MxMIndia

Tag: Adfactors PR

  • To enhance the company's brand positioning

    Angel One gets Adfactors for its PR

    By Our Staff

     

    Fintech player Angel One has appointed Adfactors PR as its strategic public relations partner.

     

    Commenting on the partnership, Prabhakar Tiwari, Chief Growth Officer of Angel One, said: “In the ever-changing business world, we know that effective communication is key to maintaining our market leadership perception. We are working with Adfactors PR, a renowned PR agency with deep knowledge of the fintech sector, to help us skillfully communicate our growing portfolio and future vision, and set new industry standards. We are excited to work together to create narratives that align with our goals and help us communicate our position as a fintech market leader.”

     

    Added Arwa Husain, Director, Financial Services, at Adfactors Public Relations: “We are excited to partner with Angel One and contribute to their growth journey. Angel One has established itself as a leader in the fintech space, and we look forward to supporting Angel One strengthen their brand presence and connect with their target audience through enhancing reputation and delivering strategic, integrated communications programmes.”

     

  • To help expand its footprint

    Adfactors PR wins mandate for Eveready

    By Our Staff

     

    Eveready India Industries Ltd. the battery, flashlights and lighting products major, has awarded its public relations mandate to Adfactors PR.

     

    Said Anirban Banerjee, Senior Vice President & Business Unit Head – Battery & Flashlight: “We are thrilled to appoint Adfactors PR as the communication partner for Eveready. It is essential for us to be more visible amongst our target audience and to let our consumers know that we are more than just batteries. Given the strategic expertise of Adfactors PR we intend to further strengthen our brand position & recall as well as scale up the arc of influence among key opinion leaders, media and Gen-Z cohorts for our overall business. It is especially important to shape the stories of various new launches, including a state-of-the-art range of Rechargeable Flashlights, Ultima Alkaline Batteries, Coin Batteries, Instacharge Emergency LED bulbs and more.”

     

    Added Adfactors PR Chief Executive Officer Nijay N Nair: “As portable energy and smart lighting solutions gain importance, it is an appropriate moment for Eveready India to harness the tremendous power of public relations to expand its footprint. With our pan-India presence, Adfactors PR is well-placed to turbocharge Eveready’s communications campaign and ensure its products gain greater popularity across geographies. Brand Eveready will now build on its glorious century-long legacy and will reach even greater heights over the coming years. We are delighted to take on this mandate.”

     

  • Organized by the Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI)

    Adfactors PR wins PRPCL cricket tournament

    By Our Staff

     

    Adfactors United, the Cricket team of India’s largest PR consultancy firm, emerged winners of the Public Relations’ Premier Cricket League (PRPCL) 2023, West Edition, organized by the Public Relations Consultants Association of India (PRCAI).

     

    In the first match of the tournament, Adfactors United set a new record in the history of PRPCL, by scoring 131 runs in just six overs. The team entered finals with a positive net run rate of +4.77 and also, maintained the highest net run rate throughout the tournament with a difference of +2.

     

    Commenting on the win, Nijay N. Nair, CEO, Adfactors PR, said: “For us, sports is very deeply integrated into the cultural fabric of Adfactors PR. Be it our internal development programs or our representation in all industry-level competitions, we take the sportsperson spirit seriously. To bring the trophy home fills our hearts with pride and joy. We will continue to support our people to pursue sports just as they pursue work – with focused effort, love, and perseverance.”

     

  • He moves to TBWA from Adfactors PR where he led digital-first integrated creative mandates with the company and helped scale up its digital practice

    TBWA appoinst Ranjeev Vij as MD

    By Our Staff

     

    TBWA\India has appointed Ranjeev Vij to the role of managing director, Nissan United 3.0 and Executive Director north, with immediate effect. In his new role, Vij will be tasked with further elevating the impact of the Nissan United team, along with “driving an ambitious growth strategy for the agency”. He moves to TBWA from Adfactors PR where he led digital-first integrated creative mandates with the company and helped scale up its digital practice.

     

    Speaking on Vij’s appointment, Govind Pandey, chief executive officer at TBWA\India said: “Having someone with Ranjeev’s unique blend of expertise in the intersection of consumer experience, technology, data, and design will only further accelerate our ambition to be the leader in total brand experience and disruptive thinking. We look forward to what will be a very exciting year for the team and the business.”

     

  • Recent inductees include Ofield Dukes, Maril Gagen MacDonald and Dave Samson

    Madan Bahal inducted into Page Hall of Fame

    By Our Staff

     

    Madan Bahal, Co-founder and Managing Director of Adfactors PR will be inducted into the Page Hall of Fame at the Page Annual Conference on September 18 in Chicago. This recognises lifetime achievement in corporate communication by individuals who have made a significant impact on the enterprises they have served or counselled.

     

    Said Maril Gagen MacDonald, founder and CEO of Gagen MacDonald and chair of the Page Honors Committee: “Madan’s strategic and reputation management counsel is sought after by many CEOs of the most prominent Indian companies, including the Tata Group, the Mahindra Group and the Godrej Group,” “They rely on him for guidance on the most pressing issues affecting their corporate reputation, corporate governance, sustainability and business strategy, including virtually every major merger and acquisition transaction in recent years.”

     

    Recent inductees to the Page Hall of Fame include PR Pioneer and Civil Rights Leader Ofield Dukes, Maril Gagen MacDonald, founder and CEO of Gagen MacDonald and Dave Samson, Vice Chairman of Corporate Affairs at Edelman.

     

  • Initiative in collaboration with CIBA and SPTBI to nurture startup ecosystem by developing go-to-market communication strategies

    Adfactors PR signs MoU with Mumbai Incubators

    By A Correspondent

     

    Leading public relations consultancy Adfactors PR has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mumbai-based Incubators – Centre for Incubation and Business Acceleration (CIBA) and Sardar Patel Technology Business Incubator (SPTBI) – to support emerging startup entrepreneurs in building their go-to-market communication strategies.  CIBA and SPTBI are supported by Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. The firm recently launched a new practice designed to support communication strategies in frontier areas such as Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning (ML), Robotics, Quantum Computing, Analytics and Autonomous Mobility.

     

    Said CIBA CEO Prasad Menon: “As a not-for-profit technology business incubator, we have committed ourselves to enabling disruptors. Our incubatees have challenged the Goliaths of the industry with the power of technology that allows them to reach and communicate with prospective customers at relatively low cost and high speed. Therefore for the incubatees, right communication strategy is important and for an incubator a right partner like Adfactors PR is even more important. We look forward to creating value together for these tech innovators.”

     

    Added SPTBI Chairperson B N Chaudhari: “SP-TBI is a hub of innovation is the city centre. With talent coming from Tech, Engineering and Management background; SP-TBI is striving to become a known name among entrepreneurs. We believe that this partnership with Adfactors is one such step. The mutual goal of developing an entrepreneurial ecosystem will surely deepen this relationship. We are happy to see a fresh journey with Adfactors PR.”

     

    Said Adfactors PR Co-Founder and Managing Director Madan Bahal: “Over the last 22 years, Adfactors PR has built a market-leading position supporting the aspirations of a multitude of Indian entrepreneurs. As an independent Indian firm, it is our privilege to partner with CIBA and SPTBI to build India’s future techpreneurs – who are defined by an exponential view of the future. With our vast multi-specialist capabilities, the firm is well-equipped to support today’s start-ups evolve into tomorrow’s decacorns.”

     

     

  • New practice designed to bridge the worlds of innovation and civic society

    Adfactors PR launches ‘Frontier Technologies’ practice

    By A Correspondent

     

    Adfactors PR has launched a specialist offering, the Frontier Technologies practice, to address new and emerging technology sectors including artificial intelligence, big data, machine learning and nano technology.

     

    The offering will specifically serve the requirements and opportunities facing emerging technology companies, in addition to mainstream businesses deploying next-generation technologies such as Blockchain, artificial intelligence, machine learning and autonomous mobility across their operations.

     

    The practice will be led nationally by the firm’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Roger Darashah, supported by a team of specialists. In Mumbai, it will be led by Sandeep Ajgaonkar, Vice-President, Adfactors PR, who was formerly Senior General Manager, Digital & Direct Marketing at Sun Pharmaceutical and, earlier, Editor & Marketing Head for Express Computer Magazine. In Bengaluru, by T V Mahalingam, Senior Group Head and former National Technology Editor at The Economic Times and in Delhi by Priti Setia, Group Head, who recently joined the firm from Edelman where she was Co-Lead, Integration, Delhi. The practice will be supported by Adfactors PR’s extended team including data scientists, programmers and developers.

     

    Adfactors PR Co-Founder and Managing Director Madan Bahal explained that the practice reflected the distinct communications challenges facing companies incorporating and deploying emerging technologies: “In this field, technical understanding is a crucial but insufficient competence.  Communicators also need to be able to understand public sentiment – informed or otherwise, anticipate risks and opportunities, and navigate incomplete regulatory frameworks,” he noted.

     

    Added Darashah: “While such technologies are becoming increasingly complex and impenetrable to non-specialists, discussions about their impact are actually becoming more mainstream.  Today, the requirement for technologists to explain and address the societal implications of their offerings to broader audiences – customers, partners and employees as well as regulators – has never been more crucial.”

     

     

  • Phase 1 of 9-month PG programme to be completed by June 2020

    Adfactors, Upgrad to train PR professionals in digital mktg

    By A Correspondent

     

    PR major Adfactors PR has signed an MoU with leading education company Upgrad to train 300 of its client-servicing employees in a post-graduate certification programme on digital marketing and communications. The course has been designed by experts from MICA with additional modules co-created with Adfactors PR, for PR professionals.

     

    The objective, notes a communique, of this transformational initiative is to foster a 360-degree digital ecosystem-readiness within the firm by building a deep understanding of social media, online reputation management, multimedia content capabilities, content marketing, digital analytics, campaign planning, and digital crisis management skills.

     

    While the first batch of over 100 employees, drawn from the Delhi and Bengaluru offices of Adfactors PR, have already started their training, two other batches of 100 each will start from August 16 and October 1, respectively. The course will have participation across levels from Account Executives to Vice-Presidents.

     

    The entire programme is funded by Adfactors PR for all its employees. The Phase 1 of this program, to be completed by June 2020, will be followed by Phase 2, where the remaining 300 client-servicing executives will complete this training.

     

    Said Mayank Kumar, Co-founder and Managing Director, Upgrad: “Adfactors PR’s endeavour is the largest digital transformation initiative that we have seen from a non-IT company. This unique enterprise partnership fits in wonderfully with upGrad’s own vision that in an ever-changing industry, professionals need to continuously upskill themselves in order to stay relevant. We are extremely happy to see that a new-age PR firm is also committed to a similar goal.”

     

    Added Madan Bahal, Co-founder and Managing Director, Adfactors PR: “As India’s leading PR firm, we have to be future-ready to meet the evolving needs of our clients. For our employees, such comprehensive education will serve as a bridge to migrate to the digital future. By March 2021, we expect every single employee of the firm to have post-graduate capabilities in digital marketing and communications.”

     

     

  • He will be based out of the firm’s Bengaluru office

    Journalist Boby Kurian joins Adfactors PR

    By A Correspondent

     

    Boby Kurian

    Public Relations major Adfactor has brought on board yet another senior journalist with Boby Kurian, former National Corporate Editor of The Times of India, joining the firm as Senior Vice-President, Strategic Communications Group (SCG). He will be based out of Adfactors’ Bengaluru office.

     

    The national role will focus on delivering C-suite counsel and engagements ranging from broader corporate reputation issues, CEO positioning and thought leadership. Kurian has two decades of experience in business journalism, reporting on some of India’s biggest corporate events and business personalities. Kurian held senior editorial positions at several leading media institutions, including VCCircle, The Economic Times, and The Hindu Business Line bureaus in Bengaluru.

     

    Said Adfactors PR Co-founder and Managing Director Madan Bahal said: “We are proud to have someone of Mr. Kurian’s calibre joining us. His keen business and economic perspectives will help us bolster our consulting capabilities to deliver strategic counsel to the vast ecosystem of businesses – driven by frontier technologies, newer opportunities and risks in a rapidly-transforming India.”

     

    On his new role, Kurian added: “I am excited about joining India’s leading public relations firm at this juncture of my career. The Strategic Communications Group has the potential to become a critical part of the firm’s value proposition. I am confident that, together, we will create a valuable and lasting asset.”

     

    Added Adfactors PR’s Bengaluru head of operations and Vice-President S Roy Kandpal: “Team Bengaluru is thrilled to have Boby joining us. I am confident that together, we will further strengthen our service offering and consolidate our market-leading position in South India.”

     

     

  • The Tata Group has mandate its PR and comms mandate to Adfactors PR wef Feb 1. The account size is estimated to be around Rs 30 crore

    Tata says welcome to Adfactors

     

    There are PR agencies and PR agencies and PR agencies. And then there’s Adfactors. Started in 1987 as a boutique agency by Rajesh Chaturvedi and Madan Bahal, it’s today the country’s largest public relations agency. With an employee strength of over 500 people, its turnover is in the region of Rs 180-200 crore. And that number will leapfrog by another Rs 30 crore-odd as the Tata group has signed the agency for as its India PR partner starting February 1.

     

    It’s been discussed ever since Tata Sons got them onboard to handle the all-important job of putting things in order post the Cyrus Mistry episode.The contract lasted a year, and that’s when the industry was abuzz with rumours of the emergence of a deeper relationship.

     

    Soon after the Radia tapes controversy, the Tatas assigned the job of its PR to Diwan Arun Nanda of Rediffusion who in turn assigned the job to Edelman, regarded as the world’s largest independent PR agency.

     

    While the going was good for Rediff-Edelman, there were frequent rumours that the relationship may snap, or that some constituents of the group were free to contract other agencies. A significant indicator of this was when Starbucks moved to Golinopinion and has stayed on with the IPG agency.

     

    The mandate covers strategic counsel and planning, media relations, issues and crisis management, investor relations, advocacy, and integrated campaign development for some of the Tata group’s largest companies including Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Steel, Tata Chemicals, Indian Hotels, Tata Power, Tata Global Beverages and Titan, as well as Tata Sons and Tata Trusts, across India. Note there are some group companies which are currently not part of the roster, in particular Tata Motors. Adfactors has an existing, longstanding relationship with Mahindra & Mahindra and Ashok Leyland and taking on Tata Motors would’ve been a conflict say observers.

     

    In fact it’s this clearminded focus on saying a ‘No’ when there is need to that possibly gets Adfactors to stand out amongst many others. For instance, it’s a clear no-no to handle clients in the business of alcohol, tobacco and non-vegetarian foods. So, for instance, the group doesn’t handle Godrej Tyson Foods.

     

    Said Pradipta Bagchi, former journalist and Group Communications Officer, Tata Group in a statement: “We are pleased to partner with Adfactors PR, India’s largest PR agency, to drive the Tata communications strategy and make the brand engaging and relevant to all our stakeholders,”.

     

    Added Madan Bahal, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Adfactors PR: “The opportunity to work for an iconic institution like the Tata Group that is India’s best known and most trusted brand represents an exciting opportunity for the Adfactors family. The Tata Group is at an inflection point in terms of reinforcing its leadership and growth. We look forward to adding value to its efforts in engaging with a rapidly transforming nation.”

     

    Adfactors will service the Tata mandate out of its 16 offices across the country, supported by a network of 24 support offices covering all state capitals and principal markets. A team of top-level managers with over 20 to 25 years experience headed by former journalist and banking professional Dr Pradeep Raje. Raje had also led the Tata mandate.

     

    In order that Adfactors hops on to the account running, it is learnt that a former senior hand at Vaishnavi Communications, Niira Radia’s PR firm, may be brought on board so that there is greater familiarity with the account.

     

     

  • Walavalkar has more than 25 years of communications experience, having worked in journalism, public relations and marketing with leading corporations

    Adfactors PR hires Walavalkar

    By A Correspondent

     

    Vrinda Walavalkar

    Vrinda Walavalkar, a veteran communications professional with cross-industry corporate communications and marketing experience, has joined Adfactors PR as Senior Vice-President, in charge of its new Energy and Infrastructure vertical, besides providing strategic counsel to the Pharma and Healthcare practice.

     

    Walavalkar has more than 25 years of communications experience, having worked in journalism, public relations and marketing with leading corporations. Her most recent stint was with Anunta Technology Management Services, where she served as Global Head, Marketing.

     

    Welcoming Walavalkar to the Adfactors family, Madan Bahal, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Adfactors PR, said, “We are very pleased to have someone of Vrinda’s experience and expertise joining us. I am confident that Vrinda’s familiarity of working closely with CXOs, and her knowledge of corporate board functioning will greatly contribute to our capacity for managing strategic accounts.

     

    On her new role, Walavalkar said: “I am excited to re-join Adfactors PR which has grown to a leadership position over the last decade. I look forward to bringing my corporate learnings to the Agency’s clients.”

     

  • Sen will help build Consumer Marketing, Employee Engagement portfolios

    Adfactors PR hires Ipshita Sen to lead Consumer Marketing Practice

    By A Correspondent

     

    Ipshita Sen

    Ipshita Sen, a senior communications professional with multi-market and multi-discipline experience, has joined Adfactors PR as Senior Vice-President, Consumer Marketing.

     

    Sen has nearly 20 years of international communications experience, having worked across the marketing spectrum of advertising, corporate communications and public relations. As the Consumer Marketing Lead, Sen will be responsible for building an industry-leading practice, bringing to clients unique, insight-based campaigns that drive results and support their business objectives. She will also use her extensive internal communications and employee engagement experience to help enhance the firm’s offering in the Employee Engagement space.

     

    Welcoming Sen to the Adfactors family, Madan Bahal, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Adfactors PR, said, “We are very pleased to have someone of Ipshita’s ability and experience joining us. Her perspective on Consumer Marketing will add a new dimension to our service offering in this area – enabling us to adopt and incorporate global thinking and approaches into our clients’ campaigns.”