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Tag: J. Walter Thompson South Asia

  • With over 20 years of experience, Bhattacharya has worked across diverse categories such as Food & Beverages, Nutrition, Confectioneries, Technology, Automobile and Durables

    JWT elevates Pinaki Bhattacharya to Natnl Planning Dir

    By A Correspondent

     

    Pinaki Bhattacharya has been appointed as the National Planning Director, J Walter Thompson India. Bhattacharya has been with JWT for over six years and in his last role as Senior Vice President and Executive Planning Director, he was the planning lead on many of the marquee brands in the Delhi office.

     

    With over 20 years of experience, Bhattacharya has worked across diverse categories such as Food & Beverages, Nutrition, Confectioneries, Technology, Automobile and Durables.

     

    In his role as NPD, Bhattacharya along with Mythili Chandrasekar (National Planning Director) will work closely with Bindu Sethi- Chief Strategy Officer to champion the just-launched, new J Walter Thompson way of working – ‘The Pioneering Process’.

     

    Making the appointment, Tarun Rai, CEO, J Walter Thompson South Asia said; “The planning function has always been J Walter Thompson’s strong suit. After all, we invented the planning function in New York, way back in 1968. With so much disruption in just about every aspect of marketing and communication, Planning as a function assumes even greater importance today. The focus of JWT Planning is on solving our clients’ business problems and our new collaborative process – The Pioneering Process – seeks to do just that. It gives me great pleasure to announce Pinaki’s new role as a National Planning Director. Bindu Sethi, our Chief Strategy Officer, now has two senior colleagues in, Mythili and Pinaki to lead the largest team of planners in India.”

     

    “Pinaki is a real asset to the team. There are a few senior planners in India who are able to bring consumer insight into category and brand solution thinking. Mythili adds dimension to our trio by bringing a unique creative edge into the planning thinking process.” says Sethi.

     

    “It’s been six wonderful years of working on and learning from some of the most exciting brands and interesting categories. The new role gives me a wider canvas of brands and people that I hope to influence and help grow. Taking on new roles and challenges that are otherwise daunting seem easier when you are at JWT because of the wonderful and absolutely top class teams and leaders that one is surrounded by- both, within the agency and in our client organizations,” said  Bhattacharya.

     

    Outside of work, he tries to find time to interact with and share his experience with students of management across different Institutes. He also is a keen follower of political developments around the world and a cricket buff.

     

  • The absence of some agencies at the Abby Awards is not a dampener, says Tarun Rai, CEO, J. Walter Thompson South Asia

    Tarun Rai: Having JWT and Contract in Top 3 is the best part

    It’s a hat-trick for you…

    Yes, it’s fantastic, three years in a row. JWT is on top and Contract in comes at No 3. So for me, it is even better news than just being at the top.

     

    Since you’ve have joined JWT things have changed. We’ve heard about you you working in the background to rebuild the agency. Tell us more…

    I have just finished a year myself, last month. It has been a very, very exciting ride. And most people don’t know, but there has been a complete turnaround in business performance. And here, we’re at Goafest and to be able to also do well creatively — and again not just for JWT but also Contract — is extremely heartening for me. The other thing I believe we have won on, are big brands like Unilever and Godrej. And to me there are other many other firsts to this. We have also won the Young Abbys Gold, and to me that is very heartening too. Not only have we won the maximum number of Golds, but also the maximum number of metals. I understand there were 200 shortlists, which itself is a record. So the sense I get is that our work is looking better across the board, and also to have won in various categories, including PR, shows us that we are winning across platforms. So overall, it has been fantastic news to me at Goafest, and it feels great to be here. Over the last one year, I think we have succeeded in turning the agency around. And I think we are poised to have a fantastic 2016.

     

    What is being the No 1 agency at Goafest mean to an agency which has been success and has a rich past?

    It means a lot. To me they’re awards, but awards are a reflection of what’s going on in the agency. They’re a huge pat on the back to all the creative people we have. And as I said, to have both JWT and Contract in the Top 3 is the cherry on the cake. I feel really honoured to have done so well and it is a tremendous tribute to Senthil, Teesta, Ashish of Contract and the entire team.

     

    One of the things that Goafest is known for, apart from the participation of a lot of big as well as small agencies is, notable omissions. Does that take away from your big win?

    I don’t think so. You know it’s up to them to participate or not. From what I was reading in the media, 96 per cent of all agencies have participated. If that four per cent doesn’t want to, well, that’s their decision. So it can’t put a dampener on the victory celebrations.

     

  • Tarun Rai formally assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer J. Walter Thompson South Asia today (March 2, 2015)

    Homecoming for Tarun Rai as he takes charge as CEO, JWT South Asia

    By A Correspondent

     

    Tarun Rai

    Tarun Rai formally assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer J. Walter Thompson South Asia today. He will be based out of the agency’s Mumbai office. He succeeds Colvyn Harris who will assume the role of Executive Director, Global Growth and Client Development.

     

    In his new role as CEO, Mr Rai will lead J. Walter Thompson South Asia, which includes India, Sri Lanka and Nepal, as well as J. Walter Thompson’s Indian companies, including Contract Advertising, Hungama Digital Services, J. Walter Thompson Mindset, Encompass and Social Wavelength.

     

    “I am delighted to take charge of J. Walter Thompson’s South Asia operations and look forward to connecting with each of our offices and clients across the region. It’s a great homecoming for me and I am very excited to kick start this new inning,” Mr Rai said.

     

    Mr Rai joins J. Walter Thompson from Worldwide Media, where he held the role of CEO since 2008. During his previous tenure at J. Walter Thompson, he helped build some of the world’s most reputed brands; his clients included Hindustan Unilever, Diageo, GlaxoSmithKline, Pizza Hut, De Beers, ITC, Tata Steel, Nestlé, Hero, Godrej and Kellogg’s.