MxMIndia

Tag: DAN

  • Launch campaign to celebrate the incredible strength that mothers have shown during these trying times…

    Philips Avent & Carat India pay tribute to ‘Mothers’

    By A Correspondent

     

    Philips Avent, in association with Carat, the media agency from the house of Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) India, has launched its latest digital campaign, #ToughTimesTougherMoms.

     

    Said Gulbahar Taurani, Vice President, Philips Personal Health, Indian Subcontinent: “Mothers make life better for all of us, everyday. We at Philips Avent wanted to celebrate this spirit of motherhood that has shone brighter than even before during the COVID lockdown and so we created this short film as a token of our gratitude. The beauty of this whole campaign is in its authenticity – the film cast are real mothers living everyday moments at their homes. Entirely self-shot, this film is our way of saying thank you to all the mothers who make life better for us, everyday.”

     

    Added Rajni Menon, CEO, Carat India: “The one-of-a-kind film captures unsung heroes of these times – the ‘Moms’. It is a slice-of-life of how mothers have been keeping their families secure and happy in such times. Indeed, moms are the true warriors. Hence, there was no better way to thank them than by capturing real moms in daily life.”

  • Nabendu Bhattacharyya, CEO & MD – Milestone Brandcom, will spearhead the initiative

    Milestone Brandcom unveils OOH revival plan

    By A Correspondent

     

    In an attempt to smoothen the damage that the OOH sector continues to face in India under the coronavirus threat, Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) India has embarked upon multiple initiatives to future proof the group along with working closely with other DAN markets from the network to further strengthen its capabilities.

     

    As part of these initiatives, Milestone Brandcom, the out-of-home agency from the house of DAN India, will lead the programme to augment the agency’s OOH business by adopting new technology, media insights and best practices by working closely alongside the agencies in the network and getting the best practices from other markets. Nabendu Bhattacharyya, CEO & MD – Milestone Brandcom, will spearhead the initiative. In the coming period, Bhattacharyya will be alternating between the US and India offices to introduce the best practices and learnings to DAN India in addition to catalysing Milestone Brandcom’s OOH business capabilities in the market and provide connect to its Indian businesses. Bhattacharyya will continue to report into Anand Bhadkamkar, CEO, Dentsu Aegis Network India.

     

    Anand Bhadkamkar

    Speaking on the initiative, Bhadkamkar said: “The post-Covid world will summon a new era. It will demand new ways of working and thinking across businesses. Fresh strategies will have to be charted to improve business productivity. We will have to re-invent the way we work and bring in more resilience in our businesses to embrace the disruption in the market in a post COVID scenario. Therefore, to inculcate innovation, and introduce fresh learnings and perspectives into the business, Nabendu will drive this initiative. He will continue leading Milestone Brandcom, alternating between the US and India offices.”

     

    Nabendu Bhattacharyya

    Commenting on his new role, Bhattacharyya said, “US controls nearly 50 per cent of the world’s ad industry. So what better than to start there, import their technologies and ideas, and use their learnings to enhance Milestone Bandcom and DAN India brands. I strongly believe that Dentsu as a network will help in the growth of India’s advertising structure and Milestone Brandcom will strengthen its position as a flagship brand of DAN India. I am also convinced that the whole world will come out of these challenging times soon and large markets like the US will accelerate economic growth faster than ever.”

     

     

  • The tool has been launched under the umbrella of DMC Explore

    DAN launches Dentsu Marketing Cloud Video+ for OTT

    By A Correspondent

     

    The data sciences division of the Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) India has announced the launch of ‘DMC Video+ [Dentsu Marketing Cloud Video+]’, a tool that provides an agnostic approach towards planning and buying on over-the-top TV (OTT) platforms.

     

    Shamsuddin Jasani

    Commenting on the launch, Shamsuddin Jasani, Group MD, Isobar- South Asia said: “The Indian OTT ecosystem is hyper competitive and has attracted varying types of players, each of whom offer varied value propositions to consumers. This has created a somewhat fragmented ecosystem with no accurate measure of how brands should engage and activate these audiences. With rapid increase in consumption of online content – primarily fueled by OTT Video, audio and gaming, the ecosystem suffers from the absence of a single source of truth when it comes to buying inventory from these platforms. The Dentsu Marketing Cloud Video+ presents a unique solution to this problem by creating a single ecosystem to understand and buy these audiences in a seamless manner, limiting the rise of another walled garden ecosystem.”

     

    Gautam Mehra

    Added Gautam Mehra, CEO, DAN Programmatic & Chief Data Officer, DAN – South Asia: “In an environment that is now heavily focused on reducing wastage, brands know they need to move budgets from linear TV and traditional advertising towards digital advertising driven by OTT. They however, tend to play it conservatively when they aren’t sure exactly how much of shift will achieve the best ROI. In the absence of transparency, unified insights and audience buying system for OTT consumers, there exist several inefficiencies within the ecosystem. The promise of the Dentsu Marketing Cloud Video+ product is to plug this gap, thereby guiding brands on their journey of capitalizing on audiences who are increasingly mobile and engaged in consuming high quality production content on OTT rather than traditional video consumption of user generated content.”

     

    The tool has been launched under the umbrella of DMC Explore through which clients are not only enabled to gain deep insights into the content consumption of audiences in the OTT ecosystem, but can also activate selected segments for their campaigns.

     

     

  • Wendy Clark appointed Global CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN)

    Wendy Clark to join DAN as Global CEO in Sept

    By A Correspondent

     

    Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN  has announced the appointment of Wendy Clark as Global CEO of Dentsu Aegis Network.

     

    Clark brings almost 30 years’ of industry experience having worked for global brands such as The Coca-Cola Company and AT&T, as well as industry-leading agency roles. She joins Dentsu Aegis Network in September 2020 from Omnicom where she held the role of Global President & CEO for DDB Worldwide. Prior to Omnicom, Clark spent seven years at The Coca-Cola Company in global and regional operating roles, culminating in her promotion to Coca-Cola’s President of Sparkling Brands and Strategic Marketing.

     

    Wendy Clark

    Said Clark: “It’s both an incredible honour and deep responsibility to join DAN at this crucial time. Given such unprecedented global change it’s more important than ever that we’re completely focused on creating insightful, informed, important ideas for brands, businesses and their customers. The focused investments made by DAN over the last few years to acquire and grow the right assets, talent and capabilities, enabling modern marketing solutions, is undeniable and ready-made for today’s marketplace and beyond.”

     

    Clark will report to Tim Andree, Executive Chairman, Dentsu Aegis Network and will be appointed Executive Officer Dentsu Group Inc. at the same time as she joins the business in September with the approval of the Board of Dentsu Group Inc. Andree has been Executive Chairman of DAN since its founding in 2013, adding the CEO role to his responsibilities for the past 15 months, and he has lead the search process.

     

    Added Andree: “Following a thorough and considered global search, I am happy to welcome Wendy as our new CEO and look forward to working together to drive our ambitious agenda forward. With her combined experience of walking in the shoes of the client, coupled with her leadership in running a large global creative agency network, Wendy is the stand-out choice for the role. Her experience is hugely complementary to DAN’s growth plans over the coming decade where Dentsu’s long-standing history of client-centricity combined with an ability to deliver fully integrated solutions will be critical. Wendy will join us as the world is emerging from a period of unprecedented challenges. I am confident that her strong leadership style and comprehensive experience will inspire our people, connect with our clients to help drive their brands forward and continue our focus on providing integrated global solutions while building excellence into every part of the rapidly changing marketing ecosystem we serve.”

     

     

  • The DMC helps in establishing greater control of client data in one place

    DAN Data Sciences announces global launch of Dentsu Marketing Cloud

    By A Correspondent

     

    In an effort to provide data-driven solutions to clients, the Data Sciences Division from the house of Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) India, has announced the global launch of the Dentsu Marketing Cloud (DMC). The announcement was made at an exclusive DAN client event at Facebook’s Thailand HQ earlier this month.

     

    The DMC brings together a slew of Dentsu proprietary ecosystems such as the Facebook Marketing Partner (Ad-Tech) Badged DAN Data Labs Product Suite, Dentsu Explore and other proprietary mar-tech tools. It also has advanced analytics solutions such as the Dentsu Pixel and the Dentsu DSP to help clients plan, buy, measure, analyse and optimise campaigns. Additionally, the DMC helps in establishing greater control of client data in one place.

     

    Commenting on the launch, Sarnchatt Chansrakao, CEO, Dentsu X Thailand said, “On the backbone of cutting-edge technology, Dentsu Marketing Cloud provides us with the necessary resources to deliver more relevant and effective marketing solutions for clients. Through DMC we will be able to provide bespoke services to clients such as multi-touch attribution and market mix models; consequently, helping us deliver the full strength of planning and optimising digital campaigns – all whilst ensuring privacy and providing clients with greater control of their data.”

     

    In an attempt to promote greater collaboration across teams and share insights, the DMC will promote a customer-centric approach to marketing by equipping teams to deal with modern client structures. It has been built on integrations between the DAN Data Labs Facebook Product suite and Advanced Analytics products. DMC has already been a great success in 30 global markets and has won numerous client awards.

     

    “The DMC revolutionises the way modern and future-focused advertising agencies operate. With the launch of new products and solutions such as the Dentsu Ad-server (D-Serve), the Dentsu Pixel, etc., the DMC will present to clients more control over their data and allow them to analyse their cohorts. This enables clients to create better segments for sharper targeting. The Dentsu Marketing Cloud is just the first step in our platform’s story. As an organisation, we are committed to enabling marketers in achieving their goals as we promote greater transparency, control and the best of technology,” added Gautam Mehra, CEO, DAN Programmatic & Chief Data Officer, DAN – South Asia.

     

     

  • A cross-section of the industry reacts to Nirmala Sitharaman’s maiden Budget

    Industry Reax to Budget 2020-21

     

    A cross-section of the industry reacts to Nirmala Sitharaman’s maiden Budget 

     

    Girish Menon, Partner and Head, Media and Entertainment, KPMG in India

    Although there was no direct reference to the media and entertainment sector in Budget 2020, the focus on improving India’s digital connectivity bodes well for the sector. The Honourable Finance Minister’s announcement that an amount of INR 6,000 crores will be spent on BharatNet initiatives will see more citizens connected to the proposed pan-India FTTH network. Media and entertainment is increasingly becoming a digital medium and an enhancement of the underlying digital communications infrastructure will support more immersive experiences. Finally, the focus on building a vibrant start-up ecosystem with measures to improve access to funding and IP protection will help India emerge as a global hub for technological innovation.

     

     

    Rakesh Jariwala, Partner – International Tax Services, EY India

    Removal of exemption on sale, distribution and exhibition of cinematograph film will subject theatrical revenues to domestic withholding tax considerations and could pose working capital considerations for already funding constrained film industry. Amendment of source taxation rule to include advertising income relating to customer based in India while global consensus is being formed on digital taxation rules may result in short term pain for the foreign businesses which do not have access to a tax treaty. Reduction of withholding tax rate on technical services to 2% will provide relief on potential rate related disputes on production services. Reduction in import duty of news print should help the ailing print businesses. 

     

     

    Ashish Bhasin, CEO, APAC and Chairman, India – Dentsu Aegis Network:

    I think this is a good budget in some ways because it has attempted to put money in the hands of the middle class through rationalisation of tax rates as well as has concentrated on looking after the agricultural sector, including introduction of best practises like storage for producers and other measures. However, I do feel that the expectations from the budget were much more and it does feel like a bit of a missed opportunity.

     

    While it is good to see that the dividend distribution tax has been abolished, I expected more on the rationalisation of direct taxes, particularly the cess introduced over and above the tax rates.

     

    It is good to see efforts being made to encourage new-age skill development as well as helping the start-ups and what’s particularly interesting is the proposal to set up data centre farms all over the country. This will prepare India for the economy of tomorrow. It is also good to see attempts at simplification of taxation through digitisation but the proof of the pudding will lie in seeing its implementation on ground.

     

    It would be fair to say that at best it is a mixed budget and while there are some encouraging decisions, enough does not seem to have been done for the situation the economy is in.

     

     

    Karan Darda, Executive Director, Lokmat Media Group:

    We welcome the proposed reduction in custom duty on import of newsprint and light-weight coated paper. In recent years, newspaper industry has been facing many headwinds and the environment has overall been very challenging. 10% customs duty was introduced last year and that added to the burden. The reduction in customs duty would ease the burden and help the industry in this critical juncture. 

     

     

    Anand Bhadkamkar, CEO, Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) India:

    The budget has provided relief to middle class with lower tax rates which is a welcome move, as it will provide more liquidity. On direct taxes, the abolition of DDT and introduction of a tax dispute resolution scheme is a welcome step alongside tax reliefs for startups.

     

    The budget is focusing on easing and simplification of compliance, with changes in corporate laws as well as in GST and direct taxes. However, I was expecting further simplification of cess and surcharges beyond tax rates across slabs.

     

    The proposals for development of road infrastructure, setting up data centre parks and skill development initiatives are welcome steps in addition to allocations for social welfare schemes.

     

    However, the expectations from the budget were high on the background of current economic slowdown, and as such seems to be short on matching those expectations, with no specific industry sector focused sops to provide stimulus. While the budget shows focus on long term growth and social development, overall in the current scenario it looks like a mixed budget, falling a bit short of market expectations of more corrective measures.

     

    Gautam Sinha, CEO – Times Internet:

    Budget 2020 is a promising step towards establishing India’s future as an enduring digital economy. The increased focus on improving data connectivity under Bharat Net, steps to boost the smartphone manufacturing industry and the Rs 8,000Cr allocation for the National Mission on Quantum Computing & Technology will help build better digital infrastructure to support this sector’s rapid growth. Finally, deferring tax on ESOPs for startups is also a major move that will help promising startups attract and retain talent that would fuel our burgeoning digital ecosystem.

     

     

    Redickaa Subrammanian, Co-founder and CEO, Resulticks:

    Digital disruption has transformed India’s business landscape and the announcement for building more data centre parks will further aid in laying a strong foundation for a digitally connected country. INR 8000 crore allotment for developing quantum technology is impressive, and this in tandem with the grassroots level skilling initiatives, make for a strong technology ecosystem. Engineering students will also gain real-world experience through the new internship programs, creating a digitally skilled talent pool equipped to work in a digital economy.

     

    As a fast-growing AI and ML based technology start-up, we welcome setting up of the investment clearance cell. The proposed revisions in the income tax structure should lead to increased consumer demand and provide an overall impetus for economic growth in India. The announcement made in Budget 2020 showcases the government’s support for India’s technological advancement and we are excited about the entrepreneurial spirit it promotes.”

     

     

    Prashan Agarwal, CEO – Gaana:

    We appreciate the efforts of the government to boost the digital ecosystem in the country. The increased focus on improving connectivity under the Bharat Net scheme and the emphasis on Artificial Intelligence will allow OTT players to offer bespoke and personalised solutions to consumers. Additionally, the impetus to the smartphone manufacturing industry will make internet consumption accessible to a wider section of Indian society that will expand the scope of revenues for OTT players. The allocation of Rs 8000 crore for setting up the National Mission on Quantum Computing and Technology will also boost the development of the industry by making resources cost-effective.

     

     

    Mitesh Shah, Head of Finance, BookMyShow: 

    At the onset, we would like to laud Government for growth driven budget. We welcome the progressive policies aimed at encouraging rural demand, changes in personal taxes spurring consumption and impetus to infrastructure development, measures aimed at bolstering growth and reverse slowdown. Additionally, taxation related on ESOPs as perquisite and removal of DDT are significant moves. However, the benefits of taxation relief on ESOP should be expanded to companies at various stage of growth.

     

    Compliance on e-commerce has been increased by mandating them to deduct TDS @1% on all goods and services sold on e-commerce platforms. This would be in addition to TCS under GST and this amendment might further increase the cost of compliance for e-Commerce companies. Government’s vision to build data centre parks, allocation towards quantum computing and its focus on using artificial intelligence in statistical and other government departments will take India’s growth story to the next level.

     

    Increase in compliance on e-commerce by mandating deduction of TDS @1% on all goods and services sold on e-commerce platforms. This would be in addition to TCS under GST and this amendment might further increase the cost of compliance for E-Commerce companies. Government’s vision and focus on investing in new age technologies to build data centre parks, allocation towards quantum computing and its focus on using artificial intelligence in statistical and other government departments will certainly give an impetus to ‘Digital India’.

     

     

    Kunal Bahl, CEO & Co-founder, Snapdeal:

    Thankful to the Hon’ble FM for accepting the start-up sector’s request for ESOP taxation reforms. Also, the higher time & turnover limits for carry forward of losses for start-ups will enable them to optimize growth decisions in formative years.

     

    Overall, Budget 2020 is a thoughtful weaving together of specific proposals to tackle varied issues. Measures to improve access to finance for MSMEs and reduced taxation for the middle-income segment are welcome steps. Boosting physical infrastructure, expanding digital connectivity and growing use of technology in government functioning are important building blocks for the long-term growth of the Indian economy.

     

  • It is a proprietary brand-audience perception analysis engine

    DAN Data Sciences launches ‘Dentsu BrandSense’

    By A Correspondent

     

    In an effort to offer clients data driven solutions, the Data Sciences division of Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) India, has announced the launch of ‘Dentsu BrandSense’ – a proprietary brand-audience perception analysis engine.

     

    Commenting on the launch, Rajiv Dingra, CEO & Founder, WATConsult said: “Targeting people based not just on their explicitly stated preferences or past behavioral trends, but on their underlying psychological make-up has been a long-needed solution for brands to connect with their audiences. With the Dentsu BrandSense tool from the DAN Data Lab factory, this is a leap forward in a true data driven way for brands to understand the make-up of their audiences in much more depth to generate content that better resonates with a brand audience.”

     

    Notes a communique: “This proprietary brand-audience analysis engine will be housed under the audience insights engine of Dentsu Aegis Network – DAN Explore. It will have two key components – first, analyzing a brand’s communication on social media and marketing channels (Dentsu BrandSense), and second, analyzing how audiences respond to those brand communication channels (Dentsu AudienceSense).”

     

    Added Gautam Mehra, CEO, DAN Programmatic & Chief Data Officer, DAN – South Asia: “With Dentsu BrandSense, we aim to bring Behavioural Sciences and Personality Science to the forefront of marketing efforts. Equipped with not just proprietary machine learning models, this engine will be equipped with intelligence from industry leading personality algorithms such as the likes of IBM Watson, Google NLU and Azure Text Analytics APIs. The idea is to go beyond finding correlations between behaviour and audience preferences to now adding a personality dimension to improve marketing effectiveness and enhance audience motivation,”

     

     

  • The Dentsu Marketing Cloud Platform will operate as a marketing intelligence platform

    DAN Programmatic launches Dentsu Marketing Cloud Platform

    By A Correspondent

     

    DAN Programmatic has announced the launch of Dentsu Marketing Cloud Platform to power the network’s advanced analytics capabilities.

     

    Shamsuddin Jasani

    Commenting on the launch, Shamsuddin Jasani, Group MD, Isobar – South Asia said: “In our recent conversations with marketers, there is a growing pain point of limited data control due to the black boxes in which various ecosystems operate in. We are constantly hearing that clients are looking to gain deeper insights into their audiences and their journeys and to turn those insights into better brand and audience experiences. To address this concern, we have invested in developing from ground up the Dentsu Marketing Cloud Platform to present clients with greater insights to enhance marketing effectiveness and increase their control over their data.”

     

    The Dentsu Marketing Cloud Platform will operate as a marketing intelligence platform, which will house intelligence from the globally acclaimed DAN Data Labs ecosystem, first, second- and third-party data. It brings together advertising and analytics to help surface deeper insights, establish enriched customer connections and drive better marketing results.

     

    Gautam Mehra

    Added Gautam Mehra, CEO, DAN Programmatic & Chief Data Officer, DAN – South Asia: “Under the Dentsu Marketing Cloud Platform, clients will be able to better segment their audience cohorts using advanced analytics. With the integration of client owned or DAN owned pixels governing the flow of data, clients will be able to run proprietary multi-touch attribution models, market mix models and a whole gamut of services to not only provide better insights, but to deliver high touched consumer experiences through sharper targeting,”

     

     

  • In her new role, she will report to CEO Anand Bhadkamkar and David Neal, CFO Greater South – Dentsu Aegis Network

    GroupM’s Asha Suvarna joins DAN as CFO

    By A Correspondent

     

    Asha Suvarna

    Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN), the global media & marketing communications conglomerate, has appointed Asha Suvarna as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO), India. Prior to this, the role was held by erstwhile COO and CFO Anand Bhadkamkar who was promoted to lead the country operations as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) last month.

     

    Armed with more than 20 years of experience in media and advertising, Suvarana is also a qualified Chartered Accountant (CA). She joins DAN India from GroupM where she held numerous roles over two decades, the last being Finance Director.

     

    Suvarna take charge of her new office today (October 16). In her new role, she will report to Bhadkamkar and David Neal, CFO Greater South – Dentsu Aegis Network.

     

    Anand Bhadkamkar

    Commenting on Asha’s appointment, Bhadkamkar said: “I am pleased to announce Asha’s appointment as CFO of the Group in India. Asha brings with her considerable experience in our industry as well as a very strong understanding of our business. With her financial acumen and leadership capabilities, I am sure Asha will be a great addition to the DAN India executive team and a critical strategic business partner in these transformational times.”

     

    Commenting on her new role, Suvarna added: “Home to 23 super-successful agency brands of the country, Dentsu Aegis Network today is undoubtedly the fastest growing network in India. I am extremely honoured and happy to take up this new role and now ready to embark upon this new challenge under DAN’s strong One P&L philosophy.”

     

     

  • The new office will house DAN brands

    Dentsu Aegis moves into new office in Kochi

    By A Correspondent

     

    Dentsu Aegis Network has expanded its footprint in Kochi with a new office in Jawahar Nagar. The new office will house DAN brands like Dentsu India, Carat, Posterscope, Perfect Relations, Vizeum, Fountainhead MKTG and Milestone.

     

    Commenting on the move, Anand Bhadkamkar, CEO, Dentsu Aegis Network India said: “This is a great move for us considering we are rapidly growing our client roster in southern markets. The advertising potential in Southern markets has seen exponential growth over the last few years. This move is in line with our strategy of collocating our brands and employees in a single premises. With various DAN brands now in the same office space in Kochi as well, we are ready to offer holistic solutions to our existing and prospective clients.”

     

     

  • This is the network’s second buy in 2019. But there’s more coming, we hear

    Havas on shopping spree. Buys Langoor

    L to R – Venugopal Ganganna, Chief Executive Officer, Langoor, Ruchir Punjabi, Founder & Chair, Langoor, Vishnu Mohan, Chairman & CEO, Havas India & South East Asia, Bobby Pawar, Chairman & CCO, Havas Group India, Girisha Gowda, Chief Operations Officer, Langoor, Kishore Karumbaiah, Chief Creative Officer, Langoor and Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas Group India

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    When the Havas group announced the ‘acquisition’ of two veteran industry persons last year, it was clear that it had huge plans for India. After Rana Barua and later Bobby Pawar joined to helm the group in the country, the message sent out was that the advertising agency-led conglomerate is not going to sit pretty on its existing lines of business.

     

    If it were to match the big girls or boys in the business, it had to broadbase its line of businesses. The Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) experiment in India had been a huge success. Acquire, Grow and Shine.

     

    In May this year, Havas gobbled up Think Design, a strong player in user experience and design advisory in India. And today (September 18), it announced the acquisition of Langoor, an eight-year-old tech-led independent agency with presence across India, the Middle East and Australia. The deal size has not been disclosed.

     

    With a team size of 170 people, Langoor has earned its stripes as an agency that’s not in the mould of a typical digital advertising agency. It’s driven by technology, and it’s hence different from many others.

     

    Langoor will be rebranded Langoor Havas and be led by its co-founder – Venugopal Ganganna – who will take on the newly-created position of Chief Digital Officer, Havas Group India, reporting to Barua who is Group CEO, Havas Group India. Langoor Havas will have three key focus areas – health, business and vernacular – and will expand these services to markets outside of India in the coming months. The deal itself took over a year to fructify and was inked earlier this month.

     

    The agency has been growing 30 per cent and some of its key clients include Unilever, Fossil, Wipro, Emami, Epson, Adobe, Infosys, Moneygram among others.

     

    While an exponential growh new business continues to be something that Havas in India is seeking to fructify, according to industry and Havas insiders, the inorganic DAN-like growth path is clearly on the agenda: there are many domains that are still need Havas’s presence. For instance, activations, public relations/communications and perhaps more in digital. The appetite is to acquire another four to five agencies, an executive told us requesting anonymity.

     

    To a pointed question from MxMIndia, a Havas spokesperson said: “Our acquisition approach is distinctively not a multiplier approach but one of relevant expertise building. You will be hearing from us soon on the acquisition front, in line with this approach.”

     

    A communique was issued by the group bearing the following statements:

    Yannick Bolloré, Chairman and CEO Havas Group: “Digital business is booming in India and bringing Langoor on board is an important new step to further strengthening our digital skills locally. Through their unique blend of data, creativity and technology, Langoor enables brands to engage their customers meaningfully and drive growth. Earlier this year, we acquired the leader in user experience and digital design in India, Think Design, making Langoor our second acquisition in the country in 2019. The combined expertise of Think Design and Langoor boost Havas’ digital offer in the world’s fastest growing ad market. India continues to be a priority for the Group, we aim to triple our presence there by the end of 2019 and have put in place a solid new management team to lead this expansion.”

     

    Vishnu Mohan, Chairman & CEO, Havas Group India & South East Asia: “The acquisition of Langoor complements our aggressive growth strategy that we started last year with the creation of Havas Village India that brought together different disciplines under a unified, client-centric leadership structure. Langoor adds an enviable strength to Havas Group with its distinctive approach of Creative Technologists who challenge marketing every day with their expertise in balancing, data, technology, strategic thinking and the power of creative.”

     

    Rana Barua, CEO, Havas Group India: “The Langoor acquisition also demonstrates Havas Group’s commitment to expand its scale and expertise in India with a focus on exponential growth, new business momentum, and building & leading future-ready teams. The acquisition will reinforce our integrated offering and digital expertise in India and complement our existing capabilities.”

     

    Ruchir Punjabi & Venu Ganganna, co-founders of Langoor: “We pride ourselves in having created an agency focused on digital brand thinking – which is the future. The integration with Havas Group will add scale to the depth of our services and help us to grow even further. This acquisition is an incredible opportunity for Langoor and the team and we are excited to be part of this new journey towards further success.”

     

  • The initiative will mentor female start-ups in the country

    Dentsu and iProspect bring Female Foundry to India

    By A Correspondent

     

    As part of One@DentsuAegis, a programme developed to support diversity and innovation across the business, Dentsu Aegis Network, and its digital agency iProspect, have formalised an initiative to mentor female start-ups in India.

     

    The initiative – Female Foundry – will launch in the country after its successful run in Singapore.

     

    Female Foundry aims to drive diversity and inclusion in business.  It provides access to tools, training, connections and resources, empowering female entrepreneurs to thrive in today’s complex digital economy.

     

    In India, Rubeena Singh, CEO, iProspect India will be running the initiative with an extended leadership team from across Dentsu Aegis Network and strategic business partners which include clients and other third parties.

     

    Talking about the initiative, Singh said: “As you know, iProspect has women leaders across its offices in the world. Internally, we run various programmes to help women reach the leadership programmes. Take Women@iprospect, for instance, which caters to junior and mid-level women who have a capability to be a leader tomorrow. Female Foundry is more than just an initiative for us. We are leading the programme in India, along with the help of DAN leadership and resources as well as our partners who have volunteered, to help build a more cohesive ecosystem for women entrepreneurs.”

     

    Added Ashish Bhasin, CEO Greater South, Dentsu Aegis Network and Chairman & CEO India: “DAN as a network has been at the forefront of encouraging and supporting entrepreneurs. Women play an important role in every aspect of business today – from leading companies to building new ventures. We are proud to bring Female Foundry to India as we believe that getting the right mentorship is necessary for anyone to grow especially in today’s competitive world. To succeed in what ones believes in needs constant learning. And I believe that the day one does that, it is the day we stop growing – personally or professionally.”