Category: MAM

Weekend Unwind with: Unmisha Bhatt co-founder & chief strategy officer of Tonic Worldwide

MUMBAI: Another weekend is upon us, and so is the time to unwind with yet another edition of IndianTelevision.com’s Weekend Unwind – A series of informal chats that peek into the mind of a corporate executive to get to know the person behind the title a little better.

In this week’s session, we have Tonic Worldwide co-founder & chief strategy officer Unmisha Bhatt opening up the windows to her mind and heart, to offer a glimpse of what’s behind her professional persona.

A marcom professional with over 20 years of experience in developing brand communication & strategies across consumer touch points, she leads strategy on all brands and enables new markets & global expansion as chief strategy officer of Tonic Worldwide. A founding member of the agency’s Dubai office for the Middle East region, and a key driving force for her team across both markets, she divides her time between Dubai and India. Her goal is to bring out the best in her team members, while setting new benchmarks & supporting them with mentorship and support as required. From the last couple of years, Unmisha has also been guest faculty for management students and conducts several training & development workshops to build young talent.

So here goes:

– Your mantra for life

Live and Let live.

-A Book you are currently reading/plan to read

Loads of them. I have this habit of reading many books at one time. Keep jumping to my mood. Current ones that are ongoing are ‘Radical Candor’, ‘Everybody Lies’. Also, Archie comics! They are fun and take me back in time. Then there’s my all-time favourite which I keep re-reading all the time, ‘One + One = 3’. The ones on my lists are “No Rules Rules”, “Pandeymonium” and some fiction mystery novels. They help me switch off.

-Your Fitness mantra, especially during the pandemic

There’s no better way to be fit then house work! The lockdown taught me that

-Your comfort food

Home-cooked food made by my mother-in-law. She’s the best chef ever. She can give every Michelin star chef a run for their money.

-When the chips are down a quote/ philosophy that keeps you going?

Count your blessings

-Your guilty pleasure

Vadapav, beer & end a cocktail evening with Chai. Lol yes, odd but that’s me.

-When was the last time you tried something new?

December 2019, jumped into the sea and swam to the shore of an island where the boat couldn’t hit the shore, in Maldives. Was a fun experience. Been long time since I tried something new yet again.

-A life lesson you learnt the hard way

All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy (in this case Jill)

What gets you excited about life?

Travel, meeting, new people, and exploring different cultures in different countries

What’s on top of your bucket list?

Guest lectures in an international management college. Teaching is the best form of learning, and international teaching will help me learn about different cultures too

If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be?

Spend more time with parents.

An activity that keeps you motivated / charged during tough times

Gratitude and keeping busy at work. I love what I do. I love my brands. I am very competitive and that keeps me motivated to do better.

What lifts your spirits when life gets you down?

For me it’s “who” lifts my spirits: My best friend, my partner-in-crime at work, my husband, Chetan Asher

Your go-to stress buster

Binge-watch any thriller series on OTTs or binge-read fiction. Helps me switch off and transport to another world.

One thing you would most like to change about the world

Call for peace. Live and let live.

June 18, 2022
Former PepsiCo India’s David Pross joins Elite Pro Basketball League as chief advisor

MUMBAI: David Pross has joined the Elite Pro Basketball, a first of its kind in India a 5×5 Pro Basketball League as an advisory board member for the league. Having worked in various countries across the globe, David Pross with all his experience will help the team in planning and executing the league. Organized by Elite Sports India (ESI), it will attract top players, coaches across India and will have the highest salaries in the Indian basketball circuit.

Pross ESI said someone who has a great idea of the Indian market as he has launched his fourth new business initiative in India with Mobile Global Esports (MOGO). He also led the financial development of PepsiCo’s investment in India. This project achieved the first new launch of a global brand in India in 15 years, a market previously closed to investments by foreign consumer product companies. In his stint with R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, he managed to gain government approval, environmental clearances and the industrial license for the only new foreign investment in India’s tobacco industry in 75 years.

Pross said, “Elite Pro Basketball gives the most exciting players in India a chance to prove their skills and create a dynamic showcase for the way basketball should be played — a fast-paced, nothing conceded, score-at-will game of the best.”

Elite Pro Basketball CEO Sunny Bhandarkar said, “Having someone as experienced as Mr Pross will certainly help us immensely. His inputs will be crucial in making this a World class league, our initial conversations have already been beneficial, and he has some great ideas which we will be implementing.”

June 17, 2022
Ultimate Kho Kho welcomes Capri Global & KLO Sports as owners of Rajasthan and Chennai teams

Mumbai: The Ultimate Kho Kho (UKK) has on-boarded Capri Global & KLO Sports as the owners of Rajasthan and Chennai teams, respectively for the inaugural edition of the League, which is set to kick-off in 2022.

The KLO Sports-owned team will be known as Chennai Quick Guns while Capri Global’s Rajasthan-based franchise is yet to be named.

Ultimate Kho Kho has also roped in Sony Network India (SPNI) as its broadcast partner with an exclusive multi-year contract. It will see exciting action from the league broadcasted across its sports channels and on the OTT platform SonyLIV in English as well as regional languages.

KLO Sports is co-owned by passionate sports lovers Sanjay Jupudi and Srinath Chittoori, who are successful business giants in the construction, automobile, and IT sector in India and abroad.

Earlier, the Ultimate Kho Kho had announced the association of corporate giants Adani Group & GMR Group as the owners of Gujarat and Telangana franchises.

India’s first-ever franchise-based Kho Kho league is promoted by Dabur Group chairman Amit Burman in collaboration with Kho Kho Federation of India.

Speaking on this, Ultimate Kho Kho CEO Tenzing Niyogi said, “We are thrilled to welcome KLO Sports and Capri Global to the league’s roster which already has eminent corporate names. With this league, we are committed to bringing in a modern-day professional structure in India that not only will take Kho Kho to the next level, but also create a spectacle for the fans.”

With deep technology roots, KLO Sports also plans to invest in bringing this indigenous sport to households using their experience.

“Our goal is to help Kho Kho become a mainstream sport in India. We believe that the franchise has huge potential, and it can bring a rather forgotten sport back into every household. Apart from investing in the grassroots, KLO sports will also invest heavily in building a platform that will engage with fans and will become a role model for all sports franchises,” added KLO Sports co-owner and founder of Qentelli Sanjay Jupudi.

Speaking of this association with Ultimate Kho Kho, Capri Global managing director Rajesh Sharma said, “We want to be part of the overall sports eco-system that promotes homegrown sports and plays the role of an enabler in India’s journey to become a leading sporting nation.”

“Kho Kho is one of the most accessible sports in the country and is played by a large population at every skill level. Our goal amongst others is to facilitate training at the grassroots level. We are excited to associate with Ultimate Kho Kho from the very beginning. Personally, I am very passionate about sports and truly believe that India has humongous talent, they just need to be nurtured efficiently.” added Sharma.

June 17, 2022
Apollo Tyres mandates Mirum, a WPP agency, to create & release the latest campaign

Mumbai: Apollo Tyres has launched an awareness campaign #RacingHeartsSince1909 for Vredestein in India. The campaign, which is created and launched by Mirum, a WPP agency, is all set to get the hearts racing!

The awareness campaign is being taken live on social media, OOH, print magazines, in addition to BTL activations in prominent cities across the country.

The campaign targets the auto enthusiasts. It aims to raise awareness of the superior performance and rich legacy of the Vredestein brand.

The company also focuses at bringing out the outstanding qualities that differentiates Vredestein from other tyre brands — a longstanding legacy of delivering tyres with premium styling and ultra-high performance. And, these are the two most important factors considered by owners of luxury cars and superbikes, the segments catered to by Vredestein.

The campaign brings forward the brand’s ideology of tyres not just being another shoe of one’s vehicle, but a product which makes driving fun, fast and exhilarating. And this is a feeling that brand Vredestein has been delivering successfully for over a century, especially in Europe, with many of its tyres getting high ratings from automotive magazines in their tyre tests, much ahead of the competition.

Commenting on the awareness campaign, Apollo Tyres Middle East and Africa & Asia Pacific president Satish Sharma said, “Vredestein is synonymous with premium styling and ultra-high performance tyres. We are looking at promoting these qualities of the brand, along with its heritage and legacy, which is winning hearts of the consumers, through this campaign, which is being rolled out across mediums.”

Mirum North India director Arvind Nair added “Our attempt with racing hearts was to bring forth the love for driving combined with the heritage of the brand. For a brand like Vredestein, we focused on the emotion and the legacy of performance that sets it apart for over a century.”

June 16, 2022
PepsiCo India names Garima Singh as head of government affairs & communications

MUMBAI: PepsiCo India announced on Thursday the appointment of Garima Singh as head of government affairs and communications. Singh takes over from Viraj Chouhan who is elevated to the role of vice president, global market communications.

Prior to the new appointment, Singh was head of corporate affairs at HeroMotoCorp and as part of her experience of over 20 years has led public affairs mandate for companies like Mondelez, Apple, Mahindra & Mahindra amongst others.

In her new role at PepsiCo India, Singh will be a key business partner managing long-term policy risks and opportunities to shape public policy decisions for sustainable, responsible business growth of the company.

Chouhan, on the other hand, will take up a global role with him being a focal point for all global market communications teams outside the US, covering both internal and external communications. He will serve as the head of the markets center of excellence, providing support & guidance to teams and drive positive outcomes around key themes including pep+, diversity, engagement & inclusion, digital transformation and community.

Armed with over 25 years work experience, Chouhan joined PepsiCo India in November 2018, and has been an integral part of the India leadership team. As chief govt. affairs and communications officer, he has been instrumental in building a world class, cohesive function that has had some major wins across all areas of work, according to the company. On the sustainability side, he has been instrumental in driving the PepsiCo ecosystem in India to collect & dispose 100 per cent of post-consumer plastic waste by December 2021.

June 16, 2022
Rahul Welde exits Unilever after 31 years

MUMBAI: Unilever’s EVP – Digital Transformation and Digital Business Rahul Welde has decided to move on from Unilever after a stint of more than three decades at the FMCG conglomerate. He made the announcement on social media. While Welde did not disclose details of his future plans in his post, he said he is embarking on a new chapter, adding– “building a portfolio career, charting new waters and fostering the spirit of reinvention”.

Sharing a pic of himself handing over his Unilever employee pass, Welde wrote: Time does fly. It has been 31 years since I started my career at Unilever on a bright day. What a ride! I am fortunate to have been able to ‘pivot’ my career several times, long before the word became fashionable, all while being in the same company.

“I have always believed in owning your spirit – in my case, following my mantra of ‘Joy over Success’. And sustaining my undying thirst for the new and left field,” he continued, adding, “Unilever is a great company – just too good to sum up in words. When I completed 30 years I said (and it’s there on Twitter for posterity) – “When you are in the company that long, I guess you really bleed blue. It’s so much more than brands and business – it’s a family.”

“How does one leave family then? A fork in the road does come though, and it is time to move on from Unilever,” he further added.

Having joined Unilever as a management trainee back in 1991, Welde was appointed media director – south asia and general manager – media services in 2005. Thereafter, he held various senior positions like VP-media and global VP-Digital Transformation before being elevated to the post of EVP-Digital Transformation in April 2018. He undertook the additional role of EVP- digital business at the British multinational in February 2020.

June 16, 2022
Mandrake Mydia bags integrated PR mandate for Khelraja

Mumbai: The integrated marketing communications advisory, MandrakeMydia has won the integrated PR mandate for Asia’s renowned iGaming platform, Khelraja.

MandrakeMydia is a boutique PR agency that has catered to different clients from different sectors which adds to the expansive portfolio of the brand. They have managed the PR for gaming brands like Adda52 and Rummy culture in the past helping them build a strong brand presence.

Khelraja is an online gaming app that offers live casino and other gaming experiences to the users along with the opportunity to win big. Strategic media engagement, social media marketing and development for the brand, as well as integrated PR campaign planning and coordination, are the key objectives in the mandate. Khelraja is a platform that offers a seamless virtual gaming experience to its users and is expanding its user base in the market by initiating several interesting gaming campaigns.

Speaking on this, Khelraja CEO Viren Modi said, “With our expansive plans in the near future, we trust MandrakeMydia and its years of experience in the PR management industry. Their deep understanding of the gaming industry and its PR strategies is something that we were looking for the expansion of the brand.”

Sharing her thoughts on this opportunity, MandrakeMydia founder Shabnum Khan commented, “It is a pleasure to be working for one of Asia’s most renowned iGaming platforms and this would be a long-term partnership wherein we aim at expanding the brand presence across different publications. Key strategic approach would be to connect with the target audience through a streamlined approach.”

June 15, 2022
Amisha Jain to lead Levi Strauss & Co. and the company’s operations

MUMBAI: Levi Strauss & Co. announced on Tuesday the appointment of a new leader in its commercial organisation. Amisha Jain has been named as the company’s new senior vice president and managing director of South Asia-Middle East and Africa (SAMEA).

She will be responsible for leading the company’s operations in SAMEA and ensuring that the geography continues to drive expansion and growth, contributing to the company’s success in Asia and around the globe.

Jain brings more than 20 years of experience across multiple industries including physical and digital retail, consumer goods & technology and a track record of leading profitable, sustainable growth & transformation initiatives in both multinational and domestic companies in India to the company.

Most recently, Jain was the chief executive officer at intimate-wear brand and platform Zivame. During her tenure there, she scaled the business nine times in three years before the business was acquired by Reliance Group in 2020, according to the company.

“We are thrilled to welcome such a dynamic, proven leader to the company,” said Levi Strauss & Co executive vice president and chief commercial officer Seth Ellison. “Amisha’s years leading digital and physical retail businesses, her track record of delivering results while connecting with consumers and her passion for innovation are a combination that will set our SAMEA cluster up for accelerated growth.”

“I am excited to join LS&Co. and the Levi’s® a brand—one that I have always admired as a consumer and a business leader. The team has had an incredible journey thus far, and I am delighted to be part of this passionate and high-performing group. Together we will strive to take the brand to even greater heights in the region,” said Amisha Jain.

Jain fills this role following the transition of Sanjeev Mohanty in late 2021. Mohanty, the company’s previous senior vice president and managing director of SAMEA, is currently Levi Strauss & Co.’s senior vice president and managing director of the US and Canada.

Jain has an MBA from INSEAD & a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington. She started her career as an engineer with Motorola Inc. and has held roles across multiple functions including sales, operations and strategy at organisations like McKinsey & Company, Nike and Arvind Group.

June 15, 2022
RD&X Network onboards Ashish Bhasin as co-founder & chairman

MUMBAI: Global advertising & marketing transformation startup RD&X Network has appointed Ashish Bhasin as co-founder & chairman. The former CEO APAC of Dentsu, Bhasin is an advertising and media veteran with over 34 years of industry experience which includes 24 successful agency acquisitions, management of 10,000+ people, and over $4 billion of ad spends in the APAC region.

Founded by Rajiv Dingra, former CEO of WATConsult, RD&X Network is headquartered in Dubai and has technology teams based in Bangalore & Mumbai catering to a global market with special focus on USA, Middle East, and APAC regions.

Speaking on this occasion, Bhasin said, “MadTech, a combination of MarTech and AdTech, is clearly the future of our industry as digital spends cross 60 per cent globally, reaching over a trillion dollars by 2027. Rajiv and the RD&X Network team have developed a unique AI-based platform that will enable direct clients, clients wanting to in-house, as well as digital, and advertising agencies. With one of the finest technology teams, a committed founder with experience and drive like Rajiv, RD&X Network has the potential to become the first India-Out, platform based global advertising and marketing startup. The opportunity to mentor and guide this process attracted me to join the RD&X Network. It is also my first entrepreneurial venture as a co-founder and I am delighted to partner with Rajiv.”

Praising Bhasin’s accolades and experience, RD&X Network CEO founder Rajiv Dingra said, “Ashish is an advertising and media legend, who brings with him the unique experience and wisdom of scaling the digital advertising business, both organically and inorganically, across several markets, regions, and with diverse entrepreneurs. We have worked together in the past when WATConsult joined Dentsu, and I have witnessed his amazing zeal and drive first-hand as a leader always seeking to build the future of advertising by inspiring his team. We are extremely excited to have him onboard as our co-founder & chairman. Together, we intend to create the platform-driven future of the advertising industry as we take this step.”

RD&X Network recently launched the world’s first Unified Marketing & Advertising Automation Platform, ReBid which uses AI-based algorithms to provide end-to-end unified workflow, data harmonisation and real-time reporting, all in one platform, said the company in its statement.

It covers over 98 per cent of the relevant global digital ad spends, helping marketers regain control and prepare for a cookieless world, according to the company.

June 15, 2022
Media Mantra strengthens its leadership team; appoints Rahul Mehta as CEO

MUMBAI: Integrated communications firm Media Mantra strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of Rahul Mehta as the chief executive officer of its operations in India. Tasked with the responsibility of driving strategic business growth, Mehta will focus on consolidating and expanding the business across existing and new practice areas, launching new services & providing strategic senior counsel to clients. He will work directly with Media Mantra founding director Udit Pathak.

With over 22 years of agency and corporate experience, Mehta has served in senior leadership roles for over 15 years including as COO with Kaizzen, senior VP & general manager with Fleishman Hillard and Branch Head with Weber Shandwick. He is also a past winner of the Weber Shandwick Asia Pacific Leadership Award.

“Media Mantra is currently undergoing a very exciting phase of growth. This year, one of the key focus areas for us was to strengthen our leadership team by adding well-respected professionals like Rahul, who is a proven communications expert with strong expertise in executing innovative and integrated client campaigns,” Media Mantra founding director Udit Pathak said.

“His vast experience and immense knowledge makes him a perfect fit for overseeing our India operations as part of the growing leadership team. He will provide strategic insights and drive impact and outcomes for our growing list of clients. While working closely with me, he will play a vital role in accelerating collective growth of the organization. As we inch closer to our 10th anniversary this August, Rahul’s appointment is just the beginning of bigger and better things to come in future for the MM family,” he further said.

“I am excited to join Media Mantra at this exciting juncture, where the agency has laid a strong foundation to enter the next phase of its strong growth journey. Media Mantra has a proven track record of executing award-winning campaigns for clients and I look forward to working alongside Udit to drive a culture of excellence for clients across existing and new service offerings, with a clear focus on delivering communication outcomes that have a measurable impact on business outcomes,” Rahul Mehta said.

A post-graduate in Advertising and Communications management from Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies, Mehta brings expertise in corporate reputation management, brand reputation management, crisis management, social media influencer campaigns, internal communications, public affairs, senior executive training and brand marketing. His area of expertise transcends diverse sectors such as consumer durables, FMCG, auto, B2B, BFSI, healthcare, aviation, travel & tourism, telecom, healthcare, and fashion and lifestyle.

June 15, 2022