MUMBAI: Edelman has catapulted two internal powerhouses, Bhavna Jagtiani and Kunal Arora, into pivotal leadership roles across India and Asia-Pacific, signalling a bold strategic evolution for the global communications firm.
Jagtiani ascends from chief operating officer to chief executive of Edelman India, crowning a 22-year journey that began as an account executive. Her promotion reflects a meteoric rise through the corporate ranks, now tasked with steering business strategy and deepening client relationships.
Arora, previously managing director for India digital, now commands the digital landscape across the Asia-Pacific region. With a decade of digital crisis management and reputation expertise, he’s set to scale the firm’s digital operations and embed innovative solutions across client portfolios.
Edelman APAC chief, Rakesh Thukral praised the appointments: “Bhavna is an undisputed culture champion” who has driven “consistent growth”, while Kunal has “integrated the best capabilities and innovation.”
Both executives will continue reporting to Thukral, with the appointments taking immediate effect.
MUMBAI: Vidhu Aul has been appointed partnerships manager at Responsible AI UK, where she will contribute to advancing ethical AI development, evaluation, and governance through strategic research-led initiatives.
Aul brings over 15 years of diverse experience spanning communications, partnerships, community outreach, content creation, sustainability, and stakeholder engagement. Her impressive career journey includes roles at leading organisations such as Watatawa, NVPC, Edelman, BBC, and Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd. (The Times of India).
During her five-year tenure at the BBC, she played a pivotal role in driving media partnerships and outreach initiatives for the dynamic South Asian market. She also led a global presenter publicity and brand positioning project during a secondment to BBC’s London headquarters, enhancing the broadcaster’s visibility in India.
Aul’s independent consulting work further includes collaborations with Ogilvy Singapore, United Way Mumbai, CNN Create, and FSG. Her contributions extend to volunteer work with Futerra, UN Women Singapore, and the Singapore Tourism Board.
Beyond communications, Aul has explored the transformative potential of AI for small and medium enterprises, focusing on enhancing product development and profitability. Her passion for digital innovation aligns with her recent certification in applied generative AI for digital transformation from MIT and SEO/SEM strategies from the London Business School.
A passionate traveller, Aul has authored travel features for CNN, The Straits Times, Conde Nast Traveler, India Today, and other prestigious publications across Asia.
Aul holds a double major in psychology and anthropology from St Xavier’s College, Mumbai, along with a postgraduate diploma in social communication media. She is currently pursuing a part-time master’s degree in digital culture and society at King’s College London, set to conclude in 2026.
Her appointment at Responsible AI UK marks a significant step as the organisation strengthens its mission to harness AI for ethical and responsible solutions.
MUMBAI: Her’s has been a 20 year plus journey. Prasidha Menon began her career as a graduate trainee with HRD Coonsultants In Kolkata. She quietly worked there for a little over two years. Little did she imagine at that stage she would be leading brand, product communications for the Asia Pacific regions for one of the top global home sharing brand platforms– Airbnb.
Prasidha accepted her promotion from her position as regional head of communications for Airbnb for India & south east Asia gleefully.
Said she: “It’s an absolute honour and privilege to step into this regional leadership position at a time when Asia Pacific is uniquely positioned to drive Airbnb’s growth and expansion globally, and I am excited to play an integral role in this journey.”
Prior to Airbnb, Prasidha had a year log stay at Optum as director & head, brand, marketing & communications. Oyo Hotels was another stop for a couple of years vice-president & global head of communications, which was preceded by a short stint at Uber India where her last appointment was as head of communications -India and south Asia.
Her first exposure to communications was at Positive Communications for a year, which was followed by editorial jobs at two firms where she honed her writing and subbing skills. She then moved into Genesis Burson -Marsteller, following which she spent four years at Edelman in India, and in the Bay area.
Mumbai: Tata Starbucks has launched its new 360-degree campaign #ItStartsWithYourName, calling out all new customers to come and experience the warmth, personalization and strong sense of connection the brand offers. The campaign has been crafted specifically for customers across the cities of Bengaluru, Gurgaon, Indore, and Bhopal to begin with.
As a people-first brand, Starbucks sees all its customers as people. It is celebrated for warmly greeting its customers by their name and making each interaction personal.
Created by Edelman India, #ItStartsWithYourName campaign taps into the insight of, if you know a person’s name, more so his/her ‘special’ name or name they were given by friends, relatives, etc., you become closer to them. You break barriers and make them feel at home.
The campaign celebrates this simple gesture, which welcomes each person walking into any Starbucks store across the country and makes the brand more inclusive.
The film starts off with two working women making their way to a Starbucks store, one hesitant and homesick as she misses her mother in a new city. To cheer her up, her colleague shares her nickname with the Barista, which leads to him calling out her order by a name that brings a smile to her face. The film showcases the small, but significant personal touches that spark joy and a sense of belonging – experienced at every Tata Starbucks store.
Tata Starbuckalso announced an exciting array of launches as a part of its strategy to drive growth and acquire new customers. The pilot will see the introduction of the New ‘Picco’ size for beverages, delicious South Indian filter coffee, a range of exciting signature milkshakes, masala chai, cardamom chai and a completely revamped food menu featuring Bite-sized snacks, shareable food and a range of freshly assembled sandwiches. The brand will also be unveiling a range of exciting price points through this launch.
Each of these launches is supported by a short film that connects the new innovations to a sweet personal moment of connection and warmth. These short films will go live in a staggered manner over the next fortnight.
The film introducing the new size ‘Picco’ is a lovable take on how customers can enjoy their favourite coffee at an exciting price.
The ‘filter coffee’ film celebrates the special relationship between a grandmother and grandson as they both enjoy a wonderful cup of South Indian filter coffee, as good as Daadi’s, well almost.
The ‘masala chai’ film is a sweet tribute to families and shared memories over the perfect cup of tea, just the way mom makes it.
Introducing Starbucks Signature milkshakes through the romance shared by a senior couple and demonstrating the revamped food menu through camaraderie between two friends as they share their food and have a great time; all films celebrate the special relationships customers have and the sweet moments in their lives.
Talking about the campaign, Tata Starbucks CEO Sushant Dash said, “At Tata Starbucks, we believe that meaningful relationships are rooted in thoughtfulness. We see people, not customers. In our stores, it starts with asking customers their names and goes beyond a cup of coffee. We believe in connecting with local audiences by identifying and acting on their specific needs. Through this campaign, we aim to form a closer connect with our customers and make them feel more welcome in our stores. Over the last decade, we have been fortunate to connect with a diverse group of customers in India and look forward to the road ahead as we address a newer set of customers.”
Further talking about the campaign, Edelman Asia, Pacific and India head of brand Ashutosh Munshi said, “Brands today need to be for the people and guided by the people. In creating this campaign, we were inspired by TATA Starbucks’ guiding value of seeing a customer beyond their order by asking for names; thereby taking the first step to know each of us that much better. #ItStartsWithYourName celebrates TATA Starbucks’ service philosophy that fosters genuine connection, while also offering a product range that reflects customer preferences. We have articulated this in a brand film and various creative assets that evoke this sense of belonging that the Starbucks experience stands for.”
NEW DELHI: Communications firm Edelman has tapped Karima Zmerli as global head of performance and predictive intelligence for its data and intelligence unit (DxI).
In the new role, Zmerli will lead performance and predictive intelligence globally and oversee media buying and marketing strategies for clients. She will be based in New York and report to Edelman DxI global chief data & analytics officer Yannis Kotziagkiaouridis.
The hire is part of Edelman’s effort to grow its media, data and technology capabilities as clients adapt to digital transformation and major changes to the media ecosystem, such as the loss of Apple’s IDFA mobile identifier and third-party cookies phasing out.
Zmerli joins Edelman from the media agency world, as chief data sciences officer at GroupM’s Wavemaker since 2016, where she helped generate over $1 billion in new business. She joined Edelman to help clients adapt to new use cases for data and technology as privacy becomes top of mind.
“We have to open our horizons and think about the consumer relationship with the brand differently than in a transactional way,” Zmerli said. “Edelman is in a very unique position to understand consumer trust in corporations and brands, a fundamental element to brand strategy and communication.”
Zmerli is Edelman’s latest hire in a bid to bolster its research and data capabilities, with talent across data science, engineering, software development and performance marketing. Most recently, the firm hired David Bartram Shaw as SVP and global head of data science; Anjuli Bedi as global head of behavioural science and psychometrics; Tim Hwang as global head of product; Jacob Loban as EVP and US head of performance intelligence; and Matt Sato as EVP
MUMBAI: Today more than ever, consumers are putting their faith in brands to stand for something. Whether people are shopping for soap or shoes, they’re weighing a brand’s principles as much as its products. Opting out of taking a stand is no longer an option for brands.
The 2018 Edelman Earned Brand study reveals that nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of consumers around the world now buy on belief, a remarkable increase of 13 points since 2017. These belief-driven buyers will choose, switch, avoid or boycott a brand based on where it stands on the political or social issues they care about.
The belief-driven mindset has gone mainstream. Belief-driven buyers are now the majority in every market surveyed, across all age groups and all income levels. Almost as many consumers aged 35-to-54 buy on belief as 18-to-34-year-olds, and the most impressive gains come from the older cohort, with an 18-point increase among people 55 years old and up.
The survey of 8,000 people across eight markets found that consumers believe that brands are a more powerful force for societal change than government. More than half of people (53 per cent) believe that brands can do more to solve social ills than the government, and 54 per cent believe it is easier for people to get brands to address social problems than to get government to act.
“This is the birth of brand democracy; as consumers are electing brands as their change agents,” said Edelman president and CEO Richard Edelman. “Brands are now being pushed to go beyond their classic business interests to become advocates. It is a new relationship between company and consumer, where purchase is premised on the brand’s willingness to live its values, act with purpose, and if necessary, make the leap into activism.”
A brand’s stand drives both purchase intent and advocacy. Showcasing a brand’s principles or its products inspires purchase equally. Buyers are just as likely to express purchase intent after viewing a communication focused on a brand’s stand as they are after viewing a product-focused communication. And a communication focused on a brand’s stand has an even greater effect on a consumer’s intent to advocate for the brand than one focused on product features.
A brand’s stand matters at every consumer interaction. Reminding consumers of the brand’s stand when they are about to buy is crucial: 60 per cent say brands should make it easier to see its values and its position on important issues at the point of sale.
A brand can choose its stand across a spectrum of action from defining a clear purpose, to connecting to culture, to engaging in full-throttle activism. People’s belief in brands as a force for social good provides marketers with an opportunity — and an obligation — to help their customers live their best lives.
“It’s no longer a question of whether to, but how to take a stand,” said Edelman US chair Brand Amanda Glasgow. “A brand must understand its audience and think long-term so that the stand it chooses authentically connects its values to its customers.”
MUMBAI Edelman India announced the appointment of Vinod Moorthy as director of Rediffusion/Edelman, effective immediately. Moorthy takes over from Jimmy Mogal who moves into a senior advisory role at Edelman India. Based in Mumbai, Moorthy will take charge of the Tata business reporting to Edelman India, MD Rakesh Thukral.
“With Vinod’s appointment, we are further strengthening our leadership team at Rediffusion/Edelman,” said Thukral. “Vinod brings years of knowledge and experience in driving corporate reputation campaigns for major companies which will further elevate our offerings. Jimmy has played a key role over the last year in spearheading the team and will continue to play a strategic role at Edelman India.”
Rediffusion Y&R MD and chairman Diwan Arun Anand said, “We welcome Vinod’s addition to the team handling our Tata mandate. I am confident that with his multifaceted experience he will add substantial value to our offering to the client.”
Moorthy joins Rediffusion/Edelman from H+K Strategies where he was the North India senior vice president and APAC Corporate practice lead. Prior to this, he served at Ketchum Sampark, Good Relations India Limited (GRI) and a stint heading GCI, the PR Division of Grey Worldwide as its general manager.
MUMBAI: To lead the firm’s second largest market in the firm’s Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APACMEA) region, Edelman India has got on-board Rakesh Thukral as the managing director with immediate effect.
Overseeing 400 people across 11 cities in India, Thukral will work with the Edelman leadership team to build on the success and continued strong growth that the firm has experienced in recent years. He will report to South Asia, Middle East & Africa (SAMEA) CEO Robert Holdheim.
“Rakesh is well-positioned to drive Edelman India into its next phase of business growth,” said Holdheim. “He is a talented, seasoned leader and has a strong team to support him. It gives me tremendous pleasure to hand over the baton to Rakesh, at a time when we are at the cusp of exploring a dynamic new world of communications. I am confident that under Rakesh’s leadership, we will scale new heights and achieve new milestones for our teams, our clients and our business.”
An industry veteran with over 23 years of experience in communications and public affairs, Thukral joined Edelman India in 2010 to set up the firm’s Public Affairs and Advocacy Practice. In 2012, he took on the additional role of chief operating officer (COO). During his four-plus years at Edelman, he successfully built the public affairs practice to one of the largest in the country. He was a core member of the leadership team responsible for growing the business, developing new offerings and thereby expanding the firm’s presence to 11 cities.
“Being part of Edelman India’s leadership team has been a very enriching experience and I am humbled by the trust that the team has placed in me as I take over this new role,” said Thukral. “In the last few years, Edelman has established a remarkable footprint in India and created a new benchmark in the PR consulting business. I look forward to working with our leadership team to leverage the scale, expertise and the new thinking to drive success for our clients and our business.”
Prior to joining Edelman, he was the COO of Comma Consulting for over four years, a company that he helped set up. He also worked at IPAN, now known as IPAN Hill+Knowlton, for 14 years.
MUMBAI: Mumbai-based social media agency Social Wavelength has partnered with Canada based social media monitoring agency Radian6. The Indian agency will be the representative for the Canadian agency in India.
The partnership between Radian 6 (part of Salesforce.com) and Social Wavelength entails that all business of Radian 6 in India will largely be handled via Social Wavelength. Any leads generated by Radian 6 directly on their website, or through any other means, will come to Social Wavelength, to be managed further. Social Wavelength will also do its own independent marketing, and lead generation to sell maximum licenses of Radian 6.
This will also include the large existing client base of Social Wavelength to whom the services of Radian 6 will be offered. Radian6’s clients include Dell, General Electric, Kodak, PepsiCo, Microsoft, Edelman, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide and Weber Shandwick.
Social Wavelength joint CEO Sanjay Mehta said, “Over the last 3.5 years that we have been in the social media space, we have worked with number of social media monitoring tools, including Raidan 6. In terms of extent of coverage of content on social media, the user interface, the dashboards, the flexibility, the extensive reporting that it offers, and the many value-added features that it has and which it keeps introducing, we found no other tool to compare with Radian 6. Keeping this in mind, we started our discussions with Radian 6, and concluded this agreement with them recently.”
While Radian 6 is a social media monitoring tool, often, in order to put together a solution of social media monitoring, there is a need for services, beyond the tool. These services will then be offered by Social Wavelength, to whoever may be interested. Therefore clients now get a one-stop solution of the tool and the services.
Social Wavelength offers services like social media monitoring, online reputation management and social media analytics.
“On account of ongoing support, training and sharing of global best practices, Radian 6 adds tremendous value on an ongoing basis. Likewise, Social Wavelength, on account of their hands-on experience, working with large number of clients, and understanding the Indian landscape very well, is able to bring that value to the table, and the resultant combination is a perfect match for the end-client,” said Mehta.
Social Wavelength will be conducting events and workshops together for the benefit of users in India aiming to gain participation from marketing folks, customer service teams, market research agencies and corporate communication persons.
