ITV

Category: People

  • Mercedes-Benz’s Ira Pradhan joins Freshworks as communications lead

    Mercedes-Benz’s Ira Pradhan joins Freshworks as communications lead

    NEW DELHI: Days after stepping down as corporate communications lead at Mercedes-Benz R&D India, Ira Pradhan has joined Freshworks as leader of internal communications, diversity & inclusion, and CSR.

    Freshworks provides SaaS customer engagement solutions through a suite of products for organisations of all sizes.

    Pradhan made the announcement in a post on professional networking platform LinkedIn.

    “Often described as a rocketship by most who work here, Freshworks has inspired many, including me, by being a global product company from India, a home-bred SaaS unicorn with one of the most talked about people culture. I am excited to begin this next step in my career and thrilled to work with some of the most talented group of individuals across the globe,” she wrote.

    Pradhan was with Mercedes-Benz India for a little over six years, from September 2014 to November 2020. She has over 15 years of experience in communications and has worked with brands like Philips, Wipro and Tesco in the past.

    She was recently named among the 20 Rising Stars of 2020 by PRovoke Media in its annual Influence 100 report. She also mentors young women professionals through the Shenomics program: Lead Like a Girl.

  • Schbang elevates Sushant Vithaldas to business head – Bengaluru

    Schbang elevates Sushant Vithaldas to business head – Bengaluru

    NEW DELHI: Creative agency Schbang has elevated Sushant Vithaldas to the post of  business head – Bengaluru. Vithaldas has been with Schbang for three years. 

    In his new role, Vithaldas will be focussing on building and strengthening relationships with well-established corporations in the region and running the entire integrated business of the Bengaluru office. His mandate will include creative, film production, photography, as well as emerging specialisations such as media sciences and business consulting. In addition, he will actively play a role in maintaining synergies between Schbang’s offices in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and the soon to launch Delhi office.

    An important part of Vithaldas’ mandate will be to introduce Schbang’s business transformation services in Bengaluru. The company already has a growing portfolio with ongoing work in areas like CRM deployment, marketing automation, consumer research, and growth hacking for marquee brands. 

    Vithaldas is a seasoned professional with over 19 years of experience in marketing, business development and operations. He has been associated in key roles with companies like Apple, Dell, Havas, and Landmark Group where he was the head – marketing. At Schbang Bengaluru, he has played a role in building key relationships and delivering to clients like Xiaomi India (Redmi & Mi), Amazon, Unacademy, Myntra, General Mills, Ab InBev, cult.sport, cure.fit, Titan SF, Rajasthan Royals, and the Brigade Group to name a few. One of his goals in the new role is to strengthen the company’s workforce by 3X over the next two years on the back of strong delivery to clients using Schbang’s expanded service offering.  

    He will be working closely with Schbang founder Harshil Karia to bring all these functions together and strengthen the unit in the region. Karia said, “Schbang is committed to helping businesses grow through our marketing and business solutions offering. I am confident that Sushant will be the right partner to chart the journey for large scale clients and talented teams alike and deliver exceptional results.”  

    Vithaldas said, “Exciting times ahead as I take up this new role and continue on the growth path we set out for ourselves at Schbang Bengaluru. I have the support of a great team that’s exceptionally talented and focused on delivering integrated marketing solutions that drive business and marketing impact for our client partners. As we move into 2021, the team is scaling up steadily to welcome new business that will include a mix of Bengaluru’s legacy brands and internet first businesses.”  

  • Pure-play digital media owners to enjoy 61% of overall ad revenues in 2021: GroupM

    Pure-play digital media owners to enjoy 61% of overall ad revenues in 2021: GroupM

    NEW DELHI: Digital advertising will have a 66 per cent share globally by 2024, indicated the recently released global end-of-year forecast by Group M in the report – This Year Next Year. According to the report, digital advertising is expected to grow by 8.2 per cent during 2020, excluding US political activity. This follows nearly a decade of double-digit growth, including the last six years, when it was better than 20 per cent globally.

    “Digital advertising for pure-play media owners like Amazon, Facebook, Google, etc, should be 61 per cent of advertising in 2021. This share has doubled since 2015 when it was only 30.6 per cent,” the report read. 

    Digital extensions and related media, including advertising associated with traditional media owners’ streaming activities (primarily on connected environments), will grow 7.8 per cent this year and 23.2 per cent in 2021.

    Revising its June predictions for the global advertising industry, the GroupM report has also highlighted that the industry will end up declining by “only” 5.8 per cent on an underlying basis (excluding US political advertising), in 2020. The earlier predictions had marked the decline at 11.9 per cent. However, the overall outcome still remains grim as compared to 8.7 per cent growth it had witnessed in 2019. 

    Television advertising will decline by 15.1 per cent, before rebounding to grow 7.8 per cent in 2021. Outdoor advertising is estimated to decline by 31 per cent during 2020, including digital out-of-home media. Next year should see a partial rebound, with 18 per cent growth.

    “Beyond 2021, we expect outdoor advertising to grow by low- or mid-single digits and generally lose share of total advertising; however, we do expect larger brands generally to allocate more of their budgets to the medium,” it stated. 

    Cinema generated less than $3 billion during 2019 and likely fell more than 75 per cent during 2020 given the absence of major studio releases in most markets around the world.

    Print advertising, including newspapers and magazines, is expected to decline 5 per cent for the year, a significant acceleration over the high-single-digit declines of recent years. However, those single-digital declines should resume following an economic recovery.

    Audio advertising is likely to decline by 24 per cent during 2020 as advertisers disinvest, in part, because of the medium’s dependence on away-from-home activities, such as driving. Digital extensions, including streaming services from terrestrial stations and their digitally-oriented competitors and podcasts, still attract relatively small audiences of a few billion, but help make the broader medium more appealing to marketers.

  • My focus is on creating a happy and passionate team: Monaz Todywalla

    My focus is on creating a happy and passionate team: Monaz Todywalla

    NEW DELHI: One of the most skilled, innovative, and capable marketing professionals active in the country right now, Monaz Todywalla began her third decade in the field with possibly the biggest achievement she could have asked for; she was made the CEO of PHD India in September this year. Rather than balk at the challenge, she is taking by the reins the fastest-growing and successful agencies in India amidst a global pandemic that has the industry at a big inflection point. In a recent conversation with Indiantelevision.com’s Mansi Sharma, Todywalla talked about her role, her strategies, and what 2021 bodes for the industry as a whole. Edited excerpts follow:

    On her new role

    I am very excited to begin this new phase of my career and it has been the best experience of my life, thus far. I am becoming a CEO for the first time but I somewhere knew what to expect from this role. However, certain unexpected things also happened, making it the fastest learning experience of my life. The lockdown came with its own challenges and my first and foremost priority was to support the new team and I think all of us have emerged victorious. I am looking forward to more such learning experiences. 

    The thing that I am enjoying the most here is that PHD is a young agency and doesn’t have many traditional roots, unlike my previous organisations. The team here is relatively younger and the culture is more enthusiastic, promoting rapid learning. 

    On her short-term and long-term goals

    For any leader, obviously, the long-term goals are building new businesses, talent building within the organisation and skill appreciation. But for the short-term, my whole focus is on taking care of the mental and emotional well-being of my employees. I believe that a happy and passionate team is far more capable of delivering great things and I want to create a positive work environment for all of them. 

    Secondly, Covid2019 has transformed our industry massively. Trust has become a very large factor impacting client-agency relationships. So before we go on getting newer clients on-board, I want each of my existing clients to believe that they can count on me and the agency. 

    On her inspiration and role models

    I was always very passionate about being on the agency side of things and worked really hard to reach there. I was hired by Lodestar during a campus placement drive at my alma mater NMIMS and there has been no looking back since. I was very fortunate to have worked with some of the best bosses in the industry, be it Sam (Balsara), Shashi (Sinha), and Karthik (Sharma). 

    What influenced me personally a lot was the fact that I was trained under a number of kickass female bosses like Punitha Arumugam, Apurva (Purohit) and Vanita (Keswani), who remain my role models to date. 

    All of them gave me an understanding of the business and especially how to build and maintain client relationships. The top lessons that I would now be adopting as my personal style are going to be: clarity of thought – knowing what to do and how it will be done; collaboration – working as a team; leading from the front – your team should be comfortable in approaching you with any problem and you should be able to demonstrate the solutions; most importantly, telling it like it is.

    On the future of the industry

    As I said, Covid2019 has impacted our industry immensely and things are going to be different from here on. Digital, obviously, has grown manifold, offering a lot of opportunities to agencies like ours. The pandemic has also changed consumer behaviour in a massive way, and for good. Our focus is going to be on helping clients connect better with their consumers online, as well as offline. There is definitely a need to relook at e-commerce too. 

    Next, purpose-led commerce is going to only accelerate from here. Products have become much more than just a commodity and it has made a lot of clients go back to the drawing board. We want to partner with them. 

    In terms of working models, hybrid working is going to stay. Agencies will collaborate with skilled professionals more. There is also going to be a big focus on in-house skill development. 

    On her 2021 resolutions

    Personally, I want 2021 to be a period of hyper-learning and new experiences. For the agency, I want to create improved business models based on the core competencies of media, creativity, innovation, and science. 

  • Guest Column: A tribute to ‘Masala King’ Mahashay Dharmpal Gulati Ji

    Guest Column: A tribute to ‘Masala King’ Mahashay Dharmpal Gulati Ji

    Mumbai: "Never retire in your life. Be positive, things will always change. Do better and you will get the best out of life. You have to share the wealth to society, it's a cycle,” these are the lessons I had learnt from Mahashay Dharmpal Ji. His journey of building from scratch India’s most valuable spices brand was truly honest; a life lived to the fullest with values and commitment. 

    I remember meeting him for the first time at his Delhi factory. He welcomed me with a warm gesture like he had known me for years. He offered me sweets and asked what he can do for me. Such was his simplicity.

    And to my surprise, he also agreed in a jiffy when I requested him that I would like to work with him and his brand. He patted me on the back, showered his blessings on me and asked if I liked the actor for my MDH film. We instantly burst into laughter. I was overwhelmed with his greatness and this ability of his to make instant connections with anyone. 

    Within a few days, he was in Mumbai for the shoot. I went to him asked if he is comfortable. To which he replied, “Don’t worry… Just tell me what time do I have to come for the shoot and what should I wear.”

    Even on the shoot, he did most of the takes smoothly but constantly urged for retakes as he felt he could do better. After the shoot, he humbly asked if I liked the shots or he was willing to do it again. I was so nervous that I couldn’t say anything at that time. But to me that was his unbridled passion for work; his zeal to do the best in life. 

    Our next meeting was in Delhi for the dubbing of the film and he enjoyed the whole process thoroughly. He truly taught me how important it is to love what you do to be the best at it. 

    When I presented him the final film, he called all of his staff, the peons, his cook and told me the ad will only be approved if all of them liked it. It is the very vision that took his brand to heights of greatness. 

    In the next many meetings, I have seen him making the masala and tasting himself. He worked on the formula again and again till he was satisfied. That is perfection. 

    He was not only an entrepreneur of the finest calibre but also a true Indian at heart. He always used to perform havan at home before coming to the office, daily.

    His fitness and energy were tremendous. Apart from being regular with his morning walks and exercise, even at the age of 97, he was a big workaholic, too. He used to work more than 12 hours daily even at this age. 

    He made his brand without showing and obscene or vulgar pics and he was the face of the brand for more than 35 years. Still, we all have childhood memories of those MDH ads that ran on Doordarshan.

    His passion for work and commitment to society was commendable. He has founded many schools and hospitals through his trust and served the people. He was truly a visionary who lived with honesty, worked till his last breath boots on and served the society with his social service and humanity. That’s why he was rightly awarded the Padma Bhushan for his service to people and society.

    He always inspired everyone who came in his contact and I am privileged and honoured to have worked with him.

    My sincere tributes to the legend, Mahashay Dharmpal Gulati Ji.

    (The article is written by filmmaker and ad guru Prabhakar Shukla. Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to his views.)
     

  • End of an era: Marketing world remembers the Mahashay of MDH

    End of an era: Marketing world remembers the Mahashay of MDH

    NEW DELHI: The year 2020 has claimed yet another life. ‘Mahashay’ Dharmpal Gulati, the CEO of MDH who was popularly known as the ‘MDH uncle’, ‘Dadaji’, ‘masala king’, or ‘king of spices’, breathed his last in the early hours of Thursday, 3 December – signalling the end of an era. The iconic entrepreneur became the face of the brand since it aired its first advertisement in the 1980s, and was known for his acumen, amiable personality, and the sheer confidence he displayed. 

    Recalling his brush with the iconic old man, Madison World and Madison Communications founder, chairman and MD Sam Balsara said, “I always knew him as the grand old man of MDH masala. I was lucky enough to have met him once in Mumbai and I was impressed by his acumen. I also invited him as a chief guest for one of the Pitch Madison events but unfortunately, he could not travel for some reasons then. It’s sad that it will always remain an unfinished agenda now. I pray that his soul rests in peace.” 

    Samsika Marketing Consultants CMD and brand guru Jagdeep Kapoor, reminiscing about the legacy that Gulati created, shared, “I do feel sad that the best possible brand ambassador that Indian advertising could have had in the last 100 years has passed away. But he has passed on a great legacy, a brand that he built with sheer hard work. He will always remain in the hearts and minds of millions of Indians.” 

    Adman Prahlad Kakkar said that for him, Gulati will always be remembered as a person who lived a good life. “He insisted on being in his own commercials. He personally used to look after the rest of the cast too. He used to say why should he rely on any other celebrity to promote his own brand. He must be known as the face of it. Definitely, an era has ended. I hope that his legacy moves on to able hands.”

    On a lighter note, he added, “Men who cook are far more successful with women than men who pump iron. And maybe that’s a fit obituary for him.” 

    Director Prabhakar Shukla of P&A ventures, who shot his 500th film with Gulati last year and has also worked on several corporate films for the brand, shared that the late icon was bright and positive energy on the sets and he will remember him as an honest, hardworking, and passionate individual who took the legacy of brand ahead with his feet firmly rooted in Indian culture.

    "He was a person who embraced every individual he met like his own. He showed a great amount of patience, conviction, and honesty in taking MDH where it is today; a name that rules the Indian spices market. He taught all of us who knew him personally an important lesson of working hard continuously and make great things happen. I will always keep that with me. Though I will not be able to complete some of the projects that we were planning with him now, I will always cherish the moments that I could spend with him. I pray the God gives him all the love and blessings he deserves and may his legacy continue to flourish!"

    Competitor brand Badshah Masala also took to social media and paid a humble tribute to the legend. “An iconic figure in the spice industry, known as the spice king, Mr Dharmpal Gulati has been instrumental in changing the way the industry is looked at. It was only natural and heartfelt for us to pay our respect, even if it is a socially distanced one,” expressed the team of Badshah Masala in a press statement.

     

     

    (With inputs from Shikha Singh)

  • Syed Amjad Ali moves on from Mullen Lintas

    Syed Amjad Ali moves on from Mullen Lintas

    New Delhi: Syed Amjad Ali has moved on Mullen Lintas. He was serving as the president of the agency’s Delhi office since 2017. Ali was one of the founding members of the Mullen Lintas in 2015. During this time he worked on several brands such as Vistara, Honda Cars, Gionee Mobiles, Llyod, Zee TV, Modern Foods, Honor Mobiles, Havells and Dabur.

    Prior to joining Mullen Lintas, Ali served for over two decades at Lowe Lintas. He joined the agency in 1995 as an executive and grew to become an executive director where he led several big accounts such as LG Electronics, Maruti Suzuki, Havells, Olx, Micromax, Greenply, and others.

    He was one of the key pillars at both the agencies.
     

  • Vishal Mehra elevated to SVP 22feet Tribal Worldwide

    Vishal Mehra elevated to SVP 22feet Tribal Worldwide

    NEW DELHI: Digital solutions agency 22feet Tribal Worldwide, from the DDB Mudra Group, recently elevated Vishal Mehra to the post of senior vice president. In his new role, he will be leading the Delhi branch for DDB Mudra Group and 22feet Tribal Worldwide, and will be responsible for digital businesses and agency growth in the region.

    Mehra had joined 22feet Tribal Worldwide in 2018, from Cheil Worldwide, as lead – digital strategy and was soon promoted to the position of branch head – north. During his two-year-long stint at Cheil, he handled brands like Jet Airways, Grant's Whisky, Bata and Monkey Shoulder, and led various projects involving digital brand strategy/planning for Samsung India, across categories like HHP (handheld products), wearables, digital services and e-commerce.

    Mehra has earlier worked with companies like SimpliFlying, Bite, and Spiider Digital. He is a Haas School of Business, University of California alumnus and holds degrees from IMI and  IIPM.

  • Castrol India taps Deepesh Baxi as CFO and wholetime director

    Castrol India taps Deepesh Baxi as CFO and wholetime director

    NEW DELHI: Castrol India has tapped Deepesh Baxi to succeed Rashmi Joshi as chief financial officer (CFO) and wholetime director, as the latter steps down from her current position on 31 December 2020.

    Baxi, who is currently financial controller for Castrol’s businesses globally, will take up the role and join the Board on 1 January 2021. Joshi will move to another leadership position in BP after having served Castrol India for seven years as CFO and wholetime director. Joshi and Baxi will work together between now and the end of December to ensure a seamless transition.

    Castrol India chairman R Gopalakrishnan said, “Rashmi has played a key leadership role offering financial stewardship and strategic insights to the business as it undertook several successful transitions during her tenure as CFO. On behalf of the board, I would like to thank Rashmi for all she has done for Castrol India and extend a warm welcome to Deepesh.”

    Castrol India MD Sandeep Sangwan added, “Having worked with Rashmi for close to a year now, I value her financial expertise, strategic guidance and commitment to strengthen the financial health of the business. I wish her success in her new role and look forward to working with Deepesh who will bring his rich, cross-cultural global experience to lead the strategic financial agenda for Castrol India.”  

    Baxi is a chartered accountant with over two decades of industry and consulting experience, having spent the last 18 years in various roles within BP. He is also an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad and a certified internal auditor from Institute of Internal Auditors, USA. He has worked in international markets including UK and Asia Pacific in several leadership roles spanning across finance, strategy, M&A, planning, audit, risk and compliance, as well as business transformation.

  • Akila Jayaram joins Cheil India as VP

    Akila Jayaram joins Cheil India as VP

    NEW DELHI: Cheil India has roped in former Essence AVP Akila Jayaraman as its VP. She will be responsible for leading the media efforts for Samsung India, across all categories. 

    Jayaraman has earlier worked with Madhouse as director – performance marketing. She was instrumental in building Madhouse’s mobile performance marketing practice and their marketing insights division. 

    She has also worked with Comviva Technologies, Bharti Airtel, Ericsson India, and Feedback Consulting.