On Purpose, creative communications consultancy, appoints Kaushik Kashyap as the head of its business in the South. He will be responsible for leading the firm’s business in Bengaluru while also designing a roadmap for its expansion in other markets.
On Purpose Founder and Managing Director, Girish Balachandran, said: “The market in Bengaluru is witnessing a growing need for subject matter expertise and strong PR counsel for clients in technology, climate action and social impact. We are also experiencing an increase in demand from our clients in Delhi and Mumbai wanting to tap into markets in the South. With our presence here for the last 3 years, we are well positioned to offer clients local insights with world-class counsel. Kaushik brings two decades of experience in journalism and communications that will allow us to offer clients more seasoned counsel and execution.”
On Purpose has announced its partnership with Max Group for their public relations responsibilities on their corporate mandate, including the group’s listed holdings – Max Financial Services and Max India. It was around the same time last year that On Purpose won the PR mandate for Antara Senior Living, a high priority business of the Max Group. During this one-year journey, Antara’s PR efforts won accolades on reputed awards platforms.
Max Group’s, Director – Brand & Communication, Nitin Thakur, expressed his views on hiring On Purpose for the second time in a row, “Our work with On Purpose in highlighting India’s demographic dividend for our business Antara Senior Care gave us the confidence to award Max Group’s corporate mandate to them. We hope they will serve as valuable partners in positioning Max Group as a progressive, professional, value-driven, well-governed business house that has created immense value for its shareholders over the last three decades. Their noteworthy work in the development sector will be an asset for highlighting the efforts of Max India Foundation (MIF), along with its NGO partners, for educating underprivileged children. They will also help us create broader awareness of the exceptional work by MIF’s arm – Social, Emotional and Ethical Learning (SEEL) India.”
Girish Balachandran, Managing Partner, On Purpose added, “Delivering award-winning work with Antara over the last year was an enriching experience as a team and an organization. With this expanded mandate for Max Group, we are grateful for the trust and confidence placed in us to manage the brand’s most precious asset – its reputation. We are confident and excited to take this relationship further and achieve great success together.”
On Purpose has been signed on by KPMG in India for a two-year period, as part of a larger mandate from Asian Development Bank (ADB). As the communications agency, it has has been charged with implementing an integrated communications programme for consumer awareness and behavioural change for solar rooftop adoption across seven states/Union Territories.
Said Girish Balachandran, Managing Partner, On Purpose: “Given our expertise in the clean energy sector, we are excited to once again help drive behavioural change by punching up the narrative on solar roof top adoption. We have recently bolstered our team strength with senior hires who will help us deliver on this pan-India integrated communications programme.”
On Purpose has been awarded the PR and Media mandate for Breakthrough. The account will focus on creating awareness and addressing the issues of violence and discrimination against women and girls which Breakthrough India, focuses on while leveraging their high recall campaigns at the national level/ grass-root level. To lead-manage the account, the agency has appointed senior communications professional, Kanika Sood who has extensive media experience.
Said Priyanka Kher, Head-Media at Breakthrough: “We are excited to be working with On Purpose and with their help, we look forward to starting powerful conversations around restructuring gender norms and catalysing change!”
On winning the new mandate, Girish Balachandran, Managing Partner, On Purpose commented: “It’s our privilege to partner with a global human rights organisation like Breakthrough. Their campaigns are inspiring and it is truly motivating for us as a team to lead programmes on social change about deeply rooted cultural norms. We are hoping to use our experience, competencies and expertise to help strengthen awareness of brand Breakthrough and engage stakeholders through well-crafted and customized content.”
On Purpose, a creative communications consultancy, has made three senior hires strengthening its team and offering for clients in strategic media counsel, crisis communications, digital media, capacity building and content solutions.
Meera Krishnan joins as Consulting Partner and will be partnering with Founder and Managing Partner, Girish Balachandran. Meanwhile Diksha Sethi has joined as Head of Strategy after a short sabbatical and Neha Mathrani has joined as Content Lead.
Commenting on the new hires, Balachandran, said: “We’re excited about being able to attract such experienced talent from both within and outside the industry. Our hiring strategy is rooted in what we’re hearing from both brands and organisations working in social change and those wanting to articulate brand purpose authentically.â€
On Purpose, a creative communications consultancy, has been appointed as agency on record for three businesses – Baghirathi Group, Kaiterra India and Smart Power India, following competitive pitches. The wins will see the agency execute integrated briefs across media relations, branding and design and social media planning and execution.  The accounts wil be managed out of the agency’s offices in Delhi and Bengaluru.
On winning the communication mandates, Girish Balachandran, Managing Partner, On Purpose said: “It’s a privilege to partner with these brands and do our bit to help them fulfil their missions. We’re excited about the cultural fit we’ve experienced with the people in these organisations and we’re hoping to use our competencies and expertise to help these brands access and engage stakeholders in new and exciting ways.â€
On Purpose has won the communications account for Baghirathi Group, a mobility solutions provider, following a competitive pitch process. The mandate also includes company’s low carbon, zero emission electric vehicle brand rydS and encompasses handling the media relations and design brief for the mobility solutions provider, which is a first for a PR agency in India.
Said Mahesh Hariharan, Co-Founder, Baghirathi Group: “On Purpose demonstrated a proven understanding of communications for social change, emotional storytelling and knowledge of how the media works in Bengaluru. We also felt that the diversity of talent and expertise at On Purpose aligned very closely with our needs. We are hopeful that the association will help us establish Baghirathi as the preferred mobility solutions partner for corporates and institutions.â€
On winning the communications and design mandate, Girish Balachandran, Managing Partner, On Purpose said: “Baghirathi has been quietly transforming the way institutions and corporates travel in Bengaluru by deploying innovative technology solutions. Safe and on-time travel, the very basic requirements of an urban commuter, forms the basis of Baghirathi’s core vision and mission. With the right mix of brand, media and design storytellers in our communications team, we are excited about being part of their journey, from here on.â€
Avian Media has announced new roles for its leadership team as it prepares to take on new growth from existing and new clients.
Girish Balachandran
Girish Balachandran has been promoted as Chief Strategy Officer. In the last eight months at Avian Media he has held responsibility for marquee client relationships, winning new business and championing LEAP, an agency-wide, employee-led movement to build a culture of achieving unreasonable results. In his new role, Girish will continue building a growth roadmap for the agency including incubating newer business units – Digital & Content Marketing and CSR, Advocacy and Development sector work. Prior to joining Avian Media, Girish served as Europe, Middle East and Africa Client Development Director at Waggener Edstrom and worked with Ketchum as a Board Director in London.
Neha Mehrotra
Neha Mehrotra, an Avian Media veteran has been appointed as Regional Head for North. She is one of the first employees of Avian Media and recently completed 11 years with the company. Neha has helped build a robust team in Delhi looking after key clients across aviation and defense, consumer electronics, automotive and e-commerce among others. In her new role, Neha will be responsible for leading strategy and creating standards and processes to ensure a consistency in service for large Indian and multinational clients as well as manage operations for Avian Media in north India.
Shalmana Tendulkar
Shalmana Tendulkar, has taken the reins of Avian West as Regional Head. With over eighteen years’ experience, she joined Avian Media in Jan 2014 to lead its consumer practice out of Mumbai. In her new role, Shalmana will also oversee operations for Pune and Mumbai offices and ensure seamless quality in client servicing across its corporate, consumer, and technology and healthcare practices. Prior to Avian Media, Shalmana has worked at Genesis Burson Marsteller and as an independent communications consultant in India.
Subramaniam M continues leading operations for Avian Media in the South as Regional Head of its business across offices in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai.
Commenting on the new structure, Avian Media CEO, Nitin Mantri said, “Brands in India are increasingly looking for agencies that can understand the role of communications within a broad stakeholder environment. By uniting our functions under single regional heads we’re bringing together the best mix of expertise and experience to bear on client challenges in an integrated way, beyond the silos of practices and functions. This new realignment will help us not only focus better to run the business and also integrate teams better within and across offices.â€
The firm continues to have Nikhil Khanna, MD and Nitin Mantri as CEO at its helm. In the last year, Avian Media won 48 new clients including BMW, Sony, BlaBlaCar and Sesame Workshop.
Avian Media has announced the appointment of Girish Balachandran as National Head of Marketing and Group Business Director. In his new role, Balachandran will lead the agency’s business development and marketing efforts across India while advising clients on their communication strategy. Girish will work closely with the leadership team at Avian Media to further align and strengthen company’s operations in India, thereby driving growth and profitability for the firm.
Nitin Mantri, CEO, Avian Media, said, “Over the past few years, Avian Media has achieved steady growth as we focused on adding more marquee businesses to our client portfolio across centres. The company has grown rapidly in the last ten years and the time has come for our next big leap. Girish will initiate a new marketing drive for Avian as well as manage key client relationships. With his vast experience and business expertise, we aim to further strengthen our capabilities to become India’s Most Trusted Advocacy Firm by 2025.â€
An industry veteran with over 14 years of international experience in business development and marketing communication, Balachandran returned to India after 9 years in the UK and 3 years in the Middle East. In 2011, Girish was appointed as a Board Director at Ketchum UK to lead the firm’s business development and oversee key account growth for Oracle. In his six years of employment with Omnicom agencies, Pleon and Ketchum from 2006 – 2012, he served as a core member of the leadership teams responsible for growing the business, developing new offerings in change communications, field marketing and digital consulting.
