ITV

Category: People

  • DDB Mudra Group elevates Sameer Mehta as TracyLocke president

    DDB Mudra Group elevates Sameer Mehta as TracyLocke president

    MUMBAI: DDB Mudra Group has elevated Sameer Mehta to the post of TracyLocke India president. In his new role, Mehta will report to DDB Mudra Group CEO and MD Madhukar Kamath.

     

    TracyLocke is DDB Mudra Group’s shopper marketing, field marketing and retail solutions agency. 

     

    Mehta has been a part of the DDB Mudra Group since 2005 and has been instrumental in setting up and growing the field marketing, retail solutions and shopper marketing services for the group. With 17 years of experience in this field, Mehta is helping businesses grow through interventions at the point of purchase and this has been utilized extensively for many brands.

     

    Post the Mudra Groups acquisition by Omnicom, Mehta has been a part of the team that has been entrusted to build the TracyLocke brand in India. 

     

    Mehta said, “I look forward to this opportunity as we imbibe the TracyLocke philosophy of ‘Buy Design’ in our day to day work. We believe in putting intent and purpose behind every activity that leads a customer to buy a brand. This principle helps us design experiences that turn shoppers into believers. We are seeing this being practiced by TracyLocke in the US with Pepsico, where they deliver cutting edged brand experiences. The global win of the SC Johnson business will also give us an opportunity in India to collaborate with other markets. Truly a lot to look forward to for us in TracyLocke India.”

     

    Kamath added, “This has reaffirmed the belief that I always had in TracyLocke India’s capabilities to become one of the flagship businesses of the DDB Mudra Group. I am excited about the potential that we have to deliver technology led solutions in this space with Sameer at the forefront. He has a core team that has helped him grow this business and I am sure will continue to do so. I congratulate him on this well-deserved elevation within the group and look forward to working closely with him.”

  • Jaideep Mahajan rejoins to Rediffusion Y&R as national creative head

    Jaideep Mahajan rejoins to Rediffusion Y&R as national creative head

    MUMBAI: Jaideep Mahajan is back at Rediffusion Y&R and has been named as the agency’s national creative head.

     

    Mahajan will work closely with Rediffusion Y&R chief creative officer Rahul Jauhari and will be based out of the agency’s Delhi office. As a group resource, Mahajan will also oversee the creative product of Everest Delhi.

     

    “Given the change that is underway in the group, this seemed like a perfect time to return home,” said Mahajan. “Rediffusion has been special to me. I have known Rahul for a long time. Our thoughts on creative work, creative culture and business focus matched perfectly,” he added.

     

    With over 17 years of industry experience, Mahajan comes with a 100 plus International & National Awards and big brand work to his credit. He has worked with agencies such as JWT, Contract, Linen Lintas, McCann Erickson (Kuala Lumpur), Leo Burnett/Arc Worldwide (Kuala Lumpur) and Rediffusion Y&R.

     

    Rediffusion Y&R president Dhunji S.Wadia said, “In a way, I started the return to the group movement when I re-joined in 2010. Rahul Jauhari followed next. And now it is many happy returns for JD. JD has a proven reputation as a creative leader and is held with great regard both internally and his clients.”

     

    Jauhari added, “JD’s return is a strong signal of the caliber and intent of creative work one can expect from Rediffusion Y&R. His immediate focus will be to rebuild our Delhi office into a creative powerhouse. He will also work with me on raising the craft bar within the agency across our offices.”

     

  • Lowe Lintas + Partners rebrands; to create dual agency structure

    Lowe Lintas + Partners rebrands; to create dual agency structure

    MUMBAI: After the recent news of the global union of IPG agencies Mullen, and Lowe and Partners (to form Mullen Lowe Group), the India operation of the network, Lowe Lintas + Partners has been rebranded as Mullen Lowe Lintas Group. 

     

    As part of this move, the Group has also gone in for a two-creative-agency structure. In addition to Lowe Lintas, the group will be soon launching an independent creative agency called Mullen Lintas.

     

    Lowe Lintas joint national creative directors Amer Jaleel and Arun Iyer have been promoted to chief creative officers. While Iyer takes on the role of CCO at Lowe Lintas, Jaleel will take on the role of chairman and CCO of Mullen Lintas. 

     

    R.Balakrishnan (Balki) and Joseph George (Joe) will continue as group chairman and group CEO respectively, of Mullen Lowe Lintas Group. 

     

    Iyer said, “I’ve spent most of my career at Lowe Lintas and have thoroughly enjoyed the journey so far. Right now, we’ve got great momentum on all fronts and we’re committed to making it better. I am delighted at the opportunity to run the creative function at the agency in the rapidly evolving marketing landscape, and confident that we will keep Lowe Lintas ahead of that curve.”

     

    Jaleel added, “I’ve always worked in large and established setups. To be entrusted with building a new agency from scratch is both humbling and exciting at the same time. I am looking forward to the journey of growing and nurturing Mullen Lintas to fulfill the group’s ‘large agency’ ambition for this independent venture.”

  • Sonakshi Sinha roped in as brand ambassador of Digisol

    Sonakshi Sinha roped in as brand ambassador of Digisol

    MUMBAI: After doing a wide variety of endorsements, actress Sonakshi Sinha has signed her very first tech brand. Sinha has been roped in as the brand ambassador for Digisol’s wireless and networking products.

     

    Sinha’s appointment comes at a time when Digisol plans to magnify its presence in consumer segment and this association is expected to boost the brand’s visibility in India.

     

    Sinha, who has been one of the most followed celebrities on social media, said, “I am happy to represent a brand like Digisol, which is playing a major role in making Digital India a reality. Now, that I’m associated with Digisol, I look forward to be a part of their initiative.”

  • Grey Group India appoints Sandipan Bhattacharyya as chief creative officer

    Grey Group India appoints Sandipan Bhattacharyya as chief creative officer

    MUMBAI: Grey Group India has appointed Sandipan Bhattacharyya as its chief creative officer with effect from 1 August, 2015.

    He will oversee the Mumbai, Gurgaon (New Delhi NCR) and Bengaluru offices across all platforms including advertising, digital and below the line. He will be based in Mumbai, reporting to Grey group India chairman and managing director Sunil Lulla.

    Bhattacharyya returns to Grey group from BBDO, where he spent close to eight years partnering Josy Paul in setting up the agency in India and shaping its creative reputation. He was the executive creative director and was pushing the creative mandate on several global clients like PepsiCo, General Electric, Hewlett Packard, Aviva Life Insurance, P&G Gillette and Wrigley.

    “We are delighted to welcome Sandipan back. His entry is timed to reignite GREY and drive its culture of creating ‘Famous & Effective’ work for GREY’s clients. He brings in a terrific blend of zing & zany energy, with an astute and an intuitive understanding of consumers. I am delighted to have a partner who will bring transformational change to Grey group India, with a mind and a working style, which seamlessly integrates the communication process, across platforms, media, technologies and consumer states. In an ever changing world, now Grey’s capabilities will be significantly enhanced with Sandipan’s leadership,” said Lulla.

    Sandipan said, “What’s interesting in today’s ad landscape is what I call freestyling. No rules, no limits, just format-defying, medium-bending work. Gun shops that spring a surprise moral dilemma, car companies promoting bodypaint and a ridiculously simple Superbowl interception that makes everyone spending millions on a 30 sec spot, seem like an idiot – that’s freestyling. And guess what, it’s all happening at Grey. My chats with Tor and Per just made one thing amply clear – I’d be a fool to pass up this opportunity!”

  • Scarecrow Communications beefs up art department

    Scarecrow Communications beefs up art department

    MUMBAI: Scarecrow Communications has beefed up its art department by hiring senior creative director (art) Pravin Sutar for its Mumbai office.

     

    Post this development, the art department has been divided into three groups, led by three senior art resources – executive creative directors Kapil Tammal and Anjali Rawat and senior creative director Pravin Sutar. 

     

    Tammal continues to head Scarecrow Designs as design director.

     

    Scarecrow Communications founder director Manish Bhatt said, “His experience in a digitally advanced nation like Malaysia and his stint at Geometry Global, with an experience in digital, activations and shopper marketing, will add to Scarecrow’s expertise in creating communication for e-commerce brands.”

     

    On his move, Sutar said, “To begin with, I’m happy to be back home. I’m really excited and ready to apply all my experiences and learning of three years of the challenging, yet interesting Southeast Asia market, for the brands here in Mumbai.”  

  • IndiaMART ropes in Prateek Chandra as CFO

    IndiaMART ropes in Prateek Chandra as CFO

    MUMBAI: IndiaMART has appointed Prateek Chandra as its chief finance officer. In his new role, Chandra will be responsible for managing the company’s financial growth, driving key business initiatives and playing an integral role in ensuring the organisation’s success.

     

    IndiaMART founder & CEO Dinesh Agarwal said, “Prateek brings with himself an in-depth technology and media industry experience, along with immense knowledge of capital markets and financial and strategic planning. We are confident that he would be an outstanding addition to our leadership team and would help us implement our near-term operational goals, as we plan to scale up our marketplace to newer highs. It is my privilege to welcome him to the team and I wish him all the best in his role.”

     

    Chandra added, “I am pleased to be a part of the country’s leading online marketplace which has been growing significantly over the past, and also has an ambitious vision for future growth. IndiaMART is at a juncture of momentous growth and being a part of this inspiring journey will be elating.”

     

    Formerly, Chandra was HT Media CFO, radio business (104 FM), heading responsibility of finance and related operational aspects of the business. He holds over 14 years of experience in building business strategy, financial planning, M&A’s and managing investor relations in Indian and International markets. 

  • Rajesh Gola joins DDB Mudra Group

    Rajesh Gola joins DDB Mudra Group

    MUMBAI:  Rajesh Gola has joined DDB Mudra North as senior creative director. Based out of the agency’s Gurgaon office, Gola would be reporting to DDB Mudra North creative head Sambit Mohanty.

     

    A former senior creative director with JWT Delhi, Gola has been associated with agencies like Grey Worldwide, FCB Ulka and Saatchi & Saatchi in his career spanning 15 years.

     

    Gola said, “Each agency brings with it specific challenges. To overcome them you need the right people. DDB Mudra North has the right people.”

     

    Mohanty added, “Rajesh is a great addition to our creative team. Experience apart, he brings a rare sense of maturity and responsibility that is hard to find these days. Add to that a killer sense of wit and you know that with this guy around, there will never be a dull moment!”

     

    Some of the brands that Gola has worked on include: Airtel, VLCC, Monte Carlo, Max Bupa, Dabur Gulabari, Dabur Red Toothpaste, Hitachi and Mother Dairy amongst others. In 2008, his campaign for Mother Dairy Nutrifit was awarded as the ‘Best Campaign’ by International Dairy Federation Awards.

  • Doreswamy Nandkishore joins Blippar as its first external non-executive board member

    Doreswamy Nandkishore joins Blippar as its first external non-executive board member

    MUMBAI: Former Nestle South Asia global executive board member Doreswamy Nandkishore has officially joined image recognition and visual discovery platform Blippar as its first external non-executive board member. 

    Nandkishore will be advising the company on its increased focus on brand and marketing strategy across the company’s full portfolio of industry leading clients including Coca-Cola Conde Nast, Heinz, Jaguar, PepsiCo and Procter and Gamble.

    “Blippar is driving an entirely new behaviour – visual browsing and discovery – and is the global leader in image recognition and augmented reality experiences,” said Nandkishore. 
    “The company’s proprietary technology has the power to totally transform the way brands engage with consumers. By overlaying the physical world with personalised augmented reality technology, Blippar provides consumers the ability to draw great content and engaging brand experiences directly from their favorite products. As a non-executive director and mentor, I will be further informing the market about Blippar as the leading choice for brand-builders across the world,” he added.

    “As we continue our mission to activate the world with Blippar, it is increasingly important for us to become experts at digital brand and marketing strategy for our clients, and no one has been more successful at fostering and growing brand talent than Nandu,” added Blippar CEO and co-founder Ambarish Mitra. 

    “He brings extensive brand-building and cross-cultural leadership experience, alongside a proven track record of delivering consistent long-term results. He is also passionate about proliferating new technologies that will help us to reshape the world. He will undoubtedly play a vital role in helping us to become an even more effective strategic partner for brands on an international stage,” said Mitra. 

  • S.Yesudas steps down as Vizeum India MD, replaced by Shripad Kulkarni

    S.Yesudas steps down as Vizeum India MD, replaced by Shripad Kulkarni

    MUMBAI: In a turn of events, S.Yesudas has stepped down from his position of Vizeum India managing director. Stepping into his shoes is industry veteran Shripad Kulkarni, who will be reporting to Dentsu Aegis Network south Asia chairman and CEO Ashish Bhasin. Not just this, Kulkarni will also join the Dentsu Aegis Network India executive council.

     

    Meanwhile, Yesudas will now focus on content and analytics, while continuing to report to Bhasin.

     

    “I am really happy to be leading Vizeum India. The sheer dynamism of Vizeum as a brand excites me. The One P&L philosophy of the Dentsu Aegis Network opens great opportunities for us and will help push Vizeum to the next level,” said Kulkarni.

     

    With more than 25 years of experience across various media specialisations, he has worked in agencies such as Carat, Contract, Clarion and O&M. Prior to joining Vizeum, Kulkarni was Allied Media CEO, a Percept Group company.

     

    Bhasin said, “I am very pleased to welcome Shripad as the MD of Vizeum India. With the wealth of experience that he brings in and the thorough knowledge of the business that he has, I am sure Vizeum India will touch new heights under his leadership.”

     

    “I also want to thank Yesudas for the great job that he has done in helping start Vizeum operations in India from the scratch and bringing the agency to the level, at which it is today. I have no doubts that he will equally excel in the new opportunities. Shripad now has a great platform to take Vizeum India to the next orbit because our ambitions for Vizeum India are tremendous,” he added.