NEW DELHI: Jyoti Kumar Bansal has stepped down from her position as CEO of PHD India. A highly-placed source confirmed the development to Indiantelevision.com.
She started her journey with PHD in 2013, at the time when the agency began its operation in India.
Indiantelevision.com tried reaching out to her for the confirmation, but couldn’t get any response at the time of filing the story.
Prior to this, she was the new business lead at Omnicom Media Group and worked with large clients like Unilever, Sony Networks, Ferrero, Renault Nissan, HTC and more.
In 2005, she joined Havas Media as Mumbai head to take on the fledgling operation. and helped launched Bloomberg UTV in India and India’s 1st non-music youth channel Bindass.
Bansal entered the media agency world in 1995 at Lintas Worldwide, Mumbai. She worked on the biggest brands in India at the time including Bajaj Auto, J&J Baby, Clinic Plus, Maruti Suzuki, etc.
MUMBAI: Aakhya India has roped in Archana Dutta as their CEO. Prior to joining Aakhya, Dutta served as the director of loyalty at Hyatt Hotels for 5.5 years where she gained skills as a trainer, coach, and strategist. She also spent 17 years at Lufthansa German Airlines; there, she was the loyalty head for India and was at the forefront of corporate sales.
In her new role, she will expand the corporate portfolio for the company. She will also focus on developing and leading significant tools and capabilities within the Aakhya India team to help deliver enhanced integrated solutions to clients.
Aakhya India founder-president Kavita Datta said, “We’re extremely delighted to welcome Archana as the chief executive officer. Our niche for the last many years has been focused on 360-degree communications solutions to various state governments and ministries and multinational corporates, and we are now diversifying not just our client portfolio but also our services and deliverables. We believe that Archana’s dedication and experience will prove to be unmatched and we look forward to working with her to achieve new milestones.”
“It’s a apleasure to join Aakhya India as the CEO. Due to the pandemic, I have had to hit the ground running to ensure insulating our clients and partners in the best possible way. It’s amazing to see the team working so hard- some remotely and some on the ground during these difficult times, Dutta said.
MUMBAI: Lemma, a pioneer in programmatic DOOH has appointed Vinay Goel as vice president southeast Asia. As a function of his new role, Goel will be responsible to scale programmatic DOOH business and strengthen the supply end for Lemma in southeast Asian regions.
With an experience of over 13+ years spanning across both agency and client side, Goel has worked with organisations the likes of Dentsu Aegis Network’s Posterscope, Philippines and India, Tata Teleservices etc. In his time with the agency he managed brands like Netflix, Heineken, Mastercard, Walt Disney, Huawei, Diageo and many others. He also has a strong entrepreneurial background stemming from his ecommerce marketplace venture, nativbird.com (The Ground Play Inc.), enabling local MSME businesses to adapt to the digital ecosystem.
Goel said, “In the past couple of years, we all have witnessed the shift of both consumer behavior and advertising investments geared towards digital. And with the Covid2019 pandemic happening, this shift has further accelerated. Now more than ever, advertising platforms have to adapt faster and work harder – and that includes the digital out of home medium as well. The need for transparency, accountability and ability to measure performance becomes intrinsic prerequisites. Lemma’s vision of delivering a truly programmatic digital OOH solution and ability to make this transformation possible motivated me to accept this role. I’m pleased to be part of this multi-talented team and together, pioneer this progression towards programmatic."
His proven acumen across diverse functions like advertising, sales, operations, and business management across various markets and cultures will help Lemma strategically build its hold in key markets, subsequently scaling their programmatic DOOH business.
Lemma co-founder and COO Mayuresh Phadke said “Our vision is that of being a unified solution for all DOOH requirements, globally. As we enter into one of the biggest OOH markets, Vinay Goel will help us get to work on the next phase of growth. We are excited to have him on board as his extensive experience coupled with his strategic business growth outlook & market understanding will aid us in achieving accelerated success in establishing Lemma as market leaders in programmatic DOOH internationally as well.”
Goel’s last stint was as GM- Posterscope Philippines where he was instrumental in driving business development opportunities, while also successfully setting up and managing OOH business in the region. Under his leadership the agency was awarded country’s best outdoor agency in the 2018.
NEW DELHI: The sudden demise of popular actor Sushant Singh Rajput has shocked the entire nation. The beloved actor who successfully transitioned from television to films made a mark for himself in a short span. His speculative acting, cheerful smile and the humble attitude towards fans and others gained him a special place in the heart of millions.
Prime minister Narendra Modi also condoled his death, saying ‘a bright young actor gone too soon.’
His aura wasn’t restricted to the film industry but trickled down to the advertising world also. He was among those stars who had a kitty full of brands and was recognised for his quality work instead of quantity.
In 2011, he was spotted for the first time in a TVC of LUX soap with Aishwarya Rai. In 2013, Pepsi announced him as a brand ambassador for its sub-brand Pepsi Atom. He was seen promoting the product in ad campaigns. Rajput endorsed multiple brands and a variety of products ranging from Kingfisher, Lux Cozi, Garnier Men, Nissan Terrano to Close up, Flying Machine and One Plus.
However, clear with his choice, he refused to endorse a fairness cream, and even rejected a proposal of Rs 15 crore, as he found it racist.
In 2018, Rajput joined hands with NITI Aayog to promote women entrepreneurship and motivate women to come forward and build a vibrant ecosystem. At the same time, he was seen promoting NITI Aayog’s digital payments campaign transforming India into a less-cash economy.
For another cause, he partnered with DHFL Pramerica Life Insurance to launch the Behtar India campaign, with an aim to take India towards a healthier, cleaner and greener future towards building a better India.
Here’s a look at his most appealing ad campaigns over the years:
Donear NXG
Menswear brand Donear NXG collaborated with Rajput as its new brand ambassador. He was seen promoting the latest collection of the brand.
BATA
European footwear major Bata roped him as a brand ambassador in 2018 to promote its casual range of footwears, and help brand become more relevant and aspirational among the younger generation.
Whirlpool
In 2018, the brand announced the association of Rajput along with Kriti Sanon to promote its wide range of appliances, and help accelerate the brand’s value among the new age customers. The duo was seen promoting various products in different ad campaigns.
Syska
In 2017, when the brand forayed into personal grooming category, it roped Rajput as its first brand ambassador to connect with the target audience. The move was intended so that the brand becomes familiar not only in the metro but also in the non-metro cities.
Sonata
Tata Group’s affordable watch brand Sonata roped in Rajput in 2017. The brand intended to showcase the aspiration of younger generations by the bold choices they make. The ad film, Khud Par Yakeen Karo was highly praised by people.
He debuted with Zee TV’s popular daily soap Pavitra Rishta and soon entered Bollywood with his first film Kai Po Che! in 2013. The actor was critically praised for his performance in the film. His films such as PK, Kedarnath, Shuddh Desi Romance and MS Dhoni: The Untold Story helped him achieve tremendous success and established him in the Bollywood industry. He also played the role of an Indian detective in Byomkesh Bakshy for which he received critical acclaim. His latest movie, Chhichhore, won applauds from the audience. The actor will be posthumously seen in his last film Dil Bechara which was slated to release in May but postponed due to ongoing lockdown. The film will be released online.
MUMBAI: Eris Lifesciences has announced an association with the well-known theatre and film actor, Boman Irani, for their Circa range of devices. The association is aimed at highlighting the importance of an accurate and validated BP monitoring device.
The focus of the campaign is to encourage hypertensive patients to measure their blood pressure at home using a validated device while making an appeal to share their readings with the doctor. The campaign theme #ShareYourPressure urges users to stop worrying about getting a false reading and trust the device to share their pressure.
Boman Irani said, “It gives me immense pleasure to start this journey with Circa. For blood pressure management, the latest norms require a person to monitor it at least 2 times a day in the morning and evening. With technology advancing manifolds, it is only important for us to bring the same into our healthcare systems and adopt validated devices that can provide timely updates when required.”
The campaign will go live on social media channels this week in the form of short videos.
Eris Lifesciences Chairman and MD Amit Bakshi said, “Hypertension therapy is our second largest therapy and with cardiovascular being the No. 1 Chronic therapy, we are upping our ante by closing the loop with one of the most validated devices for blood pressure management. We have world-class data in the form of ‘India Heart Study’ conducted on the same ‘Circa’ device further validating our commitment to Hypertension therapy.
"With Boman Irani on board, we feel this partnership with the brand will increase awareness around Home Blood pressure monitoring (HBPM) and bring more people to target Blood pressure.”
The coronavirus outbreak has highlighted that patients with co-morbidities, E.g. Hypertension, are vulnerable to developing serious complications. Hence, an accurate measurement of blood pressure at home becomes extremely crucial. Any error in the measurement of blood pressure because of non-validated devices can put the life of the patient at risk.
MUMBAI: Menswear retail brand Blackberrys' vice president of brand experience, Ramesh Kaushik, has moved on from the company. Kaushik, who was associated with the brand for over three years, confirmed the news to Indiantelevision.com.
He hasn't yet revealed his next move. Kaushik comes with a dynamic experience of 19 years in the consumer space.
Prior to this, Kaushik had worked with Lixil Water Technology as head of marketing for over four years. He has also worked with Indorma Corp Singapore as DGM marketing. He led marketing at Pantaloons for over five years. He was also associated with Vodafone as well for over one year.
Mumbai: L&K Saatchi & Saatchi India has strengthened its leadership team and has announced the appointment of Atin Wahal as Executive Vice President – North & East. He will report to Paritosh Srivastava, MD of L&K Saatchi & Saatchi.
Wahal takes over the role from Devraj Basu who has moved on from the agency.
Atin’s arrival is a homecoming of sorts as he was part of Publicis Ambience as Sr. VP until two years ago. He has worked on a host of businesses like Skoda, Zee, Citibank, Times Network, Sony Liv amongst others in his earlier stint.
Wahal joins L&K Saatchi & Saatchi from BBDO India where he was EVP and Head of Mumbai office and worked for brands such as Visa, Idea, Whatsapp, Bumble, HP, Ariel and many more. Apart from these two agencies, Atin has also had a promising stint with Sony Entertainment and other agencies viz
Welcoming Wahal to the agency, Paritosh Srivastava commented: “I’ve known Atin for some time now and happy to have him on the leadership team at L&K Saatchi & Saatchi. Delhi and Kolkata are very important offices for us with an amazing set of clients that we are very proud to partner. It wasn’t an easy search but we think Atin with his vast experience, professionalism, way with people, energy, resourcefulness and familiarity with the Groupe agenda will make him succeed.
Would also like to thank Devraj for doing a fantastic job for a very long time for the agency. We will always be grateful for his contribution and wish him the very best for the future.”
On joining the agency and also the challenges that lay ahead for him, Atin Wahal said: “Publicis Groupe has been at the forefront of offering integrated services and it’s this new age thinking that has pulled me back to the Groupe again.
I am thrilled to be a part of the new and energised L&K Saatchi & Saatchi with Paritosh at the helm. I am certain that we will be writing some success stories soon, riding on ‘Power Of One’ for our clients.
I do believe that in the today’s context and environment it’s not about the challenges that we will face but the opportunities that we will create for our clients and brands.”
Wahal has nearly 18 years of Advertising & Media experience, after completing his post-graduation from Symbiosis he has since explored the magical world of brand storytelling. He has worked on numerous brands across categories and regions including Automobiles, FMCG, Consumer Durables, Broadcast, Telecom, OTT, Pharmaceuticals, BFSI, eCommerce etc.
He has played an influential role and has been associated with some successful campaigns such as Ariel- #SonsSharetheLoad, Skoda- ‘Power Should be beautiful’, KBC- ‘Gyan hi Aapko Apka Haq Dilata Hain’, Zee TV- AAj Likhenge Kal, along with the brand launches of Asian Paints- Royale Play, Indian Idol Juniors, Sony Liv, Skoda Kodiaq and very recently Bumble.
MUMBAI: Former JCDecaux India sales director Ashutosh Sharma has joined Moving Walls, an advertising technology company that automates outdoor buying, selling and measurement. Sharma will head the demand business and manage and execute demand creation in India.
Sharma has served as sales director and general manager in a total of seven years at former company JCDecaux India, overseeing sales management, servicing, strategising and team management. His role at Moving Walls includes driving the programmatic business forward and establishing Moving Walls as a market leader in programmatic digital out-of-home (DOOH).
Being an industry professional for over 27 years, Sharma has a variety of experience in the media and advertising industry. Bringing his skills in sales management and strategic planning are definitely going to add skills to Moving Walls.
"I am delighted to enter into the programmatic media space with Moving Walls who has been consistently evolving and making inroads in this fragmented but fast-growing market. The challenge is to drive partnerships involving stakeholders and bring efficiencies and economies of scale keeping behaviour patterns of audiences and industry evolution Post-Covid2019 in mind," says Ashutosh.
Moving Walls group CEO Srikanth Ramachandran adds "The current situation has accelerated the demand for out-of-home (OOH) audience measurement and outcome-driven planning capabilities. India is among the largest OOH markets in the world and we are excited to have an industry veteran like Ashutosh on board to drive the buy-side adoption of our OOH planning and measurement technologies."
Nisha Varman was appointed to head the demand business in Moving Walls Singapore. Prior to this, she was the regional commercial director at Phar Partnerships.
Her extensive background with over 21 years of experience in multi-channel media, brand building and marketing together with her passion for technology has created a drive for consistently moving the technology industry forward.
Her focus will capitalise on the strong interest from brands and agencies across Singapore to adopt better ways to plan, buy and measure OOH. She will advance the relationships with key stakeholders in OOH to adopt programmatic capabilities and automated planning and measurement tools.
“The current atmosphere presents a great opportunity for the OOH industry to pivot and remain relevant by understanding how to deliver audiences versus a location to their brand partners. DOOH is where the biggest revolution will occur in 2020 and I am excited about driving this within SEA," says Varman.
“The lockdowns imposed to contain the spread of Covid2019 has exposed OOH’s age-old problems of not being able to demonstrate value. Brands and media owners are now looking to accelerate their adoption of automation and measurement tools. We believe seasoned industry veterans like Ashutosh and Nisha bring in the right passion and the right relationships to drive this adoption," adds Srikanth.
MUMBAI: Cyient, a digital technology and engineering solutions provider, today announced the appointment of Meenu Bagla as vice president and chief marketing officer. As CMO, Bagla will be responsible for strengthening the brand reach, relevance, and advocacy to deliver accelerated business growth in new and existing markets.
Before joining Cyient, she served as the global head of marketing at Tech Mahindra. She has also held marketing leadership positions at major multinational companies, including Quinnox, Wipro, Oracle, Aditya Birla Group, and CSS Corp.
Throughout her career, Bagla has evangelised and implemented a lean marketing strategy that is fuelled by digital technologies and powerful storytelling. It has helped her transform the marketing function into digital growth engines and deliver business impact faster.
Bagla was featured among the "Top 20 Women Leaders in 2020" by Mediavataar, received the "Global Digital Marketing" award for women leadership in the industry by the World Digital Marketing Congress, and has won several marketing excellences awards for her work throughout her career.
Cyient president and COO Karthik Natarajan said, "I am very excited to welcome Meenu to Cyient as we take on the transformational journey from services to solutions. With her comprehensive and proven marketing experience across tech start-ups, mid-sized, and large IT firms, she will play a pivotal role in further building brand awareness, deepening relationships with our customers, and driving Cyient toward the next phase of growth."
He further added, "Having held global leadership roles for tech brands, and contributing to their stellar business growth in highly-matrixed business scenarios, she is a natural addition to our leadership team."
Bagla holds an MBA in marketing from the Nirma Institute of Management and has completed executive programs from Harvard Business School and Columbia Business School. She is actively involved in community service through women empowerment initiatives, green programs, and social media education projects.
MUMBAI: Kinetic India co-CEO Rachana Lokhande has decided to move on from the company to pursue another opportunity. A source close to the development confirmed the news to Indiantelevision.com.
"She is currently serving her notice period and her last day at the organisation will be 14 August," the source shares.
Lokhande made the announcement today to her team and colleagues on a group call. Her next move is not yet known.
She has been with the company since 2016. Her previous stints include RapportWW, Lintas India and RK Swamy BBDO
Reportedly, Ajay Mehta will be the new managing director of Kinetic Advertising India. Already handling the duties of ITV (Cinema) in the capacity of MD, Mehta will take on the additional responsibility. He will also be joining the GroupM India executive committee (ExCo).
