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Category: People

  • Virat Kohli becomes most valuable celebrity for third consecutive year

    Virat Kohli becomes most valuable celebrity for third consecutive year

    Mumbai: Indian cricket team skipper Virat Kohli has scored a hat-trick of being India’s most valuable celebrity. His brand value rose by 39 per cent to $237.5 million in 2019.

    Duff & Phelps released key findings from the fifth edition of its Celebrity Brand Valuation Study 2019: New is Gold.

    Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar has out thrown Deepika Padukone to claim the second spot in the list with a rise in brand value by 55 per cent to $104.5 million.

    Meanwhile, the dynamic power couple, Ranveer and Deepika, claimed the third spot with a brand value of $93.5 million each. Deepika retained her most-valuable female celebrity status for the second consecutive year, whereas Singh moved up a spot, to now occupy the same position as Padukone.

    The total value of the top 20 celebrity brands stands at $1.1 billion, with the top 10 contributing about 75 per cent of the total value, the report says.

    “This year we saw the new generation celebrities make it to the top 20. Apart from the celebrities who were featured in last year’s study, this year, we have Ayushmann Khurrana (rank 10), Tiger Shroff (rank 17) and Rohit Sharma (rank 20) with a cumulative brand value of $87.5 million,” said Duff & Phelps mnaging director Aviral Jain.

    The list being majorly dominated by Bollywood celebrities,  sportspersons such as Virat Kohli, Mahindra Singh Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, and Rohit Sharma have also been featured.

    Jain further added, “Even though brands changed their approach of sticking to established actors by roping in new faces, overall the industry managed to stay on course with the perfect blend of traditional and new.”

    Duff & Phelps managing director and Asia Pacific leader for valuation services Varun Gupta said: “This is the dawn of a new era for the media and entertainment sector. The industry has seen experimentation, be it celebrities moving from traditional mainstream endorsements towards investments in brands, the rise of digital format advertising campaigns, or the onset of over-the-top (OTT) stars who are breaking new ground in endorsements.”

    “Brands and celebrities have parallelly adopted the path of conscious advertising and filmmaking by choosing uplifting topics and making the narrative fewer windows dressed, an important facet for today’s Gen Y and Gen Z,” Gupta added.

  • Anita Nayyar departs from Havas Group

    Anita Nayyar departs from Havas Group

    MUMBAI: After 13 years with the network, Anita Nayyar CEO of Havas Media India and Southeast (SEA) Asia, is moving on from the agency to pursue other interests. Anita who will leave the group at the beginning of May 2020, will transition the India leadership role into Mohit Joshi, Group MD reporting into Rana Barua, CEO, Havas Group India.

    Nayyar joined Havas in 2007 as CEO of Havas Media India. Under her leadership Havas Media in India grew exponentially and expanded its offerings as an integrated communications group. In 2018, Nayyar was promoted to CEO of Havas Media Southeast (SEA) Asia on the back of an accelerated growth strategy in the region, in addition to her role as CEO of Havas Media India.

    Havas Group India &  Southeast Asia chairman & CEO Vishnu Mohan  said, “Anita has played a pivotal role in Havas Media India’s success and growth over the years. A future forward-thinking leader with a deep understanding of people, brand and media, Anita has also been an inspiration to many young professionals. We are grateful for her significant and lasting contribution to Havas Media India and wish her the very best for her next chapter.”

    On her departure, Anita Nayyar said, “It has been an extremely fulfilling and meaningful journey at Havas India over the last 13 years. I am grateful for the opportunities given by the network including the broader remit of SEA in 2018. As Havas Group India continues to reinforce its integrated model of operations, I am confident the Group will continue to chart its success story and I wish the team at Havas Group well with its future development.”

    Havas Group India CEO Rana Barua, “Anita is credited with growing Havas Media India’s footprint and elevating it’s presence. Her dedication and passion are exemplary that has led to her becoming a strong voice in the industry. On behalf of the network, I would like to thank Anita for all that she has done and wish her all the best going ahead.”

    “Working with Anita for over a decade has been an immensely rewarding and learning experience. She has been an integral part of Havas Media and valued by both clients and colleagues alike. As I welcome the new challenge, I would like to thank the network for the opportunity and Anita for her mentorship and guidance,” added Mohit Joshi.

  • Ogilvy India appoints Kainaz Karmarkar, Harshad Rajadhyaksha and Sukesh Nayak as chief creative officers

    Ogilvy India appoints Kainaz Karmarkar, Harshad Rajadhyaksha and Sukesh Nayak as chief creative officers

    MUMBAI:  Ogilvy India has announced the appointment of Kainaz Karmarkar, Harshad Rajadhyaksha and Sukesh Nayakas chief creative officers, Ogilvy India. Three of them will take the joint responsibility of driving Ogilvy India’s creative product and reputation.  

    Kainaz, Harshad and Sukesh are amongst the most talented, celebrated young creative leaders in the industry today, and together they will now shape the creative work that defines Ogilvy India.

    While they will oversee all creative work across markets in India, they will also continue to lead creative hands-on in Ogilvy Mumbai.

    Nayak joined Ogilvy in 2000. He is a quintessential Ogilvy leader – all heart and full of passion for great work. His ability to tell compelling stories is evident across his body of work on Mondelez, Tata Sky, Asian Paints, Bajaj Auto, Unilever, Star TV, Castrol, Wildstone, JSW, Tata Salt, Pantaloons, Shan Masala, Fortune Oil, Amazon, Google, UNEP and the ICC Cricket World Cup, among others. Over the years, Sukesh’s work has been recognised at national and international awards, including Effies, AMEs, Kyoorius, Adfest, Spikes, D&AD, London International Awards and Cannes. The one accolade he treasures most, however, is the phone call that he received from his father after the Google Reunion campaign went viral.

    Karmarkar &  Rajadhyaksha joined Ogilvy in 2010. They are fantastic client partners and incredibly talented creative leaders. Their work on Brooke Bond Red Label, ITC Savlon and Unilever Start A Little Good has been widely recognised, and their water conservation work has been awarded at advertising and film festivals around the world. In 2017, they were instrumental in Ogilvy India’s record number of Cannes Lions; nine in a year. In 2018, Savlon Healthy Hands campaign won Asia’s first Grand Prix for Creative Effectiveness at Cannes Lions. In the course of their careers, they have won many global awards across Cannes, One Show, Clio, D&AD, D&AD Impact, Spikes, AMEs, including the coveted CANNES GLASS LION. 

     “I consider myself very fortunate to have on my team three partners who have made a huge impact on Ogilvy’s creative leadership, and an even more significant difference to Ogilvy’s partnerships with clients.  This promotion could not be more deserving!  I am extremely proud to have Kainaz, Harshad and Sukesh on our India team. They are the future of Ogilvy and I am confident they will be the game changers in Ogilvy.” –  Ogilvy chief creative officer worldwide & executive chairman India Piyush Pandey.

    “Sukesh, Kainaz and Harshad are powerhouses of energy and great talent.  Over the last few years, their work across some of our largest clients has been modern in expression and execution, and as inspiring and memorable as any trademark Ogilvy India work should be.  This is a rare and precious balance for any creative to strike.  They understand the value of hard work and deep client relationships and I am sure they will do a fantastic job of driving Ogilvy India’s creative product and reputation.” – Ogilvy India CEO  Kunal Jeswani.

  • Garmin India ropes Rannvijay Singha as brand ambassador

    Garmin India ropes Rannvijay Singha as brand ambassador

    MUMBAI: Reaching masses to integrate fitness as a daily regime, tech major, Garmin India has roped in famous actor and VJ, Rannvijay Singha as their brand ambassador.

    The popular face of MTV Roadies and the promoter of healthy and active lifestyle, Rannvijay will be promoting Garmin watches in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan across the mediums of print, television, online as well as creating buzz on all social media platforms.

    Garmin India director Ali Rizvi said, “We are delighted to have Mr. Rannvijay Singha on board with us who is not only a famous face on television but is also a fitness inspiration and a mentor to many. The youth icon is known in the industry for his challenging personality, determination and confidence which is in sync with Garmin as a brand. We are confident that this partnership will help the brand in reaching out to more true fitness enthusiasts and grow in the markets.”

    Recently, Garmin India launched its FIRST ever smartwatch with a vibrant AMOLED screen: ‘VENU’. Garmin vívoactive 4: GPS smartwatch, enriched with enhanced health and wellness monitoring features was also launched. Fēnix 6 Series- with solar charging lens was also introduced to the Indian smartwatch market by Garmin India.

    Rannvijay Singha said, “I am using GARMIN watch since a long time now and personally love its accuracy, durability and innovative approach, which is designed to help fitness enthusiasts to perform at the highest levels. It’s an honor for me to be associated with the brand, which is known globally for their advanced GPS technology. Garmin is supporting in accommodating physical activities with the unique features and advanced styling in their smart wearables, bringing a positive change in everyone’s lifestyle. The brand’s ethos is truly synonymous to mine and I am extremely excited to reach out to millions as the face of Garmin India.”

    Garmin India, known for its range of Global Positioning System (GPS) is expanding its presence and operations in the subcontinent. In the year 2019, it had reported 100 % growth in volumes.  Garmin offers smart wearables across price points with dedicated devices for golf , running , diving and cycling activities amongst a range of other products.

  • SoCheers appoints Yogesh Bhusare as creative group head – design

    SoCheers appoints Yogesh Bhusare as creative group head – design

    MUMBAI: SoCheers, a digital-first marketing and advertising agency based out of Mumbai has announced the appointment of Yogesh Bhusare as its Creative Group Head – Design. Bhusare will lead the talented team of designers at SoCheers and will report into Co-founder & CEO, Mehul Gupta.

    Previously a creative supervisor at FCB Interface, Bhusare has jumped the ranks & has built a credible design profile over the last six years. Before joining SoCheers, he has had interesting stints at mainline agencies like Taproot & Leo Burnett wherein he contributed to clients like The Times of India, SetWet, Jeep, Amazon Fashion, Make in India, STartup India, Airtel, Sula Fest, Mahindra Rise, HPCL, Budweiser, ForeverMark to name a few. He has a keen interest in designing spaces and wall murals, and he’s parallely done a lot of creative projects for brands like Audi, Bajaj, Zostel to name a few. His most iconic project has been the one he did for Audi & designing work for Domestic Airports.

    His creative work has been recognized for his tremendous work by various publications, online & offline, & he was ranked under Top 30 indian illustrators in 2018. At SoCheers he will be working on all the key clients & will be leading the team to being recognized as a creatively-strong agency.

    SoCheers comments Cofounder & CEO Mehul Gupta, ‘’Yogesh is the missing piece to our talented design team at SoCheers. His experience at understanding the creative requirements of a brand & giving out something that works strategically as well as creatively is his key strength. He has synced in perfectly with our culture & with the team & is working towards honing their best skills. We welcome him to our SoCheers Family & look forward to executing some kickass design-first campaigns this year.”

    SoCheers creative group head – design Yogesh Bhusare adds: "I am excited to join SoCheers & the young brilliant minds that encompass my team here. I am looking forward to bringing my mainline experience & utilising this creative approach to digital-first campaigns. My time here has already got me into the deep of things & the growth curve here looks exciting. We are ready to scale up our creative-edge & take SoCheers to a whole new level".

  • Noise ropes in star Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma as brand ambassador

    Noise ropes in star Indian cricketer Rohit Sharma as brand ambassador

    MUMBAI: Noise, a new-age smart-tech consumer electronics brand, has substantially ‘upped its game’ by announcing its partnership with India’s run machine and ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year, 2019 – Rohit Sharma.

    As an entity, Noise stands for the passion that drives the youth to break the mold and follow their dreams at will. It aims to enable the same through all its upcoming campaigns, and is excited about the intangible value Rohit Sharma will add to the brand’s message at its core.     

    Noise founder Gaurav Khatri said, “We’re delighted to announce our partnership with Rohit Sharma, who truly is one of the greatest cricketers of our time. His dedication to the sport adequately mirrors the commitment we feel towards providing our customers with the best. Together, we look forward to propagating a positive message; One which resonates with youngsters, advocates following one’s passion, and encourages the youth to listen more carefully to their inner noise.”

    Expressing his thoughts, Rohit Sharma said, “As a professional athlete, my life demands me to focus on my fitness. Having said that, I have always believed that being healthy is the first step towards a meaningful life as a healthy body breeds a healthy mind. Hence, I ensure that I give my 100% every single day whether I’m in between a series or have a gap. This always keeps me in a happy space, also ensuring that I do justice to my commitment to the sport.”

    “I’m excited to be associated with Noise for their fitness wearables category. With them, I get to map my fitness regimes to push myself to the next level. Their trendy designs couple their technology brilliantly and also align with my sense of style,” added Rohit, who is exclusively managed by IMG Reliance’s talent management company.

    In the near future, Rohit will launch Noise’s freshest addition to its smart wearables category – NoiseFit Fusion – India’s first full touch hybrid Smart Watch. Furthermore, Rohit Sharma will be launching his own Limited Edition through the brand as well, thereby ingraining his passion directly into the brand’s DNA.

    Within just two short years, Noise has become one of the top players in wireless earphones and smart wearables in the Indian market. It tells the inspirational tale of how a young, fresh and hungry start-up can quickly grow into a worthy opponent in today’s hyper-competitive Indian market. With the right mix of attractive pricing, sleek design, and compelling features – Noise is well on its way to making sure it’s heard.

  • Sanju Menon appointed as COO of Publicis Ambience and Publicis Beehive

    Sanju Menon appointed as COO of Publicis Ambience and Publicis Beehive

    MUMBAI: Publicis Worldwide today announced Sanju Menon as the new chief operating officer of Publicis Ambience and Publicis Beehive. He takes over the charge from Paritosh Srivastava, who was elevated to the role of managing director of L&K Saatchi & Saatchi. Menon will be looking into the growth agenda of the company while providing new inputs and idea to a host of brands under the umbrella of Publicis Ambience & Publicis Beehive. Commencing the post from 2 January, Menon will report to Srija Chatterjee, managing director Publicis Worldwide, India.

    Talking about the appointment Srija Chatterjee said, “It’s been an emotional ride these past few days as one of our most dependable faces departs to take on a larger role at the Groupe level. But that’s an exciting journey to undertake and Paritosh deserves every bit of the success that has come his way. I’d like to thank Paritosh for setting up steady and solid-looking agencies under Publicis Ambience & Publicis Beehive. At the same time, I’d like to welcome Sanju to the Publicis Worldwide family and can vouch for his credibility as one of the most exciting talents to watch out for.”

    Menon joins Publicis Worldwide after working as executive vice president in Leo Burnett India where he was responsible for managing the entire Bajaj portfolio for the agency. He has been associated with Leo Burnett since 2015. Menon started his advertising career with SN Design in 2005 and a year later joined Bates 141 as brand executive.

    Commenting on his new role Menon said, “The last five years at Leo Burnett have been very rewarding. I will cherish the association. From the outside, I have seen that Publicis Worldwide has fantastic talents and long-standing relationships with brands that are trusted, loved, and have enormous potential. Equipped with the Publicis Groupe’s ‘Power of One’ philosophy and with the trust of our partners, I look forward to working with Srija and her talented team on building effective and innovative solutions that will make Publicis Worldwide more agile, and a powerhouse within the group."

    Menon worked with some of the most iconic Indian brands that went on to win top honours across reputed award festivals including Cannes Lions, Effies, Clio etc.

  • ACG appoints Alexander Robertson as chief marketing officer

    ACG appoints Alexander Robertson as chief marketing officer

    MUMBAI: ACG Group, the world’s only integrated offering end-to-end manufacturing solutions for the pharmaceutical industry today announced the appointment of Alexander Robertson as the new chief marketing officer for the Group.

    In his role, Robertson will be responsible for continuing to drive ACG’s marketing initiatives and current growth across the group’s global focus markets. He will be based at the company’s Mumbai head office. With more than two decades rich experience across the spectrum of B2B and B2C marketing, branding communication, design and advertising, Robertson is a true brand specialist. 

    He has worked for global agencies including Ogilvy & Mather, Brand Union and most recently held the position of executive creative director at Landor in Mumbai. He takes over from Peter Neve, who has decided to move back to his home country following three successful years at ACG.

    ACG MD Karan Singh said, “We are very excited to have Alex on board. With his rich experience in narrating successful brand stories, we are confident that ACG will chart newer heights under his leadership. I also wish to thank Peter Neve, who helped ACG create a new identity and will be remembered for his work on OneACG.”

  • Bombay Shaving Company appoints Chirag Taneja as chief revenue officer

    Bombay Shaving Company appoints Chirag Taneja as chief revenue officer

    MUMBAI: Men's skincare brand Bombay Shaving Company (BSC) has on-boarded Chirag Taneja as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) in its bid to strengthen its online presence as it aims to cross the INR 100 crore revenue mark this year. Chirag Taneja will lead the entire online business including D2C technology, e-commerce, and brand for Bombay Shaving Company. Chirag’s astute business acumen and deep understanding of digital marketing and analytics will enable Bombay Shaving Company, an internet first brand to achieve its business goals at an accelerated rate.

    Before joining BSC,  Taneja  was the founder CEO at Ketchupp – an online Metasearch engine for food discovery and successfully sold the business to Cartoq. 

    On joining BSC, Chirag Taneja said, “Digitally native vertical brands present an exciting business opportunity because of the potential scale backed by data and the ability to track user journey to the T. Technology has reached the personal care category and BSC is leading this change from the front. Solving consumer problems with technology at the core is key for me. I am looking forward to building one of India’s most loved men’s skincare brand and already seeing signs of scale in my early days.”

    Bombay Shaving Company (BSC) CEO & founder Shantanu Deshpande  said, “Chirag is an accomplished marketer and experienced leader. He has expertise in implementing metrics-driven online marketing strategies, managing a P&L, growing businesses and building out committed and high-performing teams. He brings a great balance of tech and consumer to BSC. With his knack of understanding the industry, I am confident that he will achieve greater milestones and further strengthen the brand.”

    “We are in the process of hiring strategic partners across levels and recruiting Chirag is our first step towards the same.” He further added. 

    In December 2019, BSC had raised INR 45 crores in Series B led by Sixth Sense Venture Partners. Existing investor Colgate Palmolive Asia Pacific, a subsidiary of CPG giant Colgate-Palmolive had also participated in the round. 

  • Mars Wrigley India appoints new General Manager

    Mars Wrigley India appoints new General Manager

    MUMBAI: Mars Wrigley has announced that Kalpesh Parmar has been appointed General Manager for India with effect from January 9. Kalpesh will be based in the Gurgaon office and will become a member of Mars Wrigley’s Global

    tudies, Kalpesh is a seasoned business leader with 21 years of experience in consumer industry spanning across  South Korea, Singapore, Dubai, Turkey, Nigeria and India, with specific focus on business development, brand building, route to market, e-commerce and capability building.

    Emerging Markets Leadership Team.

    Kalpesh succeeds Andrew Leakey, who has moved to Australia as General Manager.

    An alumnus of Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management S Kalpesh has been associated with Unilever for the past 12 years and was most recently designated as the CEO for South Korea, Pacific Islands and Mongolia, and he also managed the Ice Cream business in Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

    Prior to this, he was designated as the Global Customer Collaboration Director based out of Singapore. He was the member of Global Customer Development team and was responsible for managing 30 customer insight and innovation centers across the Globe. He was driving the joint business planning process for developed and emerging markets for Top 40 markets. At Unilever Nigeria, he was leading the Shopper & Customer Marketing agenda, supporting customer marketing and modern trade development for Sub Saharan Africa. Kalpesh has also worked with Gillette and Marico in India prior to Unilever.