Neobanking platform Stashfin has released its latest brand video, featuring the all-in-one card. The film is conceptualised by Havas Worldwide India (Creative).
Said Shruti Aggarwal, Co-founder, Stashfin: “At Stashfin, we’ve always put our customers first, and we’re constantly exploring ways to provide unique and relevant services for them, leading to greater financial freedom and inclusion. For our all-in-one brand video, we wanted to integrate our ethos of ‘nobody should be credit-starved’, in an easy, relatable format. I’m glad we could work with Havas Worldwide India (Creative). This has been an extremely fruitful experience.”
Added Bobby Pawar, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, Havas Group India: “It’s been really exciting to partner with Stashfin for their brand video. We’ve worked with dozens of clients in India and globally, and I am impressed with Stashfin’s agility in the fintech space. It’s not every day that one gets to participate in a project that will be impactful, or decide the positioning of a product. Fintech is often perceived as a boring space, perhaps even one that is tough to grasp. We wanted to dispel that perception, and comedy was the best way to do that. The all-in-one brand video communicates the brand proposition and product features in the most meaningful and engaging way possible. I am sure customers across segments will enjoy this communication piece, which will drive the preference for brand Stashfin.”
Havas Group India is now ready to flag off Chapter 2 of its internship programme, Havas Spark.
Last year, Havas Group India recruited 13 interns through this programme. This year the network aims to scale it up further.
Rana Barua
Said Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas Group India: “It gives me immense joy to announce Havas SPARK 2. Effective leadership is not just about building successful businesses, but ensuring a strong future is constructed to carry forward the legacy. What began as a means to introduce fresh talent in our industry has now become a programme that sets an example across the country on identifying, mentoring and nurturing talent.”
Vandana Tilwani
Added Vandana Tilwani, CHRO, Havas Group India: “Armed with training through the Havas SPARK programme, these young millennials get the best exposure to the industry and become well-versed with its way of working. By the time they graduate, we already have a team ready to display their best skills. Our practical and structured approach ensures that the interns become much-sought-after in the industry once they successfully complete the programme. Honing these young minds during the maiden programme has also taught us the value of having the right attitude. The interns of our first batch are now firmly entrenched in the Havas Group India family as management executives, and we can’t wait to meet our new batch and again begin a journey that has been so gratifying.”
Havas Group India has appointed Sumeer Mathur as National Planning Head & Managing Partner, Havas Worldwide India – the creative agency of the group with immediate effect.
Mathur will be partnering Manas Lahiri, Managing Director and Ravinder Siwach, ED & NCD of Havas Worldwide (Creative) and collaborate with key clients including Reckitt, Citroën, Dabur, Suzuki, William Grant, Tata and Harman (JBL) among many others. He will be based out of the Gurugram office and report to Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas Group India.
Talking about this appointment, Barua said: “The last two years have been game-changer for Havas Worldwide India. We have been relentless, focused and committed. This led to exponential growth, effective partnerships, and addition of several marquee clients. We need to now build a strong integrated leadership team that aggressively takes this growth mandate ahead. With Sumeer, Manas, Ravinder, Arindam, Prashant, Geet and all the other leaders forming the core team, it will further fuel our growth and empower us to deliver meaningful, ROI-centric marketing solutions for our clients. I am confident that Sumeer will drive this mandate quite effortlessly.”
Adding further, Bobby Pawar, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Havas Group India, said: “The meaningful difference we make to our client’s business through our differentiated products, digital-led strategic solutions and engaging storytelling, is what led us to the top league in the industry. Sumeer will drive this further. Throughout his career, Sumeer has worked with strong business teams, delivering tangible business results. His keen interest in understanding what drives culture, what motivates consumers, and how digital technologies are reshaping brand interactions will add a tremendous value to our strategic planning function.”
As part of the ongoing restructuring of the senior leadership team at Havas Worldwide India, Havas Group India has elevated Arindam Sengupta and Prashant Tekwani to new profiles. Prior to this, Manas Lahiri was elevated as Managing Director and Ravinder Siwach as ED & National Creative Director of Havas Worldwide India, respectively.
Rana Barua
Said Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas Group India: “Despite the challenges of the last two years, as a network, we have witnessed unprecedented growth through new business wins, acquisitions and extending several global expertise to India. All of which has helped us build a marquee list of new clients and partnerships. Havas Group India has emerged as one of the strongest integrated networks in India, offering our clients effective solutions through collaboration and coming together of the best talent and expertise. I am confident both Arindam and Prashant will continue to drive excellence and take us to greater heights.”
Havas Group announced the launch of its Prosumer Report, a global perspective on the future of e-commerce that captures information and insights on the sector, done through the network’s proprietary research tool. Drawing on responses from 3,000 consumers from India, Brazil, China, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States, the survey examined the upcoming trends in the e-commerce experience.
Pritha Dasgupta
Talking about the report, Pritha Dasgupta, CMO, Havas Group India, said: “Prosumer is Havas Group’s global report that is released 3 to 4 times every year, each one covering a specific topic. It is one of the longest-running thought leadership properties of Havas Group that has become instrumental in predicting emerging trends in consumer behaviour,” adding: “Over the last two years, digital adoption has been extremely fast and has become a way of life. If we specifically look at the e-commerce sector, it has become a breeding ground of innovation and in the last two years every leading company in this sector has grown aggressively. Our latest Prosumer Report gives a clear direction to the industry of where this e-commerce sector is headed, and also identifies trends of the sector.”
As per a communique, the study notes that throughout the pandemic, e-commerce has clearly established itself as the new retail norm as more than eight in 10 prosumers say they prefer the online shopping experience over the traditional format of in-store purchasing. However, one out of three respondents claim that their e-commerce experiences are quite boring. Havas Group’s Prosumer report came up with a few ways to upgrade the e-commerce experience by:
:: Focusing on new rules of eCommerce: This includes free shipping & returns, seamless & fast delivery, customer ratings, loyalty discounts and purchases recommendations.
:: Having a purpose beyond clicks: e-commerce must be about more than just access, it is about curating products that are good for society.
:: Being on the right side of data history: Privacy is gaining momentum so data education should be mandatory.
:: Expanding from a place to buy to a place to socialise: As e-commerce is becoming more human and is moving to social, making the experience more community-driven will bring results.
The report threw light on some India-specific trends:
:: The rise in community shopping experience: Post-pandemic, the desire to replicate in-store/mall experience has led prosumers to seek community shopping experiences from the e-commerce industry. In this context, we see a spike in demand for services such as the ability to shop on social media (66%) and the ability to interact with fellow shoppers (68%).
:: The era of Transparency: Contrary to popular euphemism, consumers are not averse to data sharing. In fact, they demand transparency regarding what data is being collected. In this context, we see 97% of the prosumers rating privacy as the key attribute and 83% ready to boycott brands that do not have a transparent data collection policy.
:: Personalised experience: 68% of Prosumers expect their e-commerce shopping experience to be tailored through personalisation and AI.
:: Rise in responsible e-commerce practices: 95% of prosumers demand eco-friendly packaging and 69% want to see e-commerce organisations commit to sustainable practices across the value chain.
The Havas Group Prosumer report notes that e-commerce is no longer just about business transactions; it’s about customer empowerment and with the e-commerce market touching $84 billion in July 2021, this is a sector one just can’t ignore. Meeting the needs of consumers will ensure that the e-commerce sector moves from strength to strength. It’s where the future is.
Havas Group India has announced a restructuring of its senior leadership team at Havas Worldwide (Creative) India.
Ravinder SiwachManas Lahiri
Effective immediately, Manas Lahiri, President – North, has been elevated to the role of Managing Director and Ravinder Siwach, currently National Creative Director, has been promoted to the role of Executive Director and National Creative Director of Havas Worldwide (Creative) India.
Rana Barua
Lahiri will continue to report to Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas Group India. He will lead both the offices (Gurugram and Mumbai) of Havas Worldwide India and work closely with the leadership team of the other Havas group companies to drive growth, digital innovations and help in the overall integration across businesses and functions. Siwach will continue to report to Bobby Pawar, Chairman and Chief Creative Officer, Havas Group India and continue to drive the creative excellence of the group.
Talking about this restructuring, Barua said: “We have witnessed an exponential growth in a short span of 2 years and have added a phenomenal set of new clients and talents across both our offices. It was time to recognise a strong leadership to drive the client consolidation and take charge of the day-to-day operations of Havas Creative.”
Bobby Pawar
Added Pawar: “Ravinder and Manas are a rare pair of leaders who are equally passionate about creating great work and growing the agency. The way they collaborate sets the right tone for the rest of the team. Their elevation is a recognition of all their contributions and the passion they bring to Havas’s mission of helping brands make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.”
Havas Media Group India has won the integrated media mandate for both offline and online of Just Dial, the local search engine. In addition, HMG India will also be managing Just Dial’s social media mandate.
The account which is one of the biggest wins of the year for Havas Media, will be managed by the network’s Gurugram office, led by Uday Mohan, President & Head – North & West India, Havas Media Group.
Said Prasun Kumar, CMO, Just Dial: “Being one of the pioneers of the consumer internet industry, our constant endeavour is to provide fast, reliable, and comprehensive range of products and services to our users. As one of the largest platforms in India, we also work with millions of business owners, both small & large, and help them grow. To help drive our aggressive growth- oriented brand strategy, we are partnering with some of the best marketing agencies. Havas Media impressed us with their thinking & ideation. I am confident that they will add significant value in our overall marketing strategy & programs.”
Added Rana Barua, CEO, Havas Group India: “Both 2020 and 2021 were stellar years for our creative and the media units. Quarter-on-quarter, Havas Media Group India has recorded tremendous business growth, which has set a great momentum for the agency. This win also reflects how effectively we have been able to make a meaningful difference to our clients and their businesses, especially in the last two years. We are delighted to have Just Dial onboard and looking forward to partnering them in this new phase of growth.”
Added Mohit Joshi, CEO, Havas Media Group India: “We are extremely proud to have added Just Dial to our ever-growing and marquee client portfolio. This win is a testimony, how successfully we married our meaningful media experience with that of the aggressive growth plans of Just Dial. This win also reflects our media buying efficiencies. And going forward the task will also be to integrate social with that of the offline and online strategy of Just Dial.”
Havas Media Group India reports added new businesses worth INR 750+ crore.
The new business wins include some of the marquee brands, namely, Ambuja Cement, Bira91, Campus Shoes, De Beers Forevermark, Dr. Reddy’s, and Realme. One of the biggest clients of Havas Media Group India, Swiggy, has further consolidated its association with the network by giving the media mandate of Swiggy Instamart.
Rana Barua
Said Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas Group India: “Over the last two years, Havas Group India has displayed some phenomenal growth, in terms of new client acquisitions – some of them have been really esteemed ones. We have built our expertise through acquisitions, strengthened our teams through exceptional hiring of talent, and elevated the cultural and organizational shift. This has clearly set us apart from the competition and it’s evident in our growth story. I am glad that the vision with which we set out to achieve has culminated into an outstanding momentum for the network. I’m also extremely delighted with all my colleagues at Havas Media, Creative and all our group companies for showing such resilience and commitment during such volatile times.”
Footwear brand Walkaroo has launched an integrated marketing campaign, “Walk More. Restless”. Conceptualised and executed by Havas Creative Group India, it will release six films, featuring Aamir Khan in six different avatars in this campaign series.
Commenting on the campaign, VKC Noushad, Managing Director, Walkaroo International Pvt Ltd, said: “We are excited to launch this fresh campaign with Aamir khan. The campaign marries the constantly changing shades of Aamir Khan with the trendy and wide variety offered by Walkaroo, which includes 1000+ designs across Gents, Ladies and Kids categories.”
Added Bobby Pawar, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, Havas Group India: “Today’s generation is always on their toes, forever moving, restless and edgy. For them, discontentment is the only form of contentment. We have conceptualised the films keeping in mind the young consumers, who are eager to try something new and are not afraid of experiments.”
Havas Creative Group India has announced the appointment of Debopriyo (Debo) Bhattacherjee as EVP & Planning Head – North, effective immediately. In his new role, Bhattacherjee will be responsible for providing strategic guidance to Havas Creative with a special focus on all brands of Reckitt and a portfolio of brands from the Dabur stable. He will also be spearheading clients like Suzuki, Norton, Fortis, William Grants and ITC
Manas Lahiri
Said Manas Lahiri, President – Havas Creative Group India: “Havas Gurgaon has had an amazing momentum in the last few years. And we now have some fantastic brands that require a senior strategic professional with multi-industry experience. Debo has both the experience and knowledge of handling brands across a wide range of categories. He has been part of the Havas network earlier and understands the culture of Integration that Havas offers to its clients. His unique perspectives and ideas will undoubtedly increase our abilities to produce interesting work for our client portfolio.”
Neeraj Bassi
Commenting on the appointment, Neeraj Bassi, Chief Strategy Officer, Havas Group India, added: “I am delighted to welcome Debo onboard. He brings a lot of value to the team because of his passion for understanding customer concerns and finding creative solutions to business problems. I’m confident that his strategic planning skills will help us continue to achieve our goal of making brands more meaningful.”
Havas Creative Group India has announced the appointment of Amish Sabharwal as Senior Executive Creative Director and Creative Head of Digital Experience. He will be based in Gurugram and will report to Ravinder Siwach, National Creative Director, Havas Creative Group India.
Bobby Pawar
Commenting on the appointment, Bobby Pawar, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, Havas Group India, said: “Amish brings with him a vast experience of some of the most well-known brands and categories. I believe his unique approach will bring in a breath of fresh air to the creative landscape and fuel our promise of Meaningful storytelling further. I welcome Amish to the Havas family and look forward to him scaling up Havas’ rich legacy to a new level.”
Ravinder Siwach
Added Siwach: “It’s been our constant endeavour to offer differentiated and engaging storytelling for our clients. Marrying creativity and digital is at the core of what we do, and integrating it with the global offerings like CX, design, analytics, AI and so on is at the heart of our strategy for growth at Havas Creative. Amish will add more muscle to this vision with his varied background.”
Havas Group India has announced the appointment of Pritha Dasgupta as Chief Marketing Officer, effective immediately. She will be based in Mumbai and report to Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas Group India. Dasgupta, who was earlier with IPG Mediabrands, takes the place of Priyanka Mehra, who moved out of Havas last month as Chief Marketing Officer.
Commenting on Pritha’s appointment, Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas Group India, said: “Havas Group has rapidly grown, both in size and in stature, in the last few years. With over 10 companies, 1000+ people, we have extremely ambitious plans of further expansion, acquisitions and creating a meaningful difference in the overall Indian media and advertising ecosystem. As a Group CMO, her vast experience and in-depth knowledge of the media ecosystem will prove to be invaluable to our network. She is a highly accomplished journalist and a professional with effective leadership and people skills. We are all thrilled to have her on board and look forward to a totally new way of marketing and communication in today’s times.”
Added Dasgupta: “It’s hard to define the dynamic transformation the advertising and the marketing industry has gone through in the last decade, especially in the space of martech. This led to a huge transformation in the way networks built their communications strategies.”
