”

 

When asked on choosing media planning and buying as a career option, she said: “Looking back, I always wanted to do something in the area of communication. The course in MICA offered me an opportunity to work in media and what better than spending time in understanding the Indian consumers and help brands connect with them in the most innovative/engaging way. Given the evolution of media, it kept offering me newness at work each day.”

 

(Experience: 16 years)

Since she was indecisive about her career of choice, Malik opted for Psychology Honours from Delhi University as it was not only a subject of her interest, but would have also helped in any field that she chose later. Fascinated by the ad world, she opted for a diploma course in Advertising and PR and in 1995 entered the world of advertising with little knowledge of media. Her journey began in the industry with four months of training at Lintas Media.

 

From then on, Hema Malik has spent over 16 years in the industry, and most of these years are with her current agency, Lodestar UM. She manages both media panning /buying, content integrations for clients like TTL, Coke, MasterCard, Whirlpool, HCL, Metlife, etc. She did do a brief detour to TME to handle their Airtel planning business but she was called back by UM.

 

Recounting her highpoint, Malik said that it came with her client Tata Docomo. It was for this brand that they truly managed to own a unique mindspace among the youth which is not just a target segment but 2/3rd of nation’s population. “We truly imbibed the brand essence of ‘Do the New’ in media and there was nothing USUAL, nothing common and nothing expected in the media launch. We changed the rules of the game from defining the role of each medium to the way they were consumed. The brand was a success with highest new subscriber gain, creating a community of Docomites! And we guys had awards and lots of fun,” she reminisces.

 

Another highpoint for Hema Malik was Coke Studio. Says Malik: “I was proud to be a member of the team launching this music platform in India. One of the biggest learning opportunities for me driving not just media partnership but also content partnership, consumer engagement initiatives, etc. Excitedly look forward to the next season.”

 

Apart from a professional stint, Malik is also a trained painter. She finds anything from a blank sheet of paper to a plain wall very stimulating. Hema Malik is happily married and is mother to two kids.

 

Experience: 16 years

Aditi Mishra has been in the industry for over 16 years, pursuing creation and execution of client-centred communication solutions. Her experience spans across a range of categories like technology, lifestyle, auto and consumer goods.

 

Working with both Indian as well as multinational clients has enabled Aditi to develop an easy and expert handling of the global client needs while delivering locally relevant solutions on ground. With a passion for crafting innovative solutions to client issues, she has driven the team to win awards at various advertising forum for clients like Coke, Microsoft, Madura Garments and others.

 

A key member of the Lodestar Universal team, Aditi’s role is to drive the strategic content across offices, ensuring superior communication solution delivery for clients.

 

Answering MxM’s query as to why she opted for media planning and buying, Aditi said: “I stumbled into it during my management course during my summer training at Gillette where we had to evaluate the role that media played in their mix. Those were the initial years when TV was gaining ground – with new channels being launched and DD started its metro channel. Post training, I was hooked- and it’s only become more complex and challenging ever since!”

 

As the Managing Director, South Asia of one of the fastest growing agencies in India, Shubha George has been responsible for steering MEC to great heights over the past few years. Her passion and decision-making skills have earned her laurels from clients and colleagues alike. In fact she has been giving a tough run for Group M India’s other big agencies who are compelled to perform better and stay ahead in the race to the top. It is her dedication to her work and family that makes her a diva in a true sense.

 

In conversation with MxM India’s Ritu Midha, Shubha George takes time out to explain her dedication to her profession, how women professionals of today stack up against their male contemporaries and what is it that makes the women TG a hit with the marketers.

 

Do you agree that men are from Mars and women from Venus?

[youtube width=”400″ height=”225″]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiOxZsa0CQU[/youtube]

If you are having trouble in viewing this video, see link

It is true in some cases – not always. If I look at the way in which men and women approach certain things or in their areas of interest, in some cases it is true. But not the way it is made out to be.

 

To what extent do the preferences and priorities of the two genders differ?

In India in advertising, as that is the sector I am familiar with – there is not too much difference in the way men and women approach corporate world or deal with business etc. I am told that it is more of an exception than the rule, and other industries are somewhat different.

 

From a consumer and purchase behavior point of view, yes, there are some differences intrinsically in how men and women shop and that does make a difference in how you would communicate to them. Men are easier shoppers than women – who are far more involved and inquisitive. You would rarely find a woman who walks into a store, heads to the isle from where she wants to buy things and heads out. She definitely explores more, and shows interest in things that she did not necessarily plan to buy. Men generally tend to be point A to point B shoppers – so they know what they want, and pick up what they want, and are out of there.

 

The woman of today, especially from metros and big cities has evolved rapidly and is seen as a key decision maker. What would you attribute this change to?
Women are involved in a lot more stronger way in decision-making processes. But what I find increasingly surprising – and I was also of the view that more and more women are involved in decision making but research that we have done for brands shows that men – even if you look at household products, which are your regular household shopping baskets, in 50% of the households decision is made by the head of the household, which is typically a man. He even makes decisions on things like what soap, paste and oil to buy. So, if you look at a larger set of households, and not only very upmarket and affluent households, role of man is very high. Difference perhaps is that influence of women in purchase decision making is definitely increasing. Reasons for same are greater exposure, more availability of communication tools, higher education levels – even if you go towards the lower end of pop strata of society. They have a point of view and that is communicated even if they are not the people in the last mile – actually going out and closing shopping, but they do influence what goes into that basket. However, there is some distance to go – even as compared to other Asian countries, when it comes to what role women should play.

 

What, in your view, is the key to reaching the upmarket women in the most effective way?

One of the mistakes we make in the media business is that we assume that women are watching a lot of TV – which is true when it comes to majority of India – but when you get into more SEC A1++ women, the amount of television they watch is relatively lower as compared to the mass based women. The difference is that when we look at planning for premium audiences among men we are very very conscious that they do not watch too much television, and how else and what else should we communicate. But same degree of attention to amount of television they watch is probably not there. So I would say that yes they watch television, but they watch very less of it and they are very selective about what they watch. There are some typical programmes that they follow but it is not that they would have some free time and they would be surfing television. Role of digital media is definitely increasing. Most of them have access to Internet, whether it is on their cellphone, or at home – and they are rather avid consumers of digital media.

 

Newspapers, especially supplements continue to be read. I am a bit of doubter on the role of magazines – data too shows that it is declining. Apart from that, in consumer groups that we do, and people we meet, instances of reading magazines is very very low.

 

As for women professionals in media, would you say they have some inherent characteristics that make them excel in the business?

A couple of them, yes. Women have a greater degree of attention to detail – which I think is very important in media business because all said and done, we still deal with a lot of numbers and spreadsheets – and it requires attention to detail. But that is at an operational and executional level. In general, and it is not only true of media, women multitask a lot more. So even when their working world is a little chaotic, they manage with multiple elements of pressure points which are there within that. Women, by and large, tend to be a little more patient – that also helps in an environment like media where there are a lot of pressures. Maybe because, as we know Roda Mehta for example, was one of the earliest successes in the industry, and also from the time the media industry was evolving, a number of women leaders were there. Probably it was very aspirational for other women who were coming in – and also comforting that you already had women leadership.

 

Finally, how would you define your journey in the media industry so far?

Well I am still here – so I guess it has been good. I really enjoyed whatever I have done till date. I primarily worked with one organization. And yet within that I have been fortunate to have very varied set of experiences. And it is really the strength of Group M that it does offer you opportunities to grow and evolve. I have taken advantage of opportunities that came my way – and it has been fantastic. I would recommend that this industry and particularly the company I work for is a great place for women.

 

The Indian media has been particularly lucky to have no gender barriers. Media and creative agencies, television channels, newspapers and magazines and even the newer crop of digital agencies are run by women and men in equal measure.

 

In fact in most cases there is no discrimination. It is perhaps unfair to the captains of these agencies to be categorized by gender, because that they are men or women has not in any way played a role in their ascent or day-to-day work. However, a lot still needs to be done across the country.

 

Hence, when we started work on this microsite, we were concerned that we are playing to the stereotype. We aren’t. In Diva Upclose, sponsore by BIG CBS LOVE, we speak to the power women in the industry and profile emerging talent in an attempt to inspire more women to get to the profession.

 

Although media buying and planning have existed ever since advertising began formally, it’s only in the last two decades that we have seen this sector blossom. A lot of credit for this would go to Roda Mehta, who is respected and admired in the industry even today.

 

And then, of course, we have Lynn De Souza and Ambika Srivastava, women at the helm in two of the most powerful media agencies in the country – Lintas Media Group and Vivaki Exchange respectively. Both fine examples of powerwomen and media professionals par excellence.

 

The club of power mediawomen has many more members or ‘Divas’ – firm in their belief, rock solid in their standing, having admirable acumen for their work and managing their work, teams, and of course their clients with aplomb. These are (in alphabetical order of their first names) Anamika Mehta (COO, Lodestar UM), Anupriya Acharya (Leader, Client Leadership, South Asia at Mindshare Fulcrum), Basabdutta Chowdhury (CEO, Platinum Media), Divya Gupta (CEO, Dentsu Media), Jasmin Sohrabji (Managing Director, OMD), Mona Jain (CEO, Vivaki Exchange), Nandini Dias (COO, Lodestar UM) and Shubha George (CEO, South Asia, MEC). And then, of course, there is Lara Balsara (Director, Madison Communications).

 

However, our list of power mediawomen does not end here. There are many more showing their might, or already on the expressway to the top. On the fast lane, but steadily so. Presenting to you these Emerging Stars (in Box below, segregated based on number of years they have put in the industry). In case you find any names missing or wrongly listed – please mail the Series Editor Ritu Midha at ritum@mxmindia.com. Meanwhile, enjoy DIVAS UPCLOSE.

 

 DIVAS – EMERGING STARS

 

 

(Experience: 15 years)

Vanita Keswani is a recognized media professional with over 15 years of experience, who has carved a niche for herself in the field of Media. By dint of sheer hard work coupled with an incisive and analytical mind as well as a keen eye for details, Vanita has risen to the coveted position of Chief Operating Officer, Madison Media Sigma, in Madison Communications Pvt Ltd, Mumbai.

 

Vanita graduated with an Honours degree in Pyschology from Delhi University in the year 1990 and this background has stood her in good stead in her working life. She did her MBA from the Times School of Marketing, New Delhi, in their very first batch and also earned a Diploma in Advertising and Marketing Management from the Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan, New Delhi. During her school & college days, she was known for her debating skills and a talent for music, both vocal and instrumental.

 

She started her career with a stint in the Times of India Group, where she earned her initial spurs in the profession by working in their Product Development team, Distribution Wing, Times FM Sales, and other departments of the Group. She joined Madison in 1997, and has never looked back since then in climbing the ladder of success. Over the years, she has handled Clients like Coca Cola, Kinetic, Godrej, Dish TV, Pidilite, Tata AIG Life among others.

 

Vanita is married to Hiroo Keswani, who is a cinematographer, an FTII PUNE alumni working in Mumbai and they have a daughter Aashna, who is schooling in Mumbai.

 

As to why she opted for media planning, she explains, “I chose Media Planning due to an interest in advertising and media coupled with a keen sense of analytics. More importantly, what makes me stick on to this profession is the fact that it throws up newer challenges almost every day and I thrive on that.”

 

(Experience: 15 years)

 

 

Samhita Bakre is currently the Associate Vice President at OMD and has been at OMD right from its inception. Before OMD, she worked at MediaCom (Grey), Starcom & Ambience Media.

 

Her client portfolio boasts quite a handful including Johnson & Johnson, Marico, Godrej Soaps, Godrej GE, Lakme, Kotak Mahindra, Balsara Hygiene, DHL, Deutsche Bank, Wyeth Laboratories, Ambuja Cement, Parle Agro, Reliance Communications, Standard Chartered Bank etc.

 

Being a graduate in Statistics from Ruia College and a PG degree from Bombay University, Bakre always wanted to be a teacher and started teaching Maths & Stats. But thanks to one “not so bright guy”, she realised that she did not have the patience to be able to deal with all sorts of students. Shared Bakre: “I realised I should not do injustice to students by being impatient towards them. Also, after spending a year in teaching, I realised that I’m not enjoying it beyond a point. Someone told me, if you are a Stats grad, get into Media planning and that’s how I landed up in this profession.”

 

Sharing her stance on the medium today Bakre says: “Unlike today, where there are courses related to mass media/advertising & you get entry into the field as a trainee at least, those were the days where everyone wanted experienced people. But I was lucky enough that Cedric Miranda, who used to head Media at Ambience, gave me a break. Though I entered this field unknowingly, I stayed here because I loved it and I always will.”

 

(Experience: 15 years)

With a professional career spanning 15 years, Sonali began her journey with Grey 15 years ago as a Media Planner. From there, she moved on to HTA before she got married and had to leave the country for the next 12 years.

 

She worked in Dubai and Australia with ZO, OMD and even did a three year stint in consumer research. Having had enough of the outside world, Sonali came back to Mindshare and closer to her home. Since then, she has been working as Client Leader with Mindshare Gurgaon.

 

Sharing an anecdote from the past, Sonali says: “I remember when I was doing my PG, and showed inclination towards Client Servicing, one of my mentors wryly commented: “here goes another one, she’d rather chase artworks and function as an exalted courier and not use her brains towards making a difference”. It almost felt wrong not to do something about such a strong statement… Well, here I am today and you don’t see me complaining…so I guess something I must have done something right many years ago…

 

(Experience: 15 years)

 

Ruma Sengupta presently works for MPG India, Havas Media Group, as Chief Strategy Officer, India. Ruma comes with 15 years of experience and expertise across Marketing, Branding, Innovation, Sales & Distribution & Ms. Ruma’s diverse experience also includes working in senior marketing roles at Adlabs Films Limited owned by Reliance ADAG, United Spirits Limited at UB Group and Ranbaxy Laboratories Limited. She was most recently with Synovate as Director-Business Insight, where she was responsible for key international clients across FMCG categories. Ruma’s longest stint has been with Ranbaxy Global Consumer Healthcare, where she launched OTC & DTC business and managed it successfully through marketing and sales-distribution.

 

Based out of Mumbai, Ruma works closely with MPG’s four key offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai, to take charge of the agency’s strategic offering and product development in keeping with the vision of Leading New Thinking. She also takes custodianship of Havas Media’s proprietary tools and processes. Ruma reports into S K Biswas, Chief Strategy Officer – APAC of Havas Media, based out of Singapore.

 

As to what made media planning & buying her profession of choice, she says: “Conceptualizing and managing Media strategy comes naturally to anyone with a branding & marketing exposure, but very few cross over from corporate side to the media side. I chose to do so because I was keen on a strategy role and one that will optimally use my marketing & business management skills. In MPG, this is possible because here the client’s business is managed with a marketing focus. The thought leadership and the use of differentiated strategic tools geared more towards marketing objective of the brand highly motivated me to consider joining the media side of business.”

 

(Experience: 13 years)

 

Shailja Vohra has been part of the Television Industry for over 13 years. Her work has taken her to over two continents Europe and Asia for content sourcing. She has hands-on experience of television programming, content strategy, acquisition, advertising revenue generation and consulting for the NGO sector.

 

She has a special passion for TV and film acquisition and has extensive knowledge of the same. Being part of the start-up teams of new ventures, she has successfully acquired content for several channels. Shailja has a unique perspective and first hand experience of lifestyle, infotainment and word movies space. She has an innate awareness of cultural sensitivities and audience needs, and the expertise required to run the programming of a Pay TV channel. Shailja is a strategist and planner, and is a detail-oriented professional, organized and systematized in her approach to work.

 

Prior to ESP Maxus, Shailja has worked for Fox Traveler channel where she headed the Acquisition responsibilities for the Network. Prior to that, she was appointed as the Acquisition and Operations head for National Geographic & Fox International Channels in India. As a special assignment she was instrumental in sourcing the best history and travel content for Fox History and Entertainment and Fox Traveler channel (first Travel channel of India). There she was responsible for laying down the acquisition guidelines and content strategy. In 2009, she did content consulting with FOX channel, wherein she devised content strategy for Fox History and Entertainment channel. In 2007 she turned her focus to movie genre. She got involved in programming, producing both live and filmed television content for UTV World Movies (India’s first international movie channel). Earlier in 2004, Shailja turned her passion towards her true calling – Programming for Discovery Channel, Animal Planet. Later she was assigned the senior role of Acquisition and Programming for Discovery Travel and Living channel (TLC- India’s first lifestyle channel).

 

As for her entry into them domain, Shailja started her career media in T.V. advertising revenue generation with Zee Networks and later continued in the same field with Discovery Channel and Animal Planet till the end of 2003. In the short span of 4 years she was a star performer. She was duly recognized by the company at regular intervals, making her one of the youngest managers in the company. Her style was well appreciated by the industry which was a mix of innovation and research. She has good business sense and is an ace at negotiating the best deals. In that period she managed to generate many ideas and trivia’s for her clients base to name a few; Nestle, Goodyear, Samsung, Hughes Software, Canon.

 

Apart from work, she has tremendous liking to a few hobbies like writing poems (she has a collection of over 100 poems), penning down her thoughts in her blog, charcoal sketching, yoga instructor at the Art of Living Foundation, etc.

 

 

(Experience: 11 years)

 

Rajni is a graduate from MICA with experience across functional areas like Strategic Planning, Buying, Digital Integration etc. she is currently heading Strategic Planning, Trading & Training in Aegis Media. Her earlier roles include National Trading Head for Unilever at Mindshare Fulcrum,  Investment lead on PepsiCo, Motorola, Castrol, and Onida.

 

In the past, Rajni Menon has worked with GroupM, Lintas Media Group, McCann Erickson, Zenith Optimedia and Madison Communications, on brands such as Maruti Suzuki, Coca Cola India, Reckitt Benckiser, Gillette and Bacardi.

 

Sharing her tryst with media she said: “When I was entering the world of advertising, Media was just coming into its own and offered immense possibilities of new thinking. Even after more than a decade it is still evolving and there’s something new to learn every day.”

 

Experience: 12 years

 

Alka Pillai has been into media planning for the past 12 years. She has worked on different categories and with different clients like P&G, Godrej, Essel group, Pidilite, TTN, Lodha, Tata AIG, Blue Star.

 

“I got into media planning because it is very dynamic and every day is action oriented. Being in media gives me the dual advantage of interacting with smart professionals from both, the clients’ and channel’s end. It allows me to gain fresh perspective on things every single day.”