Digital Agencies

Brands want biz problems solved, not just communication problems: Wolfzhowl’s Kalyan Ram Challapalli

Published

6 years ago

March 9, 2020

MUMBAI: The consumers of today are more complicated than ever. They are educated, smart and can easily call out a bluff if they spot one. They value experiences more than creatives. Advertising and marketing, therefore, is becoming more dynamic and consumer-centric to woo the ever-growing consumer base, which owns more disposable income but less time to invest. Therefore, a brand needs to look beyond a communication-based promotional approach and really work hard to generate not just a greater brand recall but strategise to better get hold of consumer attention on the racks as well.

Wolfzhowl Strategic Instigations chief strategist and founder Kalyan Ram Challapalli believes that strategists are becoming more relevant and important in today’s time to help brands sail through the competition.

In an exclusive conversation with Indiantelevision.com, he said, “Behaviour and culture is larger than just an ad or campaign. We can do much more than just (helping with) a firm’s communication. We decode consumer and culture to help brands. What we always strive to be a little more positive towards the consumer and the society, and not just (drive) business transactions.”

But with businesses moving to in-house strategists or working with agencies for the purpose, how can specialised firms like Wolfzhowl attract prominence?

Challapalli noted that agencies are more business- and number-driven than consumer-driven. "What is happening with advertising is that the topline and the bottomline are shrinking. The strategists are not getting trained the way they should be because where is the time for training when you have less people to do more work. The role of a strategist is to be a brand business partner beyond what one’s firm does but that is not happening. It is because there are more brands and less strategists and they aren’t trained well.”

Speaking more about the same, he added, “On the digital side, there are bright young boys and girls working as strategists but they are more channel driven.”

He insisted that brands today are looking more than what these strategists at agencies have to offer. They want their business problems solved and not just channel or communication problems.

“There are two things that are missing. One is an integrated strategy and the second is efficacious media-neutral strategy,” Challapalli noted.

However, he agrees that for some reasons, the independent purely strategist companies are not surviving in the market. But he sees the emerging trend to be providing more opportunities and scope for them in the coming times. He attributed it to the growth of the gig economy where more and more young people are leaving their fancy agency jobs to do freelancing and more versatile work.

He also noted that the CXOs of today have become as smart as the advertising people, which was essentially not the case earlier. “The CXOs have big decision making power now. They are meeting more interesting people like travel bloggers and product designers when agencies are putting their heads down creating artworks and TVCs,” he said.

This makes businesses more demanding and aware of the fact that not just communication can solve all their business problems. They need more integrated strategies, from product design to user experience to improved sales.

He feels that strategists are going to rise as a threat and a pain point to the advertising agencies. “Advertising really lost the game in the early 2000s. When clients cut media budgets and put them on a time-sheet, advertising agencies also put their passion on excel sheets. Whereas, advertising was never a rational business, it is now about putting as much passion as there is money. Another part is that advertisers were cutting-edge thinkers once. Their exposure to life and consumer cycle was higher. But how many people in agencies today go out for a vox-pop or research? They have so much work to do that they prefer searching on google. That is something that a client can also do.”

Challapalli shared that while advertising is not dead, its role has been reappropriated with the rise of digital and trends like experiential and AI, VR, ML marketing. “I am not saying that agencies are not growing to fit the trends but they are in silos. There is no integration.”

And that is the exact pain point that strategists and firms like his can address.

Related Topics:Kalyan Ram Challapalli Strategists WolfzHowl

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Digital Agencies

GUEST COLUMN: Deepankar Das on the feedback problem slowing creative teams

Published

1 month ago

February 2, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

BENGALURU: For years, creative teams have learned to live with ambiguity. Vague comments, last-minute changes, feedback that arrives without context, clarity, or conviction. It became part of the job – something teams worked around rather than getting it solved.

But as we head into 2026, that tolerance is wearing thin.

Creative work today moves faster, scales wider, and involves more stakeholders than before. Teams are producing more content across more formats, often with distributed collaborators and tighter timelines. In this environment, guesswork is no longer a harmless inconvenience. It’s a cost – to time, to budgets, and to creative mindspace.

The real problem isn’t feedback, it’s how it’s given

Most creative professionals you see today will tell you they’re not against feedback. In fact, they rely on it. Good feedback sharpens ideas, strengthens execution, and pushes work forward. The problem is ‘unclear’ feedback. When someone says “this doesn’t feel right” without context, they aren’t just revising – they’re basically decoding. They’re guessing what the problem might be, trying different directions, and burning time in the process. Multiply that by a few stakeholders and a few rounds, and suddenly days disappear.

In 2026, when teams are expected to deliver faster without compromising quality, interpretation is a luxury most can’t afford.

Scale has changed rverything

Creative projects used to be smaller and simpler. A designer, a manager, maybe one client contact. Feedback loops were short, even if they weren’t perfect.

Today, the same project might involve internal marketing teams, agencies, freelancers, brand reviewers, and regional teams. Everyone has a say. Everyone leaves comments. And often, those comments don’t agree. More people reviewing work means alignment matters more than ever. Clear feedback isn’t just about being nice to creative teams, it’s about keeping projects moving when complexity increases.

Guesswork quietly wears teams down

One of the less talked-about impacts of unclear feedback is what it does to people.

When feedback is vague or contradictory, creatives second-guess their decisions. They hesitate. They overwork. They keep extra time buffers “just in case.” Over time, confidence drops. Ownership fades. Work becomes safer, not stronger. Creative energy gets spent on managing uncertainty instead of pushing ideas forward. And in an industry already grappling with burnout, unclear feedback adds unnecessary mental load.

Actionable feedback is a shared skill

Clear feedback doesn’t mean controlling creative decisions or dictating every detail. It means being specific enough that someone knows what to do next.

Actionable feedback answers three basic questions:

What exactly needs attention?
Why does it matter?
What outcome are we aiming for?
This applies whether you’re reviewing a video frame, a design layout, or a copy draft. The clearer the feedback, the fewer follow-ups it creates. In 2026, teams that treat feedback as a skill and not an afterthought, will move faster with less friction.

Tools shape behaviour (whether we admit it or not)

The way feedback is delivered is often dictated by the tools teams use. Comments buried in long email threads, messages split across chat apps, or notes detached from the actual work all contribute to confusion.

When feedback lives outside the work, context often gets lost. When it’s disconnected from versions and timelines, decisions get questioned. When it’s scattered, accountability disappears. More teams are starting to realise that feedback problems aren’t just communication issues, they’re workflow issues. How work moves between people matters just as much as the work itself.

From Opinions To Alignment
One of the biggest shifts happening in creative teams is a move away from purely opinion-driven feedback. Instead of “I like this” or “I don’t,” teams are asking better questions:

● Does this meet the brief?

● Does this solve the problem?

● Does this align with the goal?

This change reduces unnecessary back-and-forth and helps feedback feel less personal and more productive. It also makes decisions easier to explain and defend. As creative work becomes more strategic, feedback has to support that shift.

2026 Is About Fewer Loops, Not Faster Loops

There’s a misconception that speed means moving through feedback cycles faster. In reality, the most creative teams aren’t just accelerating loops, they’re reducing them. Clear, actionable feedback upfront leads to fewer revisions later. Clear approval stages prevent last-minute surprises. Clear decisions stop work from circling endlessly.

In 2026, efficiency won’t come from working harder or longer. It will come from designing workflows that respect creative time and attention.

Ending guesswork is a mindset change

Ultimately, ending creative guesswork isn’t just about better tools or processes. It’s about mindset. It’s about recognising that clarity is an act of respect – for the work, for the people doing it, for the time invested and for the mindspace used. It’s about moving from “figure it out” to “here’s what we’re aiming for.”

Creative teams that embrace this shift will find themselves not only delivering faster, but also enjoying the process more. And in an industry built on imagination, that might be the most valuable outcome of all.

Digital Agencies

Kunal Wanvari steps up as senior brand and digital marketing manager at Franklin Templeton India

Published

2 months ago

January 19, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Franklin Templeton India has elevated Kunal Wanvari to senior brand and digital marketing manager, signalling a continued push towards data-driven brand building and digital-first engagement in a crowded asset management market.

Wanvari has spent nearly eight years with Franklin Templeton India, steadily rising through the marketing ranks. Prior to this role, he served as marketing manager and assistant marketing manager, working across brand strategy, content, digital media and campaign execution from the firm’s Mumbai office.

Before joining Franklin Templeton, Wanvari built his digital credentials at WATConsult, where he handled brand strategy and account leadership roles, and earlier at Kush Infosystems, focusing on SEO and performance marketing. His career began in sales and marketing roles, giving him a ground-up understanding of commercial storytelling.

A computer engineer by training with deep digital marketing expertise, Wanvari’s elevation reflects Franklin Templeton’s bet on hybrid marketers—equal parts brand, data and digital—as competition for investor attention intensifies.

Digital Agencies

PSB Xchange appoints Ankush Aggarwal as CXO, Sahil Sikka as CBO and CFO

Published

2 months ago

January 2, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: PSB Xchange, India’s digital marketplace for financial solutions and a flagship platform of Veefin Solutions Limited, has reinforced its leadership team with two senior appointments as it prepares for its next phase of growth.

Ankush Aggarwal has been named chief experience officer, bringing with him more than 20 years of experience across corporate banking and the SME ecosystem. In his new role, he will focus on shaping simple, seamless and results-oriented experiences for banks, corporates and ecosystem partners. Aggarwal has previously held leadership roles at Kotak Mahindra Bank, IndusInd Bank and SG Finserve, where he led initiatives across customer onboarding, credit processes, servicing operations and digital transformation.

Widely recognised for connecting technology, operations and business strategy, Aggarwal has consistently built scalable and compliant experience models. At PSB Xchange, his focus will be on strengthening platform thinking, governance and continuous improvement to enhance efficiency and customer outcomes.

Alongside him, Sahil Sikka joins PSB Xchange as chief business officer and chief financial officer. With over 15 years of experience in banking and financial services, Sikka has played a key role in building and scaling businesses. He was part of the founding leadership team at SG Finserve, where he helped create a listed NBFC, overseeing business strategy, capital planning, product development and governance. His work earned him the best CFO financial services award at the India CFO Awards 2024.

Earlier in his career, Sikka worked with HDFC Bank, Aditya Birla Finance and Kotak Mahindra Bank, driving growth across corporate banking and structured finance. In his dual role at PSB Xchange, he will focus on strengthening growth strategy, scaling operations sustainably and delivering long-term value through strong governance and collaboration.

Commenting on the appointments, PSB Xchange and Veefin Solutions Limited CEO Sorabh Dhawan, said the additions reflect the platform’s ambitions as it expands its engagement with banks and financial institutions. He added that Aggarwal’s experience-led approach and Sikka’s strategic and financial expertise will be central to driving sustainable growth and value creation in the years ahead.