Tag: Samrat Bedi

  • Gozoop Group appoints Samrat Bedi as CEO

    By Our Staff

     

    Gozoop Group, the digital marketing agency, has appointed Samrat Bedi as Chief Executive Officer. Bediwill spearhead  business operations and leadership team in India.

     

    Speaking on his new role Bedi said, “I am elated to take ahead the legacy that Ahmed and Rohan have built over the years. Their deep understanding about brands and businesses in a modern age has helped build Gozoop be the independent and homegrown integrated agency it is today. I look forward to working with a group of passionate leaders at Gozoop to build brands of the future and create work that will be outstanding.”

     

    Rohan Bhansali, Chairman & Co-founder, Gozoop Group said, “In Samrat we have a rare blend of a leader who has a strong growth orientation and a spirited people-first approach. Samrat is a leader who we believe will drive Gozoop India’s vision. I am confident that his experience and leadership in nurturing brands, teams and creative minds will take Gozoop forward on its glorious journey.”

     

  • Bisleri camels are back

    By A Correspondent

     

    The Bisleri camels are back in a brand new avatar. It may be remembered that ‘Samajhdaar Jaante Hain’ campaign had launched in 2018.

     

    The latest campaign features Baadal, the camel, promotes the message of safe home delivery of Bisleri. Designed exclusively for the digital medium, the videos talk of issues ranging from long queues outside shops to the concerns of impurities in drinking water in the monsoons.

     

    Conceptualised by 82.5 Communications (Mumbai), an Ogilvy group company, the campaign delivers the simple message of home delivery in a humorous, clever and creative way. Three more films conveying this message will be released in the coming week.

     

    Said Anuraag Khandelwal, ECD and Creative Head (Mumbai), 82.5 Communications: “The challenge of creating this campaign was that we could not shoot. And we did not want to sound opportunistic. The idea was to tell stories that inform and entertain in truly Bisleri style. And so, we came up with – Don’t worry, ab ghar aayegi Bisleri. This was yet another satisfying and fun campaign to create.”

     

    Added Samrat Bedi, President (Mumbai), 82.5 Communication: “Consumers are increasingly evaluative of their consumption habits now more than ever. Besides, the promise of safety and purity have become front-of-pack conversations and non-negotiable too.

     

    Said Anjana Ghosh, Director of Marketing and Business Development, Bisleri International: “During these past few months, consumers have faced real constraints in accessing basic essentials on account of lockdown – the supply chain was disrupted, essential shops remained shut, people were required to wait in long queues with the risk of overcrowding, they were unable to manage work from home schedules as they had to step out to get their basic needs in place. Water being an essential need, Bisleri understood the challenges consumers were facing at a very early stage of the lockdown period and was able to offer solutions quickly by facilitating direct and safe home deliveries.

     

    One more quote. Said Sumanto Chattopadhyay, Chairman & Chief Creative Officer, 82.5 Communications, India: “When you have spokespersons that are this unique, they remain an effective mouthpiece whether in flesh and blood or as animated characters. May we present to you the Bisleri campaign sequel — with Baadal the animated camel!”

     

     

  • Soho Square hitches a ride with Piaggio again

    By A Correspondent

     

    Soho Square has been handed the creative duties of Piaggio brands, Aprilia and Vespa, after a hard-fought pitch involving multiple agencies, over several rounds. This comes on the back of recently-acquired Nicotex – Cipla’s brand of smoking cessation gum.

     

    Piaggio though, isn’t entirely new to Soho Square. The agency earlier re-launched Vespa in India. However, due to a global re-alignment the account had to be moved. This time though, the Piaggio India team was specifically looking for a local agency with a deep understanding of Indian markets.

     

    Although the pitch was only for the Aprilia account, the Piaggio management eventually decided to award the entire two wheeler business, including Vespa, to Soho Square.

     

    Ashish Yakhmi
    Samrat Bedi

    Ashish Yakhmi – Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd’s (VP and Head – Marketing): After several meetings with multiple agencies, we realised that not only is Soho Square the best fit for our brands, but that they also have the necessary skill-sets to achieve our strategic objectives in India.

     

    Samrat Bedi, Head of Office, Soho Square, Mumbai: This is a homecoming of sorts… We were well and truly disappointed when Vespa moved out two years ago. More than the fact that this is a big win, we are elated to have Piaggio back in the fold.

     

    Shashank Lanjekar

    Shashank Lanjekar, Senior VP – Strategic Planning, Soho Square, Mumbai: Vespa is a strong global brand. In India too, it has had quite a long heritage. Aprilia on the other hand is relatively unknown, although it is very famous globally. Our challenges will be to capitalise on the strengths of either and carve a clear niche for ourselves… I am glad that Piaggio has placed their trust in us.

     

     

     

  • Cipla Health partners with Soho Square for Nicotex

    By A Correspondent

     

    Soho Square, Mumbai has bagged the creative mandate of Nicotex – Cipla Health’s smoking cessation gum.

     

    Himava Nath, Head Marketing, Cipla Health said: “Nicotex, the No. 1 doctor recommended brand in India, is the leading brand in smoking cessation. We have got significant growth for the brand, but we have only scratched the surface. Research shows that India is home to 12% of the world’s smokers, we feel Soho Square can help us unlock the true potential of the brand and achieve our vision of a smoking free India.”

     

    Samrat Bedi, Head of Office – Soho Square, Mumbai added: “Cipla Health is a big brand and we are glad that they have given us this opportunity. Nicotex is the market leader in the category, and Soho has been entrusted with strengthening this position. Cipla Health chose us having noticed the value we bring to the existing brands we handle… Of course, this is a very big win.”

     

    Cipla Health (a newly formed subsidiary of Cipla) with a vision to improve the lives of Indian consumers, plans to position itself as a trusted consumer healthcare brand by providing innovative, consumer friendly products. Soho Square currently works with a number of brands including Tata Motors, YES Bank, H&R Johnson and Bisleri. The agency has recently been in the news for the launch of Bisleri’s soft-drinks range and Franklin Templeton’s “Good EMI” campaign promoting SIPs.

     

  • Vasmol assigns creative mandate to Soho Square

    By A Correspondent

     

    Hygienic Research Institute Pvt. Ltd. (HRIPL) has decided to award the brand duties of Vasmol to Soho Square. The agency will be responsible for all strategic and creative communication for the brand, and this arrangement is effective immediately.

     

    There was no pitch involved in this win, and it was awarded purely on Soho Square’s strategic approach to the brand’s marketing challenge.

     

    Ashish Chhabra

    Ashish Chhabra, Joint Managing Director, Hygienic Research Institute Pvt. Ltd. said, “Our search for a strategic partner for our flagship brand Vasmol concluded with Soho Square as it has the O&M legacy and a rich brain pool. We look forward to this association, towards making Vasmol the most preferred brand in the hair color& care categories.”

     

     

    Samrat Bedi

    Samrat Bedi, Office Head Soho Square echoed those sentiments, “As a brand, Vasmol has been around for close to 60 years and is pretty dear to the Indian consumer. The challenge is to maintain that equity, while also helping the brand lead the way in the modern context… It is our responsibility as much as it is HRIPL’s.”

     

     

    Shashank Lanjekar

    Sr. VP, Strategic Planning, Soho Square, Shashank Lanjekar, was also of the same opinion, “When you look at a brand like Vasmol, you see its potential to be a leader, considering the huge following it already has… Now is the time to consolidate that position and ensure that the communication resonates with this generation.”

     

  • Soho Square wins creative mandate of Good Company Coffee

    By A Correspondent

     

    Soho Square has bagged the advertising duties of Good Company Coffee, which currently runs a chain of cafes in Australia. This business was won in a multiagency pitch.

     

    Good Company Coffee aims to penetrate the growing in-home coffee consumption segment; they will market coffee machines, flavoured coffee, hot chocolate & tea-pods which are slated for a launch later this year.

     

    Sachin Sabharwal, Managing Director, Good Co. Coffee said, “Our products will be targeted to quality and lifestyle conscious individuals who would love to indulge in a great shot of espresso or when mood sustains can also have hot chocolate and tea variants in the comfort of their home. It is this resonance of passion and quality in each cup that we found in the Soho Square team which we feel will translate into a big launch idea.”

     

    Samrat Bedi

    Samrat Bedi, Head of Office, Soho Square said, “In Good Co. we see many possibilities. A series of interactions with the client led to a meeting of minds that helped us win the business. This launch is close on the heels of another successful one – Bisleri Urzza. It’s great to know that marketers want to partner with Soho for their new brand launches. It’s a challenge we seem to love too.”

     

  • Soho Square bags creative biz for Bisleri’s new product

     

     

    Soho Square has bagged the advertising business for the upcoming launch of a new beverage by Bisleri. The said beverage is slated to hit the market later this year. Soho Square currently works on two of Bisleri’s brands namely Bisleri and Vedica.

     

    Samrat Bedi, Head of Office, Soho Square said, “Mr Ramesh Chauhan has pushed us to our limits on this one. Soho teams have input on numerous tasting sessions, packaging, positioning, pricing and even distribution to help give birth to the brand. Communication is just the icing on the cake.”

     

    Mohit Ahuja, Senior Vice President, Soho Square shared, “Since this marks the return of Bisleri into beverages beyond water and soda, the need to really stand out cannot be emphasized enough. We are planning a complete 360 campaign with a stature befitting a new drink coming from the house of Bisleri. We intend to create a splash in the market on a scale seldom seen.

     

  • After Bajaj Electricals, Soho Square wins Prism Cement

    By A Correspondent

     

    Close on the heels of the Bajaj Electricals win, Soho Square Mumbai has announced its appointment as brand custodians by Prism Cement Limited, a Rajan Raheja Group company for its Cement Division.

     

    Making the announcement, S Ramnath, Executive Director, Prism Cement said, “We considered a few agencies before zeroing on Soho Square, Mumbai. Besides the passion and understanding the team displayed, what really impressed us was the work they have been creating for our H & R Johnson (India) Division.”

     

    Samrat Bedi

    Prism Cement has a strong presence in Central India and the agency has been brought on to partner in the consolidation of its cement brands in these markets.

     

    Corroborating the news, Samrat Bedi, Head, Soho Square, Mumbai said, “This win makes it two in a row; this comes immediately after our Bajaj Electricals win. We are super excited and hope to keep this tempo going.”

     

     

    Mohit Ahuja

    Mohit Ahuja, Senior Vice President, Soho Square Mumbai, added: “Over the past few years, cements have been moving from a purely B2B communication model to a B2C one, so it is exciting to partner a major brand in this phase of the category. The win also cements our expertise in the homes segment, in a manner of speaking, as it adds to our current clients like Oberoi Realty, Pidilite’s Dr Fixit Raincoat and H&R Johnson’s floorings, bathrooms and kitchens.”

     

  • Soho Square Mumbai wins H&R Johnson

    By A Correspondent

     

    Soho Square Mumbai has received the mandate for the H&R Johnson business. This includes tiles, bathrooms, kitchens and marble & quartz.

     

    Samrat Bedi

    On the win, Samrat Bedi, Head of Office, Soho Square, Mumbai, said, “H&R Johnson is pretty much a household name in this category and being associated with this brand therefore makes this win even more special. The brand has ambitious plans in India for the road ahead and all of us at Soho Square are proud and honoured to be partnering H&R Johnson on the journey to make these plans a reality.” Mohit Ahuja, Vice President, Account Management, Soho Square, Mumbai, commented, “This win is also exciting from a portfolio point of view for us. In the homes and infrastructure category, we already have a realty major and a water-proofing solutions brand. Thus the H&R Johnson products strengthen this segment for us.”

     

     

    Sushil Matey

    Sushil Matey, COO – Emerging Business and Marketing, H&R Johnson India, said, “The energy and enthusiasm of the Soho Square team is visible in the work that they have proposed for our brand. We are delighted to be working with a team that brings with them their passion and experience into every single engagement.”

     

    For the record, Soho Square is owned by WPP and was re-branded in 2012 from Meridian Communications. In India, Soho Square has three offices in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.