Digital Agencies
GroupM collaborates with China’s digital giants to build competitive edge
MUMBAI: GroupM’s programmatic media and technology platform Xaxis has inked a partnership with China’s digital and data giants like Youku Tudou, Tencent, iQiyi, Sina Weibo, UnionPay Smart and Xiaomi, at the 2015 GroupM Digital Momentum Forging Your Competitive Edge Conference.
This partnership will enable access to a higher amount of premium inventory via programmatic buying and unlocks access to data across these platforms via Turbine, Xaxis’ evolutionary data management platform (DMP) managed by GroupM. Through this partnership, these parties endeavour to bring more accurate targeting and greater reach for advertisers, while building up industry standards in the market.
The GroupM China conference attracted and inspired representatives from China’s top brands, media owners, and agencies with keynote speeches and panel discussions covering major digital marketing topics. Programmatic buying was the key focus of this event, providing actionable takeaways for attendees to plan smarter and more effective digital campaigns.
Internet advertising runs on data, making the DMP a core component in the value chain. The more anonymous data one possesses about users, the more efficient one can be at buying advertising to reach them. In recent years, GroupM has been investing in its data, and data driven products and services, to remain at the forefront of digital marketing trends. Particularly, in the megatrend of data-driven programmatic buying – the market is forecasted to reach RMB 18.76 billion in 2016 (Eguan Analysis), and to provide advertisers with better products and technology.
GroupM China CEO Patrick Xu said, “The huge opportunities lie in predicting your target audiences’ next moves based on similar users’ past history, and which content consumption pattern will trigger action from your consumer. The partnership will help us better understand users and reach out to them better. More importantly, these parties will come together to develop an industry standard to ensure its rapid and healthy development. We are eager to further develop our partnerships with more media and data sources within China.”
Xaxis is the world’s largest programmatic media and technology platform. Turbine, a milestone in the evolution of data management platforms, is designed to provide advanced real-time audience segmentation capabilities and look-alike modeling, to complement Xaxis’ product offerings. Turbine enables Xaxis to create more accurate and unique audience portraits to better connect advertisers with their target audiences across its roster of premium publishers. By creating better connections for advertisers with their audiences on these publishers, Xaxis creates and sustains demand for the inventory.
Xaxis China managing director Mickey Zhang added, “Xaxis is proud to partner with these big digital companies in China. Programmatic buying provides sought-after premium inventory, especially premium online video inventory, in a more efficient way through greater audience intelligence. This partnership strengthens that intelligence, enabling us to provide enhanced campaign performance and efficiency. With that, we can empower our advertisers to make increasingly well-informed data-driven programmatic buying decisions in real time.”
Xaxis is eager to further develop its partnerships with more media and data sources within China.
GroupM Asia-Pacific CEO Mark Patterson said, “Our next phase is about partnerships, both outside and inside of WPP’s network. For example, GroupM is working increasingly closely with WPP’s research, data and insights companies in Kantar in a number of areas to amplify each other’s strengths and create new opportunities, products and services for our clients in China (and around the region and world) around our common DNA of data, insights and the consumer.”
Digital Agencies
Kunal Wanvari steps up as senior brand and digital marketing manager at Franklin Templeton India
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
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.
Digital Agencies
Kisha Gupta takes charge as Infosys global head of brand
BENGALURU: Infosys has appointed Kisha Gupta as its new global head of brand, a move that highlights both her remarkable journey within the company and her unique approach to leadership. Having spent more than 13 years at Infosys, Gupta brings to the role a wealth of experience spanning brand building, academic relations, and large-scale event management. She assumes the position with a commitment to creativity, purpose, and heart, promising to steer Infosys’ global brand with care and vision.
Gupta’s career at Infosys is notable not just for its longevity but for the breadth of her impact. Since 2016, she has led the company’s global academic relations, collaborating directly with Infosys co-founder N. R. Narayana Murthy on flagship initiatives like InStep, the company’s global internship programme. Each year, InStep welcomes over 250 interns from more than 50 nationalities, offering them a chance to gain hands-on experience and exposure to cutting-edge technology projects. Beyond internships, Gupta has built strong networks with students, professors, deans, and chancellors from the world’s top 200 universities, positioning Infosys as a thought leader in global academia.
Her contributions extend to brand strategy and visibility, having designed social media campaigns, reviewed creative content, and represented Infosys at over 200 international events. She has also overseen large-scale corporate events, including Confluence and Connect, and led the redesign of Infosys’ marketing floor to foster collaboration and agile working. This combination of strategic oversight and hands-on execution has made her a trusted figure within Infosys leadership, reporting directly to the CMO and working closely with the board and founders.
Beyond Infosys, Gupta has played a key role in nurturing the next generation of global leaders. As Chairperson of Aiesec in India, she works to provide students with opportunities for cross-cultural learning and to foster a more inclusive, diverse workforce. She has also attended the prestigious Stanford Graduate School of Business Ignite Program, further honing her business acumen and leadership skills.
Reflecting on her new role, Gupta expressed gratitude to mentors, colleagues, and her predecessor for their support. “If you are reading this, chances are you have played a part in my journey. That makes this moment as much yours as it is mine,” she wrote. With her proven track record in brand building, academia, and global engagement, Kisha Gupta is poised to take Infosys’ brand to new heights, blending creativity, purpose, and human touch in every initiative.
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