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Tag: Madan Bahal

  • The Abby Awards will be held from May 29 to 31 as part of Goafest 2024

    Madan Bahal, Prateek Bhardwaj, and Amit Sharma appointed as Jury Chairs for Abby Awards 2024 powered by One Show

    For the past few weeks, we have been publishing news on the announcement of names of jury chairs of various award categories of Abby 2024 (full name: The Abby Awards 2024 powered by One Show).

    So here’s one more: Madan Bahal, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Adfactors PR, Prateek Bhardwaj, Chief Creative Officer and Head of Creative (India) at Lowe Lintas and Amit Sharma, Founder Director of Chrome Pictures have joined as jury chairs for the Public Relations, Direct and Video Craft categories respectively.

    The Abby will be held from May 29 to 31 as part of Goafest 2024. This year, Goafest is being held in Mumbai, at Westin Powai, overlooking Powai Lake.

  • Recent inductees include Ofield Dukes, Maril Gagen MacDonald and Dave Samson

    Madan Bahal inducted into Page Hall of Fame

    By Our Staff

     

    Madan Bahal, Co-founder and Managing Director of Adfactors PR will be inducted into the Page Hall of Fame at the Page Annual Conference on September 18 in Chicago. This recognises lifetime achievement in corporate communication by individuals who have made a significant impact on the enterprises they have served or counselled.

     

    Said Maril Gagen MacDonald, founder and CEO of Gagen MacDonald and chair of the Page Honors Committee: “Madan’s strategic and reputation management counsel is sought after by many CEOs of the most prominent Indian companies, including the Tata Group, the Mahindra Group and the Godrej Group,” “They rely on him for guidance on the most pressing issues affecting their corporate reputation, corporate governance, sustainability and business strategy, including virtually every major merger and acquisition transaction in recent years.”

     

    Recent inductees to the Page Hall of Fame include PR Pioneer and Civil Rights Leader Ofield Dukes, Maril Gagen MacDonald, founder and CEO of Gagen MacDonald and Dave Samson, Vice Chairman of Corporate Affairs at Edelman.

     

  • Initiative in collaboration with CIBA and SPTBI to nurture startup ecosystem by developing go-to-market communication strategies

    Adfactors PR signs MoU with Mumbai Incubators

    By A Correspondent

     

    Leading public relations consultancy Adfactors PR has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mumbai-based Incubators – Centre for Incubation and Business Acceleration (CIBA) and Sardar Patel Technology Business Incubator (SPTBI) – to support emerging startup entrepreneurs in building their go-to-market communication strategies.  CIBA and SPTBI are supported by Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. The firm recently launched a new practice designed to support communication strategies in frontier areas such as Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning (ML), Robotics, Quantum Computing, Analytics and Autonomous Mobility.

     

    Said CIBA CEO Prasad Menon: “As a not-for-profit technology business incubator, we have committed ourselves to enabling disruptors. Our incubatees have challenged the Goliaths of the industry with the power of technology that allows them to reach and communicate with prospective customers at relatively low cost and high speed. Therefore for the incubatees, right communication strategy is important and for an incubator a right partner like Adfactors PR is even more important. We look forward to creating value together for these tech innovators.”

     

    Added SPTBI Chairperson B N Chaudhari: “SP-TBI is a hub of innovation is the city centre. With talent coming from Tech, Engineering and Management background; SP-TBI is striving to become a known name among entrepreneurs. We believe that this partnership with Adfactors is one such step. The mutual goal of developing an entrepreneurial ecosystem will surely deepen this relationship. We are happy to see a fresh journey with Adfactors PR.”

     

    Said Adfactors PR Co-Founder and Managing Director Madan Bahal: “Over the last 22 years, Adfactors PR has built a market-leading position supporting the aspirations of a multitude of Indian entrepreneurs. As an independent Indian firm, it is our privilege to partner with CIBA and SPTBI to build India’s future techpreneurs – who are defined by an exponential view of the future. With our vast multi-specialist capabilities, the firm is well-equipped to support today’s start-ups evolve into tomorrow’s decacorns.”

     

     

  • New practice designed to bridge the worlds of innovation and civic society

    Adfactors PR launches ‘Frontier Technologies’ practice

    By A Correspondent

     

    Adfactors PR has launched a specialist offering, the Frontier Technologies practice, to address new and emerging technology sectors including artificial intelligence, big data, machine learning and nano technology.

     

    The offering will specifically serve the requirements and opportunities facing emerging technology companies, in addition to mainstream businesses deploying next-generation technologies such as Blockchain, artificial intelligence, machine learning and autonomous mobility across their operations.

     

    The practice will be led nationally by the firm’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Roger Darashah, supported by a team of specialists. In Mumbai, it will be led by Sandeep Ajgaonkar, Vice-President, Adfactors PR, who was formerly Senior General Manager, Digital & Direct Marketing at Sun Pharmaceutical and, earlier, Editor & Marketing Head for Express Computer Magazine. In Bengaluru, by T V Mahalingam, Senior Group Head and former National Technology Editor at The Economic Times and in Delhi by Priti Setia, Group Head, who recently joined the firm from Edelman where she was Co-Lead, Integration, Delhi. The practice will be supported by Adfactors PR’s extended team including data scientists, programmers and developers.

     

    Adfactors PR Co-Founder and Managing Director Madan Bahal explained that the practice reflected the distinct communications challenges facing companies incorporating and deploying emerging technologies: “In this field, technical understanding is a crucial but insufficient competence.  Communicators also need to be able to understand public sentiment – informed or otherwise, anticipate risks and opportunities, and navigate incomplete regulatory frameworks,” he noted.

     

    Added Darashah: “While such technologies are becoming increasingly complex and impenetrable to non-specialists, discussions about their impact are actually becoming more mainstream.  Today, the requirement for technologists to explain and address the societal implications of their offerings to broader audiences – customers, partners and employees as well as regulators – has never been more crucial.”

     

     

  • Phase 1 of 9-month PG programme to be completed by June 2020

    Adfactors, Upgrad to train PR professionals in digital mktg

    By A Correspondent

     

    PR major Adfactors PR has signed an MoU with leading education company Upgrad to train 300 of its client-servicing employees in a post-graduate certification programme on digital marketing and communications. The course has been designed by experts from MICA with additional modules co-created with Adfactors PR, for PR professionals.

     

    The objective, notes a communique, of this transformational initiative is to foster a 360-degree digital ecosystem-readiness within the firm by building a deep understanding of social media, online reputation management, multimedia content capabilities, content marketing, digital analytics, campaign planning, and digital crisis management skills.

     

    While the first batch of over 100 employees, drawn from the Delhi and Bengaluru offices of Adfactors PR, have already started their training, two other batches of 100 each will start from August 16 and October 1, respectively. The course will have participation across levels from Account Executives to Vice-Presidents.

     

    The entire programme is funded by Adfactors PR for all its employees. The Phase 1 of this program, to be completed by June 2020, will be followed by Phase 2, where the remaining 300 client-servicing executives will complete this training.

     

    Said Mayank Kumar, Co-founder and Managing Director, Upgrad: “Adfactors PR’s endeavour is the largest digital transformation initiative that we have seen from a non-IT company. This unique enterprise partnership fits in wonderfully with upGrad’s own vision that in an ever-changing industry, professionals need to continuously upskill themselves in order to stay relevant. We are extremely happy to see that a new-age PR firm is also committed to a similar goal.”

     

    Added Madan Bahal, Co-founder and Managing Director, Adfactors PR: “As India’s leading PR firm, we have to be future-ready to meet the evolving needs of our clients. For our employees, such comprehensive education will serve as a bridge to migrate to the digital future. By March 2021, we expect every single employee of the firm to have post-graduate capabilities in digital marketing and communications.”

     

     

  • He will be based out of the firm’s Bengaluru office

    Journalist Boby Kurian joins Adfactors PR

    By A Correspondent

     

    Boby Kurian

    Public Relations major Adfactor has brought on board yet another senior journalist with Boby Kurian, former National Corporate Editor of The Times of India, joining the firm as Senior Vice-President, Strategic Communications Group (SCG). He will be based out of Adfactors’ Bengaluru office.

     

    The national role will focus on delivering C-suite counsel and engagements ranging from broader corporate reputation issues, CEO positioning and thought leadership. Kurian has two decades of experience in business journalism, reporting on some of India’s biggest corporate events and business personalities. Kurian held senior editorial positions at several leading media institutions, including VCCircle, The Economic Times, and The Hindu Business Line bureaus in Bengaluru.

     

    Said Adfactors PR Co-founder and Managing Director Madan Bahal said: “We are proud to have someone of Mr. Kurian’s calibre joining us. His keen business and economic perspectives will help us bolster our consulting capabilities to deliver strategic counsel to the vast ecosystem of businesses – driven by frontier technologies, newer opportunities and risks in a rapidly-transforming India.”

     

    On his new role, Kurian added: “I am excited about joining India’s leading public relations firm at this juncture of my career. The Strategic Communications Group has the potential to become a critical part of the firm’s value proposition. I am confident that, together, we will create a valuable and lasting asset.”

     

    Added Adfactors PR’s Bengaluru head of operations and Vice-President S Roy Kandpal: “Team Bengaluru is thrilled to have Boby joining us. I am confident that together, we will further strengthen our service offering and consolidate our market-leading position in South India.”

     

     

  • The Tata Group has mandate its PR and comms mandate to Adfactors PR wef Feb 1. The account size is estimated to be around Rs 30 crore

    Tata says welcome to Adfactors

     

    There are PR agencies and PR agencies and PR agencies. And then there’s Adfactors. Started in 1987 as a boutique agency by Rajesh Chaturvedi and Madan Bahal, it’s today the country’s largest public relations agency. With an employee strength of over 500 people, its turnover is in the region of Rs 180-200 crore. And that number will leapfrog by another Rs 30 crore-odd as the Tata group has signed the agency for as its India PR partner starting February 1.

     

    It’s been discussed ever since Tata Sons got them onboard to handle the all-important job of putting things in order post the Cyrus Mistry episode.The contract lasted a year, and that’s when the industry was abuzz with rumours of the emergence of a deeper relationship.

     

    Soon after the Radia tapes controversy, the Tatas assigned the job of its PR to Diwan Arun Nanda of Rediffusion who in turn assigned the job to Edelman, regarded as the world’s largest independent PR agency.

     

    While the going was good for Rediff-Edelman, there were frequent rumours that the relationship may snap, or that some constituents of the group were free to contract other agencies. A significant indicator of this was when Starbucks moved to Golinopinion and has stayed on with the IPG agency.

     

    The mandate covers strategic counsel and planning, media relations, issues and crisis management, investor relations, advocacy, and integrated campaign development for some of the Tata group’s largest companies including Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Steel, Tata Chemicals, Indian Hotels, Tata Power, Tata Global Beverages and Titan, as well as Tata Sons and Tata Trusts, across India. Note there are some group companies which are currently not part of the roster, in particular Tata Motors. Adfactors has an existing, longstanding relationship with Mahindra & Mahindra and Ashok Leyland and taking on Tata Motors would’ve been a conflict say observers.

     

    In fact it’s this clearminded focus on saying a ‘No’ when there is need to that possibly gets Adfactors to stand out amongst many others. For instance, it’s a clear no-no to handle clients in the business of alcohol, tobacco and non-vegetarian foods. So, for instance, the group doesn’t handle Godrej Tyson Foods.

     

    Said Pradipta Bagchi, former journalist and Group Communications Officer, Tata Group in a statement: “We are pleased to partner with Adfactors PR, India’s largest PR agency, to drive the Tata communications strategy and make the brand engaging and relevant to all our stakeholders,”.

     

    Added Madan Bahal, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Adfactors PR: “The opportunity to work for an iconic institution like the Tata Group that is India’s best known and most trusted brand represents an exciting opportunity for the Adfactors family. The Tata Group is at an inflection point in terms of reinforcing its leadership and growth. We look forward to adding value to its efforts in engaging with a rapidly transforming nation.”

     

    Adfactors will service the Tata mandate out of its 16 offices across the country, supported by a network of 24 support offices covering all state capitals and principal markets. A team of top-level managers with over 20 to 25 years experience headed by former journalist and banking professional Dr Pradeep Raje. Raje had also led the Tata mandate.

     

    In order that Adfactors hops on to the account running, it is learnt that a former senior hand at Vaishnavi Communications, Niira Radia’s PR firm, may be brought on board so that there is greater familiarity with the account.

     

     

  • Walavalkar has more than 25 years of communications experience, having worked in journalism, public relations and marketing with leading corporations

    Adfactors PR hires Walavalkar

    By A Correspondent

     

    Vrinda Walavalkar

    Vrinda Walavalkar, a veteran communications professional with cross-industry corporate communications and marketing experience, has joined Adfactors PR as Senior Vice-President, in charge of its new Energy and Infrastructure vertical, besides providing strategic counsel to the Pharma and Healthcare practice.

     

    Walavalkar has more than 25 years of communications experience, having worked in journalism, public relations and marketing with leading corporations. Her most recent stint was with Anunta Technology Management Services, where she served as Global Head, Marketing.

     

    Welcoming Walavalkar to the Adfactors family, Madan Bahal, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Adfactors PR, said, “We are very pleased to have someone of Vrinda’s experience and expertise joining us. I am confident that Vrinda’s familiarity of working closely with CXOs, and her knowledge of corporate board functioning will greatly contribute to our capacity for managing strategic accounts.

     

    On her new role, Walavalkar said: “I am excited to re-join Adfactors PR which has grown to a leadership position over the last decade. I look forward to bringing my corporate learnings to the Agency’s clients.”

     

  • Sen will help build Consumer Marketing, Employee Engagement portfolios

    Adfactors PR hires Ipshita Sen to lead Consumer Marketing Practice

    By A Correspondent

     

    Ipshita Sen

    Ipshita Sen, a senior communications professional with multi-market and multi-discipline experience, has joined Adfactors PR as Senior Vice-President, Consumer Marketing.

     

    Sen has nearly 20 years of international communications experience, having worked across the marketing spectrum of advertising, corporate communications and public relations. As the Consumer Marketing Lead, Sen will be responsible for building an industry-leading practice, bringing to clients unique, insight-based campaigns that drive results and support their business objectives. She will also use her extensive internal communications and employee engagement experience to help enhance the firm’s offering in the Employee Engagement space.

     

    Welcoming Sen to the Adfactors family, Madan Bahal, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Adfactors PR, said, “We are very pleased to have someone of Ipshita’s ability and experience joining us. Her perspective on Consumer Marketing will add a new dimension to our service offering in this area – enabling us to adopt and incorporate global thinking and approaches into our clients’ campaigns.”

     

  • Darashah brings over 23 years of international communications experience to Adfactors PR

    Adfactors PR appoints Roger Darashah as COO

    By A Correspondent

     

    Roger Darashah, an international senior communications professional with stints in Europe, India and Brazil, has joined Adfactors PR as its Chief Operating Officer (COO).

     

    Darashah brings over 23 years of international communications experience to Adfactors PR. Most recently, he worked with Edelman as Executive Vice President – Technology & Global Business Director in Brazil.

     

    As Chief Operating Officer, Darashah’s role will be to ensure consistent and industry-leading levels of service across all client relationships. He will be also responsible for delivery of insight-based campaigns that drive results and support clients’ business objectives. In addition, he will support Adfactors PR’s globalisation initiatives – scale operations internationally as well as bring an international, best-practice approach to all aspects of client service in India.

     

    Said Madan Bahal, co-founder and Managing Director of Adfactors PR:  “We are proud to have someone of Roger’s calibre and perspective joining us. His global experience will strengthen our service offering and as we embark on launching new Practices to fill the void in the Indian market place.”

     

    On his new role, Darashah commented, “I am excited to be here at Adfactors PR. The consultancy has all the right ingredients to attain a leadership position in the Asian public relations industry and beyond. The Indian market’s growth and potential provides an excellent platform from which to scale a global, integrated offering to support clients looking for a truly global approach. And, with its current market leading position and ambitions, it is an opportunity which Adfactors PR is wonderfully positioned to realise.”

     

    Darashah started his career with Weber Shandwick in London in 1993. His other stints include Managing Director of Hotwire Paris, where he established the boutique agency as among the top three tech agencies in France. In 2008, he moved to Spain to join Edelman as Deputy Managing Director (Europe). He also served as Director for Rediffusion/Edelman managing the Tata Group mandate in India during 2012-15.

     

     

  • The conclave discussed the rising importance of PR and social media in marketing communications and how aspirants should be equipped with the right skills for the changing dynamics of the industry

    SIMC, Pune hosts its annual PR Conclave to discuss the reinvention of PR

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication (PG), Pune, hosted its annual Public Relations Conclave on August 2 with the theme ‘Reinventing PR.’ The conclave discussed the rising importance of PR and social media in marketing communications and how aspirants should be equipped with the right skills for the changing dynamics of the industry.

     

    The speakers comprised eminent industry experts such as Madan Bahal, Founder and Managing Director, Adfactors, Senjam Raj Sekhar, Head of Corporate Communications at Flipkart, Sanjay Tripathy, Senior EVP, HDFC Life, Valerie Pinto, CEO, Weber Shandwick India, Hareesh Tibrewala, Founder and Joint CEO, Social Wavelength, Chetan Mahajan, Joint CEO of MSLGroup, Paresh Chaudhry, CEO, Madison PR, Nitin Mantri, Director, Avian Media, Deepshikha Dharmaraj, Chief Marketing & Growth Officer at Genesis Burson Marsteller and Bhairavi Jhaveri, Communication Manager, Twitter India

     

    The event kick started with a keynote speech by Mr Bahal, who emphasised the need to discuss the theme afresh and spoke about adding dimensions to the worldwide PR discourse. Dwelling upon the current trend in the industry, he said: “The empowerment of the common man has created many citizen journalists.”  He further delved into the theme of the event by talking about the growth of digital, and the crucial role it plays in the reinvention of PR.

     

    He explored key issues in the industry and how they need to be addressed to even out the process of adaptation. “Robust theoretical knowledge is missing in PR professionals. Many of us have become templates. Process is a structure that is against creativity.”

     

    Mr Bahal concluded his speech by talking about the role of academia and students in defining PR in the Indian context. Building further on this he said, “After going through the syllabi of several top media institutes, I must say that the syllabus of SIMC is highly robust.”

     

    The first panel, comprising distinguished personalities such as Sanjay Tripathy, Valerie Pinto and Senjam Raj Sekhar, witnessed an interesting exchange of opinions and insights from agencies and corporate alike. The topic of discussion was ‘PR: Climbing the value chain in marketing communication ladder’. Shedding light on it, Senjam Raj Sekhar said, “Marketing campaigns are becoming a lot like PR campaigns. Public Relations is about engagements, conversations and influences, and marketing is now talking that language. The recent marketing campaigns that you have seen are essentially Public Relations campaigns”.

     

    The panel drew parallels between marketing and PR. They emphasized the importance of PR in bringing credibility to a campaign vis-a-vis marketing. “The marketers know how to spend money and get ROI. What PR essentially does is drive and shape the conversations with a lot of credibility,” opined Valerie Pinto.

     

    Steering the discussion to one of the most important phenomena in the industry today, the second panel brought together experts such as Hareesh Tibrewala, Deepshikha Dharmaraj and Bhairavi Jhaveri to discuss the topic ‘Social Media- The Belle of the PR Ball’. They deliberated upon how social media has triggered the democratization of communication.  “Agencies need to understand the power of digital as a medium, rather than developing ventures around digital,” said Harish Tibrewala. Identifying the problem of traditional PR professionals trying to operate in digital, Deepshikha Dharmaraj expounded on the need for working in specialized units of domain experts, “We have a dedicated team that works on social. We have a live newsroom which actively monitors and listens to conversations online.”

     

    In an age when talent is the key driver to any industry, the third panel discussion deep-dived into the issue, ‘Talent Acquisition- Industry Expectation versus Trained and Untrained Talent’. The panelists included Nitin Mantri, Chetan Mahajan, Joint CEO of MSLGroup and Paresh Chaudhry, CEO, Madison PR. Highlighting the importance of dabbling with multiple skills, Chetan Mahajan said, “You can’t have one specialisation. Each one of us is a journalist here. Any person with a smart device, who is socially connected, is a journalist.”

     

    Building further on this theme, Chetan Mahajan, noted that the industry must invest in people from the perspective of growth. “Once you have achieved that, there are structured training programs for everyone. These resources need to think in terms of India, of regional as well as of global.”

     

  • The responsibilities involve enhancing the Godrej Group’s corporate reputation and PR across its business entities

    Godrej Group moves PR mandate to Adfactors

    By A Correspondent

     

    The USD 4.5 billion Godrej Group has awarded its public relations mandate to Adfactors PR through a multi-consultancy pitch process.

     

    The responsibilities involve enhancing the Godrej Group’s corporate reputation and PR across  its business entities namely, Godrej Industries Limited, Godrej Consumer Products Limited, Godrej Properties Limited, Godrej Nature’s Basket, Godrej Appliances, Godrej Agrovet, Godrej Locking Solutions and Systems, Godrej Security Solutions, Godrej Interio and all the B2B SBU’s under Godrej and Boyce.

     

    Tanya Dubash, Chief Brand Officer, Godrej Group, said, “This is an important milestone in our communications journey. In line with our 2020 vision, we have laid down a significant foundation for growth across our businesses. I firmly believe PR and communications have a critical role to play in shaping an appropriate stakeholder perception that is conducive for us to achieve our business objectives. Adfactors PR’s ability to service large conglomerates, research orientation and diverse capabilities within the PR field was noteworthy and I look forward to some brilliant work together, going forward.”

     

    Sujit Patil, Vice President and Head Corporate Communications, Godrej Industries Limited and Associate Companies said, “Adfactors PR was selected through a robust multi-level, multi-consultancy pitch involving seven large firms. The selection panel drawn from across the Godrej businesses appreciated the firm’s understanding of our Group’s corporate reputation and PR needs. On the operations front, we were particularly impressed with the innovative servicing team structure recommended by Adfactors PR that includes specialists in account planning, research, analytics, as well as a national media relations coordinator. I feel this will ensure that our PR is more strategic and impactful.”

     

    Madan Bahal, Co-founder and Managing Director of Adfactors PR, said, “It is our privilege to work with a highly respected Indian conglomerate such as Godrej. Through its diverse offerings, the Group touches the lives of 600 million Indians every day and thereby presents unique communication opportunities. We are confident that we will deliver on the trust placed in us.”

     

    About Godrej Group

    Established in 1897, the Godrej Group has its roots in India’s Swadeshi movement. Our founder, Ardeshir Godrej, lawyer-turned-serial entrepreneur failed with a few businesses, before he struck gold with the locks business that you know today.  One of India’s most trusted brands, with revenues close to USD 4.5 billion, Godrej enjoys the patronage of over 600 million Indians across our consumer goods, real estate, appliances, agri and many other businesses. You think of Godrej as such an integral part of India that you may be surprised to know that over 25 per cent of our business is done overseas.

     

    We promise Godrejites a culture of tough love; take serious bets on them and differentiate basis performance. We also understand that our team members play multi-faceted roles and so, we strongly encourage them to explore their whole selves. Our canvas is growing. In fact, our Vision for 2020 is to be 10 times the size we were in 2010. We truly believe that while our amazing past distinguishes us, we are only as good as what we do next.

     

    About Adfactors

    Adfactors PR is India’s largest public relations firm. With a staff of over 500 professionals in four Asian countries, the firm serves more than 280 retained clients, including some of the largest corporations and financial institutions – both Indian and multinational.

     

    The firm has several market-leading practices such as corporate reputation, capital market communications, and issues and crisis. With 18 offices, Adfactors PR has the largest network of owned offices in India.

     

    It is a member of PROI Worldwide, the largest global partnership of independent public relations firms.

     

    For further information, please contact:

    Sujit Patil / Deepti Shetty

    Godrej Industries Limited and Associate Companies                                                    

    Mob: +91- 9930654976 / +91-9819836003

    Email: sujit.patil@godrejinds.com / Deepti.shetty@godrejinds.com

     

    Aditya Chatterjee

    Adfactors PR

    Mob: +91-9167008700

    Email: aditya.chatterjee@adfactorspr.com