MxMIndia

Tag: Donna Imperato

  • BCW completes 100 percent acquisition of Six Degrees India

    Genesis BCW & Six Degrees BCW merge to become ‘BCW India Group’

    By A Correspondent

     

    Burson Cohn & Wolfe (BCW) has announced that Genesis BCW and Six Degrees BCW will function under one business group in India, effective immediately. The integration follows the completion of BCW’s acquisition of the significant minority held by Zach James and Rishi Seth, the co-founders of the erstwhile Six Degrees PR agency.

     

    Both brands will be retained and continue to operate separately, but side-by-side, under the BCW India Group to enable sharing of the staff, resources and services of each firm to provide additional value to clients. The PPR and Alphabet brands and teams currently operating in India will be absorbed into Genesis BCW and Six Degrees BCW. Under this structure, Genesis BCW and Six Degrees BCW will maintain separate legal entities and secure safeguards where potential conflicts exist.

     

    The BCW India Group will be managed by the ‘BCW India Board’ (BIB) and will report to Matt Stafford, Regional President, Asia-Pacific, BCW.  BCW India Board appointments include:

    Prema Sagar becomes Chairperson, BCW India Group, based in New Delhi. Sagar is currently Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Genesis BCW.

    Zach James becomes Chief Strategy Officer, BCW APAC and Executive Sponsor, BCW India Group, based in New Delhi. James is currently co-Group CEO of Six Degrees BCW.

    Deepshikha Dharmaraj becomes Chief Executive Officer, Genesis BCW, based in Mumbai. Dharmaraj is currently Managing Director at Genesis BCW.

    Rishi Seth becomes Chief Executive Officer, Six Degrees BCW, based in New Delhi. Seth is currently co-Group CEO of Six Degrees BCW.

    Vandana Sandhir becomes Chief Client Officer, Genesis BCW, based in New Delhi. Sandhir currently leads PPR India.

     

    Said Donna Imperato, Global CEO, BCW and CEO, BCW Group: “India is a critical market for BCW and I’m confident this integration will boost our bold growth strategy for the market. I’m excited to see the formidable talent under BCW India Group continue to move people with the creativity and innovation that is at the heart of all we do.”

     

    Added Stafford: “With the Six Degrees earnout complete, our clients can now tap the tremendous talent and capabilities from our incredibly strong team across both brands. The complementary capabilities of each brand and the resulting synergies will also make the new BCW India Group an even more attractive workplace for our employees and future recruits.”

     

    Said Sagar: “I am delighted at the coming together of the people, ideas and resources of these two firms. I look forward to working closely with Deepshikha, Zach and Rishi to drive the integration of the teams under the BCW India Group, and to demonstrate our combined strength to our clients, our people and the industry.”

     

     

  • The 2016 study on authenticity defines for the first time what consumers believe are the individual attributes of authentic behaviour

    Disney, BMW, Microsoft are Most Authentic Brands

     

    By A Correspondent

     

    Global Communications agency Cohn & Wolfe, a part of the WPP fold,  has unveiled its inaugural Authentic 100, an annual index of global brands ranked by consumer perception of authenticity. Among the Top 10 brands in the study are Disney, BMW, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, Intel, Audi, Samsung, Adidas and Lego.

     

    The 2016 study on authenticity defines for the first time what consumers believe are the individual attributes of authentic behaviour and whether a brand displaying these attributes will affect the actions of consumers. The study identifies a large “authenticity gap” between brands and consumers, with 75 percent of nearly 12,000 consumers surveyed across 14 markets indicating that brands and companies have a credibility problem.

     

    Key findings of the study include:

    :: High Global Cynicism: Consumer cynicism is highest in Western Europe, with only seven percent of those surveyed in the UK, France, Germany and Spain – and a mere five percent in Sweden – describing brands as “open and honest.” In the least cynical countries – China and Indonesia – that number only climbs to 36 percent and 35 percent, respectively. Americans fall somewhere in the middle, and closer to the global average of 22 percent, with less than a quarter of Americans (23 percent) seeing brands as honest.

    :: Privacy Matters: Given the recent public standoff between Apple (#5 on the global Authentic 100) and the United States FBI over encryption technologies, it is worth noting that privacy concerns are now seen as a core component of what makes a brand authentic in the eyes of consumers. Globally, “protecting customer data and privacy” ranked as the fourth most important attribute of authenticity today.

    :: The Authenticity Opportunity: Nearly nine out of 10 consumers are willing to take action to reward a brand for its authenticity, including 52 percent who would recommend the brand to others and 49 percent who would pledge loyalty to the brand. Twenty percent would be prepared to put their money on the table and invest in a brand that proves its authenticity.

    :: Authenticity as a Personal Experience: Consumers are looking for daily, real-life reminders that they can count on brands. In defining authenticity, they prioritise “high quality” (66 percent) and “delivering on promises” (70 percent) over more lofty measures like “social responsibility” (57 percent) and “environmental responsibility” (55 percent).

     

    “The rules of communication have irrevocably changed, and we’re seeing consumers reward brands that understand how to engage with them openly and honestly. In fact, consumers will forgive the occasional corporate misstep if a company is upfront, and addresses the issue head-on,” says Donna Imperato, CEO,  Cohn & Wolfe. “The brands topping the Authentic 100 understand this, and have demonstrated consistently that they value more than just their bottom lines by fostering a genuine dialogue with their customers.”