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Category: AD Agencies

  • Adcounty Media marks eight year milestone with eye on IPO and deeper global expansion

    Adcounty Media marks eight year milestone with eye on IPO and deeper global expansion

    MUMBAI: Adcounty Media has clocked eight years of digital dominance, marking its anniversary with global milestones, platform innovations, and bold plans for public listing. What began in 2017 as a mobile-first ad network has transformed into a full-stack marketing engine spanning 30+ countries, redefining how brands engage with digital audiences.

    The company, co-founded by Chandan Garg and Aditya Jangid with Abbhinav R. Jain (CFO), Delphin Varghese (CRO), and Kumar Saurav (CSO), has grown into a multi-million-dollar digital business with strongholds across India, LATAM, southeast Asia, the middle east, and Europe. With campaigns spanning gaming, BFSI, e-commerce, edtech, travel, and entertainment, Adcounty Media has focused its mission on simplifying complexity and delivering measurable brand impact.

    In a significant move that underscores its ambitions, Adcounty confirmed its IPO plans for the coming months. This follows its 2023 certification as a Great Place to Work®, cementing its reputation as a people-first, performance-focused organisation.

    Adcounty’s arsenal of proprietary tech includes:

    ●    Bidcounty: An in-house DSP for AI-powered programmatic buying across mobile, CTV, web, and DOOH

    ●    Opsis: Performance marketing suite built for CPL and CPS-driven user acquisition

    ●    Genwin: Conversion-first lead engine with real-time scoring, multi-channel targeting, and optimised landing pages

    ●    iSearch Ads: AI-based app store optimisation for high-intent installs

    ●    SeeTV: A connected TV commerce solution targeting 30 million+ households

    ●    Brand safety & Fraud detection: Enterprise-grade security and transparency infrastructure

    Operating out of eight global offices, the company is actively expanding its footprint in the middle east and southeast Asia. It has ramped up hiring across media sales, game development, app monetisation, and programmatic roles to support this next phase of growth.

    “We’re not just connecting brands and consumers. We’re rewriting how performance marketing works across the funnel”, said Adcounty Media MD Garg. “The future lies in AI-led storytelling, shoppable media, and immersive, measurable experiences”.

    With an eye on the trillion-impression economy and brand-safe, results-driven strategies, Adcounty Media appears well poised for its next act: scaling with speed, intelligence, and intent.

  • ting ropes in industry veteran Govind Shahi to supercharge global expansion

    ting ropes in industry veteran Govind Shahi to supercharge global expansion

    MUMBAI: ting, the India-based advertising agency known for its bold, data-driven marketing, is going global – and it’s bringing in the big guns. The agency has appointed industry veteran Govind Shahi as an advisor and consultant, a strategic move designed to turbocharge its international ambitions in the UK and UAE.

    Govind Shahi, a seasoned leader with a stellar record of scaling businesses worldwide, will steer ting’s global expansion, leveraging his expertise in cross-border growth and strategic alliances. 

    “I’m thrilled to join ting at this pivotal moment,” said Govind. “The agency’s strong foundation in creativity and performance-driven marketing presents an exciting opportunity to introduce its services to global brands. I look forward to working with the talented team at ting to craft expansion strategies that align with market needs and drive sustainable success.”

    Already known for its high-impact campaigns that blend creativity, technology, and data analytics, ting is set to build on its existing international footprint. Business heads Anirudh Ramanathan and Dhawal Shah will lead the UK and UAE markets, while Govind’s strategic guidance is expected to open new doors and deepen ting’s international influence.

    “Govind’s joining marks a bold step forward in our ambition to take ting global. His deep understanding of international markets paired with our creative and performance DNA sets the stage for meaningful global impact,” said ting partner Sudharshan Anandkumar.

    “We’re excited to partner with Govind Shahi to lead ting’s international business across the UK and UAE. With his depth of experience and proven track record, we’re confident he will add considerable value to our growing global ambitions,” added another ting partner Manan Vora.

    Third ting partner Aadil Mehta said, “This is a significant step forward for Ting as we continue to expand into global markets. Mr. Govind, a true veteran in our industry, brings invaluable experience and expertise to the table. We are both delighted and excited about this development, as it marks a new chapter in Ting’s growth and opportunities on the global stage.”

    As ting takes its signature blend of innovation and strategy to the world, brands can expect a bold new player on the global advertising stage.

  • Goafest 2025 unveils power-packed speaker line-up

    Goafest 2025 unveils power-packed speaker line-up

    MUMBAI: Get ready to be dazzled – Goafest 2025 is back, and it’s pulling out all the stops. The 18th edition of South Asia’s largest creative festival has unveiled a star-studded line-up of speakers, featuring the sharpest creative and marketing minds from India and beyond. With the theme ‘Ignite ____’, this year’s festival is set to spark change, fuel collaborations, and unlock new growth avenues.

    The speaker roster reads like a who’s who of the industry – Rishad Tobaccowala, Youri Guerassimov (Marcel), Prasoon Joshi, Amarjit Singh Batra (Spotify), Geetika Mehta (Nivea), Vikram Mehra (Saregama), Karan Bedi (Amazon MX Player), P.G. Aditiya (Talented), Tejas Apte (HUL), Ankit Desai (Marico), Shubhranshu Singh (Tata Motors), Rajeev Jain (DS Group), Ajay Kakar (Adani Group), Arjun Choudhary (Swiggy), Sanket Prakash Tulangekar (MMT), Pragya Bijalwan (Voltas), Kanika Anand (Airtel), Aruna Daryanani (Amazon MX Player), Darshana Shah (Aditya Birla Capital), Satya Raghavan (Google), Ajit Verghese (JioStar), Bobby Pawar, Sonal Dabral, Rathi Gangappa (Starcom), Rashmi Sehgal (Zenith), Lulu Raghwan (Landor), Rajdeepak Das (Publicis), Deepak Dhar (Banijay), Yash Chopra (Amazon MX Player), Biprorshee Das (WARC), Sujeet Kulkarni (Andersen), Karthi Marshan, Nisha Singhania (Infectious), Rubeena Singh, Shekhar Narayanaswami (Times Innovative), Sandeep Bommireddy (Adonmo) and Promita Saha (Karukrit).
    Anupriya Acharya
    Masterclass sessions at Goafest 2025 will feature a diverse set of industry leaders, including Nick Eagleton (D&AD), Senthil Kumar (VML), Vara Prasad (ITC), Krishnendu Dutta (Ipsos), Jayesh Moorjani (Google), Jayant Rajan (Meta), Gowthaman Ragothaman, Shahad Anand (Media Kart), Amogh Dusad, Anoop Menon (Meta), Debapriya Dutt (Earthday.org) and Karuna Singh  (Earthday.org) 

    But that’s just the start. Bollywood bigwigs Kareena Kapoor Khan, Suniel Shetty, Jaideep Ahlawat, Vijay Varma, and cricket legend Gautam Gambhir will bring star power to the festival. And for those looking to party, Mika Singh’s live performance is set to bring the house down.

    This year’s Goafest introduces the Goafest Village, a multi-stage experience featuring Advertising Plays, Advertising Rocks, and GoaFresh. The event will run from May 21 to 23 at Taj Cidade de Goa Heritage and Horizon, Goa, co-hosted by the Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) and the Advertising Club (TAC).

    Rohit OhriPublicis grouple south Asia CEO and immediate past president of AAAI Anupriya Acharya said, “This year, we’ve designed the festival in a manner that delivers conversations that matter. Every session has been thoughtfully curated to offer value, be it through fresh perspectives, actionable insights, or future-facing ideas. In an industry that is adapting to the fast-evolving pace, we are excited to present yet another power-packed edition of Goafest, further strengthening the platform’s position as one that encourages learning, meaningful exchange, and forward-thinking dialogue.”

    Rohit Ohri, creative mentor for Goafest 2025, added, “Goafest has always stood for creativity that breaks boundaries. We’re spotlighting voices that inspire change.  This year’s line-up is designed to ignite new possibilities. It’s about creativity that breaks boundaries.”

    The festival promises to be a whirlwind of insights, entertainment, and networking – a must-attend for anyone in the world of creativity and marketing.

  • John Thangaraj joins Dentsu India as CSO for creative and media

    John Thangaraj joins Dentsu India as CSO for creative and media

    MUMBAI: Dentsu India has snapped up one of the industry’s sharpest minds. John Thangaraj, the veteran planner and brand whisperer, has been appointed as chief strategy officer – creative & media, marking a bold move in the agency’s push for tighter integration across its verticals.

    The appointment, effective May 2025, sees Thangaraj bring two decades of battle-tested experience across advertising, media, consumer research and brand building to the Japanese holding group’s India operations. He moves from Havas India, where he served as CSO for a year.

    Dentsu’s gain is no small scalp. Prior to Havas, Thangaraj was the group CSO at FCB group India, steering strategy across multiple marquee clients, and also held senior roles at Mindshare, MullenLowe Lintas group, Rediffusion Y&R and adidas.

    Known for mixing consumer insight with street-smart cultural acumen, Thangaraj has worked on everything from fizzy drinks (Pepsi) to luxe kicks (adidas originals), search portals (Shine.com) to search-for-meaning campaigns (HT’s “It Is Time”). His career boasts a few Bronze Effies, a cult GSK ‘Innovation Lab,’ and even a side hustle decoding the super affluent Indian for LG.

    Now based in Gurugram, the strategy maven is expected to turbocharge Dentsu’s “one brand” promise with unified thinking that aligns creative sparks with media muscle.

    For an industry constantly torn between the mad men and the math men, Thangaraj’s appointment might just be the best of both worlds.

  • BEI Confluence CMD Tapas Gupta completes 50 years in advertising with zero breaks and zero burnout

    BEI Confluence CMD Tapas Gupta completes 50 years in advertising with zero breaks and zero burnout

    MUMBAI: In a business that thrives on reinvention, Tapas Gupta has managed to stay ahead without hitting pause. BEI Confluence chairman & managing director has marked a remarkable milestone in May 2025, becoming the first leading advertising professional in India to complete 50 uninterrupted years in the industry—all in full-time roles, with no sabbaticals, no breaks, and no detours.

    Gupta began his career in 1975 as Clarion McCann management trainee in Calcutta, then India’s second-largest agency. By the mid-1980s, he rose to become branch head of the Calcutta office. In 1986, he launched the TSA/TSME (Tara Sinha McCann Erickson) Kolkata office, before relocating to Delhi in 1991 to helm McCann-Erickson India’s flagship office while overseeing Kolkata. In 1996, he was elevated to PSL Universal McCann president & CEO, the agency’s second venture in India.

    Two years later, in 1998, Gupta struck out on his own. He founded BEI Confluence with a breakaway team from PSL McCann and M-E, and has since built it into one of north India’s most prominent independent 360-degree advertising agencies. Known for its strong client base, robust infrastructure, and committed talent pool, the agency has seen sustained growth for over 27 years.

    Today, Gupta continues to lead BEI Confluence as CMD with the same rigour he began with, while his son Abhishek Gupta steers day-to-day operations as joint MD.

    As industry veterans go, Tapas Gupta may just be Indian advertising’s answer to endurance sport.

    A marathoner in mindset, and a mentor by default.

  • From advertising ace to entrepreneurial ace: Ambalika Sen charts a bold new course

    From advertising ace to entrepreneurial ace: Ambalika Sen charts a bold new course

    MUMBAI: One of Indian advertising’s sharpest advertising minds is switching gears. After a 16-year career spanning heavyweights like JWT, Contract, Taproot Dentsu, and Tilt Brand Solutions, Ambalika Sen has hung up her agency boots to launch into the entrepreneurial fast lane.

    Now managing partner at Fundamental, the newly minted venture based in Mumbai, she is eyeing a future built on sharper strategic partnerships, brand management excellence, and a strong dose of independent thinking.
    At the same time, she’s staying firmly rooted in nurturing talent — moonlighting as a guest faculty at the prestigious Xavier’s Institute of Communication, where she teaches Business Management in Advertising to the next wave of ad mavens.

    Before stepping into the startup world, Ambalika’s career reads like a best-of list of Indian advertising. Across her career, the through-line has been clear: client-first thinking, relentless business-building, and a gift for weaving culture into commerce.

    While advertising has been the bedrock, Ambalika’s recent years have also seen her expand into cultural consulting — working as an independent business advisor with youth-driven brand Homegrown since 2020.
    With Fundamental, Ambalika is betting on a hybrid future — where brand-building meets cultural fluency, and strategic partnership is as important as creative spark.

  • Zone Media brings on Sahil Bisht as global sales director to turbocharge global sales and scale new market frontiers

    Zone Media brings on Sahil Bisht as global sales director to turbocharge global sales and scale new market frontiers

    MUMBAI: Zone Media has put a new engine in its global growth machine. The adtech and media solutions firm appointed Sahil Bisht as its global sales director, signalling a bold move to supercharge sales across continents.

    Bisht steps into the role with over 12 years of experience that spans aviation, media, and performance marketing. With stints at Lufthansa Airlines, Genpact India, Business Standard, Admitad India, and KIT Global, he brings a toolkit of cross-industry know-how and a reputation for building scalable, results-driven sales ecosystems.

    “From the moment we met Sahil, it was clear he brings more than just experience. He brings vision, integrity, and an intuitive grasp of what it takes to build lasting partnerships in a dynamic global landscape,” said Zone Media co-founder Sumit Gupta.

    Zone Media’s expansion blueprint includes pushing deeper into India, southeast Asia, the GCC/MENA region, Latin America, and Europe. Bisht will lead the charge, overseeing performance strategy, new market penetration, and relationship-building in established regions.

    “Joining Zone Media at such a pivotal moment is truly exciting. My role isn’t just about leading sales; it’s about contributing to something lasting,” said Bisht. “What excites me most is the opportunity to unite people, performance, and purpose on a global scale.”

    As the digital advertising ecosystem grows ever more competitive, Zone Media is betting on leadership with both vision and versatility. With Bisht at the helm, the company aims to cement its presence in the global adtech arena.

  • Wit & Chai stirs up a creative storm, ropes in Saurabh S as chief creative head

    Wit & Chai stirs up a creative storm, ropes in Saurabh S as chief creative head

    MUMBAI:  Wit & Chai Group, the funky creative agency known for culture-fuelled campaigns, has brewed a strong cuppa by appointing Saurabh S as its chief creative head. With a rollicking two-decade run across big-name agencies and brands, Saurabh steps in to lead the creative charge—and shake things up.

    Having done the rounds at FCB, Saatchi & Saatchi, DDB, Publicis and even Redder Vietnam, Saurabh  isn’t just another adland veteran. He’s the brain behind award-winning ideas for Volkswagen, MTV, Chupa Chups, Set Max and Virgin Mobile. Add stints at House of Anita Dongre and Nykaa, and you get a CV that blends sizzle with serious strategy.

    Saurabh’s remit at Wit & Chai? 
     

    To dream big, lead louder, and build a culture where risky ideas meet razor-sharp storytelling. He’ll work hand-in-hand with strategy and brand leads to ensure the creative spark translates into business firepower. From nurturing young guns to rolling out integrated campaigns, he’s set to steer the shop’s next big act.

    “As a chief creative head, I see Wit & Chai Group as more than just an agency—it’s a sandbox for fearless thinkers,” says Saurabh. “My vision is to turn up the volume on ideas that are disruptive yet deeply human. We’re building brands that resonate in the real world—work that gets people talking, sharing, and remembering.”

    The man isn’t afraid to take risks either—his creative playbook leans into experimentation, youth insights, and cultural resonance, all while keeping one eye on impact and scale. It’s a move that signals the agency’s intent to stay fresh, edgy, and unmistakably relevant.

    Wit & Chai group co-founder & partner Nihar Kolapkar  shared: “Saurabh’s track record of creative leadership and disruptive storytelling brings incredible value to our team. His ability to merge bold creativity with strategic clarity is exactly what we need to push the boundaries of what we deliver for our clients. We’re excited to see him shape a new era of work at Wit & Chai Group.”

    With Saurabh  now in the mix, Wit & Chai Group looks set to dial up the drama, crank the creativity, and cement its spot as a go-to name for bold, business-savvy storytelling.

  • Colgate’s crown jewel Priyanka Khaneja Gandhi heads to Amazon

    Colgate’s crown jewel Priyanka Khaneja Gandhi heads to Amazon

    MUMBAI: She’s brushed up brand campaigns for over a decade  and a half— now she’s scrubbing into a new gig. After a sparkling 16-year stint at Colgate-Palmolive (she resigned in mid-2024), Priyanka Khaneja Gandhi has moved on to lead Amazon India’s advertising marketing and creative solutions  as head of Amazon India Ads Marketing.

    The Mumbai-based marketing powerhouse, long synonymous with Colgate’s integrated brand experiences, joined Amazon in April 2025. At the ecommerce behemoth, she will helm creative and marketing solutions for its burgeoning ads business — a space heating up as retail media becomes the new battleground for digital dollars.

    At Colgate, Gandhi led from the front as director – integrated brand experience, overseeing everything from media strategy to e-commerce marketing. She commanded advertising spends north of Rs 500 crore annually, driving digital transformation and performance metrics across social, search, video, and influencer platforms. Her remit spanned digital content, shopper campaigns, data strategy and even building a first-party data ecosystem — all of which align seamlessly with Amazon’s ad-tech ambitions.

    Before Colgate, she sharpened her skills at top media shops like Madison, Carat, Starcom, and Enterprise Nexus. Across more than two decades in the trenches, Gandhi’s been a steady force behind brand communication, media efficiency and digital innovation.

    Now, with Amazon turning up the heat in the Indian advertising market, all eyes will be on how Gandhi retools the e-retailer’s pitch to brands and buyers alike — from toothbrushes to tech.

  • Infectious Advertising hires ex-filmmaker Siddharth Kumar as creative director

    Infectious Advertising hires ex-filmmaker Siddharth Kumar as creative director

    MUMBAI: Siddharth Kumar has returned to the ad world—this time with a few reels under his belt and a mission to shake up creative norms. Infectious Advertising has appointed him as its new creative director, adding a splash of film-school flair to its creative stable.

    The Mumbai-based agency announced the appointment on 23 April 2025. Kumar, who briefly swapped ad scripts for screenplays, wrote, directed, and produced four short films that continue to play the global festival circuit.

    But his roots run deep in the agency world. With over 15 years of experience across marquee firms like Ogilvy, McCann, Leo Burnett, VML, and Publicis, Kumar has helped craft campaigns for household names such as Coca-Cola, Unilever, Vodafone, SBI, Airtel, Nestlé, and Mastercard.

    “My goal is to help build a culture where storytelling thrives. I believe my role is to push the envelope, stir things up, and encourage new kinds of madness,” said Kumar.

    Infectious creative chairman & co-founder Ramanuj Shastry had high praise, “Sid has impressed me in the short time that I have known him. He is a solid writer and great human being. I wish him a great innings at Infectious.”

    creative chairman & co-founder Ramanuj Shastry; CCO Akshay Kapnadak

    CCO Akshay Kapnadak echoed the sentiment, “Siddharth is passionate about storytelling, curious about people, enthusiastic about the business and has a great work ethic. I’m looking forward to see what we all can build together.”

    With this move, Infectious seems keen to turn up the creative voltage, bringing together script sensibilities, ad world grit, and a fresh approach to narrative-led campaigns.