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Tag: GSK

  • Digital marketing veteran leaves Reckitt after nine-year stint

    Digital marketing veteran leaves Reckitt after nine-year stint

    MUMBAI: Shashishekhar Mukherjee, one of India’s most decorated digital marketing executives, has ended his nine-year tenure as head of digital marketing at Reckitt, the British consumer health and hygiene giant behind brands including Dettol, Durex and Veet.

    The departure of the 18-year industry veteran, announced on LinkedIn this week, marks another high-profile exit from the fast-moving consumer goods sector as companies grapple with rapid digital transformation and fierce competition for top talent.

    Mukherjee, who joined Reckitt in April 2016, spearheaded the company’s data-driven marketing strategy across its marquee portfolio, which also includes Moov pain relief gel. His campaigns earned recognition at prestigious industry awards including the APAC Effies, Asian Warc and Emvies.

    The executive’s credentials include being named among Brand Equity’s top 30 digital marketers. He currently serves as a board advisor to the India Influencer Governing Council and is a member of the Mobile Marketing Association’s APAC retail media network.

    “After nine incredible years, I recently bid farewell to my team, coworkers, and friends at Reckitt,” Mukherjee wrote in his LinkedIn post, describing the role as having “profoundly shaped me both personally and professionally.”

    His exit comes as multinational consumer goods companies face intensifying pressure to digitise their operations and connect with younger consumers across India’s diverse markets. The sector has witnessed a wave of senior departures as executives seek new opportunities in the rapidly evolving landscape.

    Mukherjee’s departure follows a distinguished career spanning blue-chip agencies and brands. Before Reckitt, he served stints at GSK (now Haleon), where he led digital initiatives for wellness brands including Sensodyne toothpaste and Eno antacid, and at Mindshare, where he headed digital strategy for PepsiCo’s portfolio.
    His early career included roles at GroupM, handling accounts for Twinings tea, Kurkure snacks and Domino’s Pizza, and at Publicis Groupe, managing digital offerings for Hewlett-Packard and telecom operator MTS.

  • Foundry promotes sales veteran Chhavi Bhalla to senior director

    Foundry promotes sales veteran Chhavi Bhalla to senior director

    MUMBAI: Chhavi Bhalla has been elevated to senior director of growth sales at Foundry, capping a meteoric rise through the company’s ranks over three-and-a-half years.

    Bhalla, who joined the firm as new business manager for North America in March 2022, was promoted to director of growth sales in March 2024 before landing her latest role this month. Her ascent reflects Foundry’s aggressive expansion in the competitive digital media space.

    The sales veteran brings formidable credentials from America’s media landscape. At Gannett’s USA Today Network, she delivered $350,000 in fresh revenue through 15 new clients whilst generating creative solutions that contributed 50 per cent to annual turnover. Her portfolio spanned the full digital spectrum—from over-the-top streaming and programmatic advertising to search engine marketing and branded content.

    Earlier stints at regional broadcaster Gray Communications and KOLO 8 saw Bhalla add 25 clients worth $200,000 in revenue whilst coaching marketing teams across the American west coast.

    Her Indian media pedigree runs deep. A five-month tenure as head of content sales for the public sector at Discovery yielded a $9m partnership with India’s tourism ministry for a bespoke travel series. At Zee Entertainment, she quadrupled revenue relative to production costs through content innovations across the network’s channels.

    Her most impressive performance came at Viacom18, where she delivered an 85 per cent revenue surge from north and east India regions, orchestrating branded content deals with corporate giants including GSK, Coca-Cola and Microsoft.

    Bhalla’s promotion underscores Foundry’s bet on seasoned operators who can navigate the increasingly complex digital advertising ecosystem whilst delivering measurable growth in challenging market conditions.

  • Havas Life Mumbai brings home old hand as managing director

    Havas Life Mumbai brings home old hand as managing director

    MUMBAI: Havas Life Mumbai, the healthcare communications arm of Havas India, has tapped industry veteran Dorelle Kulkarni as its new managing director in a move that feels like a homecoming for both parties. Kulkarni, who previously spent a decade at what was then Sorento Healthcare (now Havas Life Mumbai), steps into the role vacated by Sangeeta Barde.

    “Joining Havas Life Mumbai feels like a homecoming,” said Kulkarni, who brings 30 years of health and wellness marketing expertise to the table. “I am excited to collaborate with a team that shares my passion for innovation and excellence in healthcare communications.”

    The appointment comes at a critical juncture for healthcare communications in India, which stands “at the forefront” of the global healthcare revolution, according to global chief client officer and CEO Havas Health Latam & APAC Charles Houdoux. Kulkarni will report directly to Houdoux while working closely with Havas India, SEA, and North Asia  group CEO Rana Barua.

    Kulkarni’s has had  stints at Publicis Health and Lowe Lintas, where she managed blue-chip clients such as Abbott, GSK, Pfizer and Novartis. Her appointment is expected to bolster Havas Life Mumbai’s position as a key player in Havas’s global health and wellness network.

    “Her deep industry expertise, strategic vision, and passion for innovation will be instrumental in shaping the next phase of growth,” said Barua, who also thanked outgoing chief Sangeeta Barde for her leadership.

    Havas India has been on a tear recently, acquiring new clients across various sectors and winning prestigious awards, including being Great Place To Work Certified™ for three consecutive years. The network comprises 25 agencies across three verticals: Havas Health Network, Havas Creative Network and Havas Media Network, with offices in Mumbai, Gurugram, Bengaluru and other major Indian cities.

  • Carson Dalton bids adieu to Coca-Cola, pops the cap on GSK role

    Carson Dalton bids adieu to Coca-Cola, pops the cap on GSK role

    MUMBAI: Carson Dalton is on the move again. After nearly five years of stirring up success at Coca-Cola, he’s now uncapping a fresh opportunity at GSK as executive vice president – communications & government affairs. From fizzy drinks to pharmaceuticals, Dalton’s career shift is as refreshing as an ice-cold cola on a scorching summer day. But what made him trade in the red can for the white lab coat? Let’s dive in.

    At the end of February, Dalton waved goodbye to The Coca-Cola Company, leaving behind an iconic American brand with a truly global footprint. “Coca-Cola is an iconic American company with a set of truly global brands, it is also a profoundly local business as all beverages are made in a country. This means the company has a significant socio-economic multiplier effect in the local communities where it is served,” he reflected.

    Dalton, who was at the heart of Coca-Cola’s communications across India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and the Maldives, had his hands full juggling multiple stakeholders. “The efforts of my multi-faceted and agile team involve enabling and protecting the interconnected value chain of our brands and bottling partners. We engage with bottling teams, collaborate with local and global functions, consumers, partners, customers, and various external stakeholders.”

    For Dalton, the magic of Coca-Cola wasn’t just in its fizzy formulas but in the bigger picture—how consumer goods mirror economic trajectories. “Since joining the company, I’ve been most excited to focus my efforts at the intersection of business, economics and governance as the growth of consumer goods mirrors the overall economic trajectory of a country,” he said.

    He leaves behind a legacy of strategic storytelling, navigating regulatory landscapes, and, of course, ensuring that every sip of Coke came with a side of strong brand positioning. But he’s not one to stay still for long. He’s already got his next big gig lined up.

    “I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as executive vice president – communications & government affairs at GSK!” he announced, barely letting the Coca-Cola bubbles settle.

    Corporate careers, he muses, are a game of ladders—each step bringing new challenges, new drinks (Thums Up, in his case), and a higher vantage point to survey the landscape. “Growth is the blood of a career. It is akin to a step ladder – you climb a step every few years, do a high five, have a celebratory drink (of Thums Up), elevate your network, look at the world around you from the newfound height and then look up the steps above yet to be climbed.”

    And climb he has. The move to GSK puts Dalton at the helm of communications and government affairs for a global pharmaceutical giant. It’s a shift from sugary indulgence to healthcare essentials, but if anyone can navigate the high-pressure world of corporate storytelling, it’s him.

  • HT Media announces leadership change: Sameer Singh to succeed Praveen Someshwar as group CEO

    HT Media announces leadership change: Sameer Singh to succeed Praveen Someshwar as group CEO

    MUMBAI: – HT Media’s board of directors, in a meeting held on 11 January, accepted the resignation of managing director &  CEO Praveen Someshwar, effective 28 February 2025. The board has approved the appointment of Sameer Singh as group chief executive officer, effective 1 March  2025, based on the recommendation of the nomination and remuneration committee.

    An alumnus of IIM Calcutta, Sameer Singh brings over 30 years of experience in digital innovation, brand marketing, and leadership across global markets. He currently heads north America global business solutions at TikTok/ByteDance, leading advertising and sales teams for the region. Previously, he held a similar leadership role for the Asia-Pacific region.

    Sameer has an impressive track record in media and marketing, having served as CEO of GroupM India and south Asia, where he championed digital transformation and content-driven strategies for clients. His career also includes key roles at Google, GSK, Procter & Gamble, and IPG, where he was instrumental in advancing digital strategies and optimising media investments.

    Having worked in cities such as New York, New Delhi, Palo Alto, Boston, London, Dubai, and Guangzhou, Sameer’s global perspective and expertise make him a strategic choice to lead HT Media into its next phase of growth.

    The leadership transition marks a significant step for HT Media as it continues to evolve in a rapidly changing media landscape.

  • GSK launches a new campaign on Shingles awareness

    GSK launches a new campaign on Shingles awareness

    Mumbai: GSK has launched a new campaign on Shingles awareness, featuring veteran actors Amitabh Bachchan and Manoj Pahwa, explaining the scientific link between chickenpox and Shingles. The campaign films use everyday conversations between two friends to talk about shingles and the increased susceptibility of shingles in people with diabetes.

    Commenting on the campaign, Manoj Pahwa said, “I am in an age group that is susceptible to shingles, and through GSK’s shingles awareness campaigns I have understood more about this painful disease and its associated risk factors. I have faced multiple health problems and know how difficult it is to lead an active and fulfilling life when affected by infectious diseases. I am proud to be a part of this initiative to educate people about the cause of shingles and the importance of prevention. I encourage adults over 50 years, to talk to their doctors about shingles and its prevention.”

    Shingles is caused by the re-activation of the virus that lies dormant in the nerves if a person has had chickenpox. People with a history of chickenpox who also have diabetes face a 40 per cent higher risk of developing shingles. High blood sugar levels can weaken the immune system, and when that happens it can increase the risk of reactivation of the chickenpox virus and emergence of shingles.

    GSK patient empowerment head Vigyeta Agrawal said, “The 2023 API-Ipsos survey showed that even those who had shingles did not know the cause of this painful disease. It is essential that all people above the age of 50 years know about shingles and its prevention. We wanted to explain the science behind the cause of shingles and the link between chickenpox and shingles in a simple manner. Amitabh Bachchan has an unparalleled ability to connect with people across all demographics. We are confident that having him as the face of the campaign will help us reach and encourage more people, especially ageing adults, to talk to their doctor about shingles and its prevention.”

    TheSmallBigIdea Network’s Blitzkraig co-founder and CEO Harikrishnan Pillai said, “The campaign comprises of two campaign films. One film shows two ageing friends reminiscing about school days and establishes the link between chickenpox and shingles, while the other depicts a caring bond between two friends and focuses on increased vulnerability of people with diabetes to shingles. The ‘Yeh Science Hai’ campaign urges adults above the age of 50 to talk to their doctor about shingles and its prevention. The messages that come through are clear and memorable.”

    Director R. Balki commenting on the creative insight for the film said “Shingles is a disease that is misunderstood by many people. The challenge was to talk about the link between shingles and chickenpox in an easy-to-understand and engaging manner. I was instantly aligned with how TheSmallBigIdea crafted a simple and strong message. In this case, clarity, not creativity, was the need of the hour.”

    The campaign films will be released across multiple platforms, including YouTube (mobile and connected TV), Google Display, Meta, select OTT platforms, Paytm, Google Pay, and various TV channels spanning multiple genres such as general entertainment channels (GEC), movies, and news in both Hindi and regional languages. Additionally, a partnership has been established with the popular television quiz show Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) for this campaign.

  • MIS 2024: Catering to the digital India narrative – brands leveraging automation

    MIS 2024: Catering to the digital India narrative – brands leveraging automation

    Mumbai: The Media Investment Summit 2024 which is being held on 4 April at Novotel, Mumbai is a dynamic platform that aims to bring together minds from the brand, media, advertising, digital & TV fraternity to explore the ever-evolving landscape of content, Adtech, Martech, metaverse and Web 3.0, the evolution of traditional media planning and buying, data and privacy infringement and ROI on advertising.

    The day-long affair is to make sure to tantalise the thoughts of those looking for answers to myriad topics under the branding, advertising, TV, digital media planning, and buying roof.

    The session will cover the multifaceted role of brands leveraging automation in the digital India narrative, providing insights into the opportunities, challenges, and impact on various sectors of the economy.

    The session of the event is chaired by Publicis Groupe India CEO digital technology business Amaresh Godbole, consisting of panelists including – Kotak Life EVP & head of digital business unit Prasad Pimple, GSK associate director – customer experience Delnaaz Irani, Lenovo head, corporate citizenship, Asia Pacific Pratima Harite, Fractal ink Design Studio Pvt Ltd co-founder, COO and CBO Geeta Suthar and mFilterIt head of product Arvind Mathur.

    Talking about financial services being the most automated industry, Godbole asked Pimple about his insights, “I agree that the way the overall technology stack has been created, it has helped most of the brand and industries to build on automation into the purchase journeys as well as the overall customer experience management but we’re not as fortunate as the leaning business where it is simplified in terms of just financial underwriting based on credit score.”

    He also spoke about financial and medical underwriting still remaining unautomated, and that a lot of work has also happened in terms of the automation perspective on the customer experience part of it. He also said, “In terms of automation, significant progress has been made in enhancing customer experience throughout the marketing funnel, from building awareness to tracking it, transitioning to consideration, purchase intent, actual purchase, and finally sharing purchase information with relevant media platforms.” He also spoke a bit about CKYC, EKYC, and the UPI moment in India during the pandemic, among other topics.

    Answering Godbole’s question on the challenges in automation, in the pharma industry, Irani said, “The challenge is integrating doctors into the marketing funnel with a clear strategy for exclusive communication and validation.”

    Moving on, Harite said, “When we talking about the automation i think we should look at the work for human kind project that we looked at where we were thinking of how do you revitalise millets using technology.”

    Sharing her thoughts on automation, Suthar said, “Process optimisation has largely been digitisation. We identify things that are manually done or they’re not efficient and then we figure out ways in which to digitise them, put them on the cloud or some service somewhere and then join the dots to make everything seamless.”

    Mathur then spoke about deploying technology, including AI and generative models, to monitor and distinguish between positive and negative elements within the system. He also spoke about the guardrails that need to be made around systems.

  • Kinnect appoints Varun J. Bansal as AVP of media

    Kinnect appoints Varun J. Bansal as AVP of media

    Mumbai: On Thursday, Kinnect India announced the onboarding of Varun J Bansal as associate vice president of media, to handle its Delhi operations. He will directly report to Kinnect VP of media Mihir Palan.

    With over 14 years of experience in integrated media planning and strategizing, Varun has worked with brands like Nestle, GSK, Pernod Ricard India, Snapdeal, Gaana.com, ITC hotels, and Uber. His last stint was with Wavemaker as business director.

    Talking about Varun’s appointment, Kinnect COO Chandni Shah said, “Post-covid19, we see more brands transitioning to digital transformation. We, as media partners, are constantly striving towards bringing in meaningful business outcomes with measurable targets, and that’s where Varun steps in. His experience and portfolio perfectly fit our integrated business and complement our data-driven philosophy. I am happy to onboard him, especially to lead our Delhi media operations and wish him all the success.”

    About his new role, Varun said, “Kinnect’s reputation precedes itself. The organisation is at the forefront of all media skills in a highly competitive sector. All of this is supported by an inspiring leadership team, of which I’m proud to be a member. By developing cutting-edge solutions for client and agency business objectives, I am excited to use this chance to elevate further and enrich the current media function.”

  • Sensodyne launches first TV ad for its toothbrush portfolio

    Sensodyne launches first TV ad for its toothbrush portfolio

    NEW DELHI: Sensodyne, an oral health brand from the house of GSK Consumer Healthcare has launched its first-ever TV campaign to push its toothbrush portfolio. The effective & gentle care campaign attempts to break the common perception that hard brushing is imperative for effective cleaning and educates people on the importance of choosing the right toothbrush like Sensodyne.

    The campaign has been brought alive with a simple storyline in eight languages. The film begins with a woman vigorously brushing her teeth and showing some concern for her oral health. The TVC goes on to introduce Sensodyne brush, which is specially crafted with soft round tip bristles – which not only cleans effectively but is also gentle on teeth and gums.

    GSK Consumer Healthcare area marketing lead – oral care Anurita Chopra elaborated, “People want to choose the best for their oral health. However, there are still many misconceptions regarding the choice of toothbrush & brushing technique. Being a trusted oral health care brand, we want to educate consumers on the importance of choosing the right toothbrush. This campaign attempts to dispel the common perception that hard brushing is needed for effective cleaning and positions Sensodyne toothbrush as a specialist brush for best care of teeth and gums”.

    GSK Consumer Healthcare introduced low-cost Sensodyne daily care toothbrushes with premium credentials in 2018 in India. Overall India's toothbrush market is extremely big with a lot of organised and unorganised players operating at multiple price-points.