ITV

Tag: HSBC

  • Marathon runner trades super-app for banking sprint

    Marathon runner trades super-app for banking sprint

    MUMBAI: Sheran Mendiratta Mehra has laced up her running shoes for a new race. The marketing veteran who helped build Tata Digital’s super-app to 100m-plus users has joined IndusInd Bank as chief marketing officer this September, leaving behind a six-year stint that transformed India’s digital commerce landscape.

    At Tata Digital, Mehra wore multiple hats with characteristic stamina. As chief business officer since July 2024 and chief brand officer cum business head for hotels since April 2022, she orchestrated the brand strategy for one of India’s most ambitious digital ventures. Before that, she spent nearly three years as chief brand officer, shaping product design and brand identity from the ground up.

    Her CV reveals her wide exposure to financial services and hospitality marketing. Six years at DBS Bank as executive director for group strategic marketing and communications, where she also championed social entrepreneurship through the bank’s corporate social responsibility arm. Stints at Dhanlaxmi Bank, Barclays and HSBC showcased her knack for turnarounds—she pushed top-of-mind recall to 52 per cent during Barclays’ India launch and co-led the country’s first mobile banking service, Hello Money.

    Earlier pit stops included heading resort marketing at Mahindra Holidays, where she boosted wallet share by 25-30 per cent, and agency-side roles at Ogilvy & Mather and Lintas, where she cut her teeth relaunching Huggies with sales surging over 15 per cent.

    The 25-year marketing strategist brings more than spreadsheets and campaigns to IndusInd. A distance runner for over a decade, Mehra champions the notion that peak performance in the boardroom and on the trail aren’t mutually exclusive. She’s vocal about mentoring female leaders in tech whilst maintaining her daily running practice—a fitting metaphor for someone who sees finish lines as starting points.

    IndusInd just hired someone who runs towards challenges, not away from them.

  • Wavemaker veteran Ravishankar Iyer jumps ship to Hogarth as strategy chief

    Wavemaker veteran Ravishankar Iyer jumps ship to Hogarth as strategy chief

    MUMBAI: Ravishankar Iyer, the former national head of communications planning at Wavemaker, has landed at Hogarth as advisor-head of strategy. The appointment marks a homecoming of sorts for the Mumbai-based strategist, who returns to the WPP fold after a six-year stint at the media agency.

    Iyer’s career spans over two decades in India’s advertising trenches. At Wavemaker, he built what the company called a “highly successful full funnel content practice” anchored on culture, data and commerce. Before that, he spent four years at Mindshare, where his team became one of the country’s most garlanded, handling marquee accounts including Star TV Network, Castrol, Facebook and HSBC.

    The strategist’s résumé reads like a who’s who of Indian advertising: stints at Ogilvy & Mather, Bates, Lowe Lintas and McCann Erickson. He even dabbled in the start-up world as marketing director at VPTA, a grassroots sports venture.

    Hogarth, WPP’s creative execution powerhouse, appears keen to beef up its strategic muscle as brands demand more integrated approaches. Iyer’s appointment suggests the agency is betting on old-school planning chops to navigate an increasingly complex media landscape.

    The move comes as advertising’s traditional boundaries continue to blur, with strategy, creative and media planning increasingly overlapping. For Iyer, it’s another chance to apply his “cultural provocation” philosophy—this time from Hogarth’s Mumbai office.

  • Rugby gets a ruck-solid start with GMR RPL’s star-studded sponsor pack

    Rugby gets a ruck-solid start with GMR RPL’s star-studded sponsor pack

    MUMBAI: Move over cricket, there’s a new league in town and it’s tackling eyeballs and brands with equal force. The inaugural season of the GMR Rugby Premier League (GMR RPL) kicked off in Mumbai at the Shahaji Raje Bhosale Sports Complex, with six franchise teams colliding in high-octane matches. But the real scrum might just be off the field, where a ruck of top-tier sponsors have piled in to back the tournament.

    With GMR leading from the front as title sponsor and HSBC powering the league as a principal partner, the GMR RPL has already racked up a formidable roster of 17 sponsors and partners. Big names like Capgemini, Bisleri, Hero Fincorp, JSW Cement, Amul, Dream11, and Nanavati Max are among the brands jumping into the fray.

    In fact, Capgemini is suiting up as the Transformation Partner, Bisleri is keeping the players hydrated, and Dream11 is fuelling fantasy picks as the Fantasy Sports Partner. Other players in the pack include Encalm, Megawide, Waisl, Pushpak, Wintex, and The Capital Group, not to mention Radio Mirchi bringing the buzz as the Radio Partner.

    Broadcast muscle is also strong, Star Sports Select 1 is the Official Broadcaster, Jiocinema (under JioHotstar) is streaming it live, and Rugby Pass TV is beaming the action to global fans.

    “This isn’t just a game-changer, it’s a groundbreaker,” said GMR Sports CEO Satyam Trivedi. “To onboard over 17 big-ticket brands for a brand-new sport in India is a strong signal that the market is ready to embrace new sporting formats.”

    Rugby India president Rahul Bose and longtime champion of the sport, was equally moved. “The GMR RPL is our dream come alive. To witness such overwhelming support from grassroots to boardrooms is exhilarating. We truly believe this is the beginning of a bold new chapter for Indian rugby.”

    With big tackles on the pitch and even bigger backing off it, the GMR Rugby Premier League looks all set to convert casual onlookers into die-hard fans one try at a time.

  • Glance Digital exec Manish Gupta joins L&T Finance as digital transformation czar

    Glance Digital exec Manish Gupta joins L&T Finance as digital transformation czar

    MUMBAI: L&T Finance has roped in Manish Kumar Gupta as chief executive – urban unsecured assets, payments & digital partnerships as it gears up for a new phase of digital transformation. A fintech veteran, Manish has over 23 years of experience across top financial and technology giants.

    Manish’s impressive CV reads like a masterclass in leadership – from launching India’s first mobile-only digital bank, digibank by DBS, to driving innovation at TransUnion CIBIL as chief product officer, where he developed the latest CIBIL score. He has led digital and business transformations at heavyweight names including ICICI Bank, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, DBS Bank, and TransUnion CIBIL.

    His latest stint was at InMobi Group’s Glance Digital, where he served as senior vice president and general manager, scaling the business globally with AI-powered content and commerce solutions on smart devices.

    Said Manish on Linkedin:  “Last week I completed a wonderful and enriching chapter of my life with InMobi and Glance ! The emotions of leaving Glance were overwhelming! I will miss the culture, my team, my friends that have supported me for the last five plus  years! As I embark on a new journey, I will cherish every moment I spent at Glance!  Once an InMobian always an InMobian!

    With a robust track record in both traditional and digital-first financial ecosystems, Manish is known for turning ambitious ideas into business wins. A certified financial planner and CertICM holder, he is an alumnus of IIT Delhi and holds an MBA from ISB, Hyderabad.

    Having worked in India, Hong Kong, and Singapore, Manish’s global experience makes him a strategic addition to L&T Finance’s leadership team.

  • Standard Chartered India ropes in P.D. Singh as new CEO from April 2025

    Standard Chartered India ropes in P.D. Singh as new CEO from April 2025

    MUMBAI: Standard Chartered has announced the appointment of P.D. Singh as its chief executive officer (CEO) for India, effective 1 April 2025. Singh will succeed Zarin Daruwala, who is set to retire on 31 March 2025, after an illustrious tenure at the helm.

    Bringing nearly 30 years of experience in banking and finance, Singh holds a double MBA alongside an engineering degree. His career spans leadership and coverage roles across top European and American banks, making him a formidable force in the industry.

    Before joining Standard Chartered, Singh served as CEO of JP Morgan Chase Bank NA India. Prior to that, he spent a decade at HSBC, where he held multiple leadership roles in corporate and commercial banking.

    With deep industry knowledge and a track record of steering financial institutions to success, Singh’s leadership is expected to drive innovation, strengthen client relationships, and accelerate Standard Chartered’s growth in India. His global exposure positions him well to navigate the evolving financial landscape while ensuring continuity and stability.

    As Daruwala prepares to retire, Standard Chartered acknowledges her significant contributions to the bank’s success in India. Under her leadership, the bank witnessed remarkable expansion and innovation, solidifying its position in a competitive market.

    Singh’s appointment signals a bold step towards the future, reinforcing Standard Chartered’s commitment to leadership in India’s dynamic banking sector.

  • HSBC, OMG India & Tribes Communication launch futuristic lounge at GFF 2024

    HSBC, OMG India & Tribes Communication launch futuristic lounge at GFF 2024

    Mumbai: Tribes Communication, in collaboration with Omnicom Media Group India (OMG India) announced its successful orchestration of HSBC’s participation at the Global Fintech Festival (GFF) 2024, held at the Jio World Centre in Mumbai from 28 to 30 August. The Global Fintech Festival 2024, now in its fifth edition, serves as a platform for policymakers and industry leaders to discuss the fintech ecosystem.

    As the event’s agenda partner, HSBC, a client of OMG India, presented global solutions focused on connectivity and innovation in the financial sector through AI. The banking institution’s lounge, developed with Tribes Communication and OMG India, offered insights into the future of finance, highlighting HSBC’s focus on digitalisation and AI integration.

    Key elements of the HSBC lounge included the HSBC Live with Card experience on the Apple Vision Pro, showcasing the bank’s innovative offerings. Visitors could also engage with an AR photo booth and explore the Oculus Metaverse of HSBC’s NRI services via Meta Quest Pro. The Zing money transfer application was demonstrated, and an LED screen displayed customer service offerings accessible by scanning a QR code. Additionally, a Visa card demo launch and a large LED tree contributed to the lounge setup.

    The event also introduced HSBC’s partnership with BookMyShow, enhancing the lounge experience and reinforcing HSBC’s role in digital finance solutions.

    Speaking of the event, the brand’s agency on record – Omnicom Media Group India chief content officer Shailja Saraswati said, “Our partnership with HSBC over the years has been a stellar journey of creating memorable experiences and bringing extraordinary events to life. We are thrilled to have further raised the bar – driving deeper resonance to HSBC’s commitment to innovation and connectivity. With an immersive, digital-first lens catering to the brand’s vision and the flavour of the event, we’ve harnessed the power of storytelling and impeccable execution to create moments that resonate and inspire.”

    The occasion not only highlighted HSBC and OMG India’s forward-thinking approach to orchestrating impactful marketing in financial services but also demonstrated Tribes Communication’s commitment to creating cutting-edge experiences that resonate with global audiences, and showcased an amalgamation of design and technology by bringing alive the 360-degree peripheral content at the lounge.

    “Partnering with HSBC has allowed us to push the boundaries of what’s possible in terms of experiential design. Our goal was to create a space where visitors can not only see but feel the future of banking, which will be focused on responsible AI. This partnership reflects our dedication to delivering pioneering, tech-driven experiences for our clients and also echoes our core values of crafting a future that is inclusive, equitable and sustainable,” said Tribes Communication MD & chairman Gour Gupta.

  • Nidhi Sinha joins Publicis Worldwide India as VP of planning and strategy

    Nidhi Sinha joins Publicis Worldwide India as VP of planning and strategy

    Mumbai: Publicis Worldwide India has appointed Nidhi Sinha as vice president of planning and  strategy. She will operate from the agency’s Mumbai office and report to Snehasis Bose, chief  strategy officer.

    With a robust background spanning over 13 years in consumer insights, trends and market  intelligence, Nidhi will be instrumental in supporting the strategic direction and growth of all  Publicis Worldwide India clients.

    Sinha joins the agency from McCann Global, where she crafted successful strategies for  brands such as Bajaj Electricals, Asian Paints, Yes Bank, Tata Capital and Complan. Her  advertising journey began at Contract Advertising, where she steered planning and strategy  for brands like Shoppers Stop, HSBC, L&T Realty, among others. Additionally, she possesses  expertise in data analytics and research through her roles at Fractal Analytics, Nielsen, and  Mintel.

    Commenting on Sinha’s appointment, Bose said, “Nidhi’s  multidisciplinary experience and deep sense of ownership is what sets her apart from the  traditional, dyed-in-advertising planners. At a time, when advertising itself is going through  churn/evolution, hers is the kind of experience we need to navigate and deliver impactfully  on the Publicis Worldwide promise of Creativity To Drive Brand Value.”

    Sinha added, “I am thrilled to join Publicis Worldwide India,  an agency driven by the philosophy of ‘Power of One’ and a culture that allows you to grow. Using my expertise in data and tech, I am looking forward to leading strategy conversations  for our clients. I believe that with a strong culture, great leadership and client centricity we  will be able to take the agency to new heights.”

    Sinha has played a pivotal role in successful campaigns for Shoppers Stop, Asian Paints, Kisna,  Yes Bank, among others. 

  • HC dismisses Bytedance’s plea, directs it to deposit $11 million in dues

    HC dismisses Bytedance’s plea, directs it to deposit $11 million in dues

    NEW DELHI: In a major setback for TikTok developer ByteDance's India operations, the Bombay high court has dismissed its plea to unblock its bank accounts frozen by Indian authorities in an alleged case of tax evasion.

    The bench of justices SP Deshmukh and Abhay Ahuja, however, granted Bytedance the leeway to operate its bank accounts in HSBC and Citibank after depositing the dues allegedly owed by the company to the Goods and Services Tax (GST) authorities.

    The court has directed Bytedance to deposit around $11 million that tax authorities believe the tech company owes. The company would need to keep that amount blocked in a state-run bank and cannot use it for any other purpose.

    ByteDance has submitted that it does not owe the tax demanded by the Indian government and does not agree with the tax authority's decision to freeze its accounts. It further appealed that it needed access to the bank account in order to disburse salaries to its employees in India.

    Counsel for the Union government opposed the plea, stating that no interference was warranted from the court at this stage. Following the ban on its top moneymaker, TikTok, in India, tax authorities were apprehensive that due to failing business, Bytedance will "run away". Hence, the freezing of the firm's bank accounts was undertaken to safeguard the interests of the tax authorities.

    In mid-March, GST authorities had ordered HSBC Bank and Citibank in Mumbai to freeze accounts of ByteDance India as it probed some of the firm's financial dealings. The Chinese software developer challenged the move in court, saying the freeze amounts to harassment and was done illegally.

  • India’s freeze on bank accounts is harassment, ByteDance tells court

    India’s freeze on bank accounts is harassment, ByteDance tells court

    New Delhi: Video sharing app TikTok's parent company,ByteDance has told the Bombay high court that the government's decision to freeze its bank accounts in a probe of possible tax evasion amounts to harassment and was done illegally, Reuters reported on Sunday.

    The Chinese technology company had reduced its Indian workforce in January amid uncertainty over its future business in the country and its short-lived foray into one of the biggest markets. The decision came months after the government announced a ban on its popular video app TikTok which had amassed hundreds of millions of users in India. The ban was announced following a border clash between India and China.

    Reuters had reported that an Indian tax intelligence unit had ordered HSBC and Citibank in Mumbai to freeze bank accounts of ByteDance India in March, as part of its probe of the company’s financial dealings. The Chinese firm challenged the freeze in Bombay high court. The court declined to grant ByteDance immediate relief last Wednesday and listed the case for next hearing on 6 April.

    ByteDance India also told the court it has a 1,335-strong workforce, including outsourced personnel, and the account freeze has impacted the release of their March salaries. In the 209-page court filing lodged on 25 March accessed by Reuters, the Chinese company told the court that the "authorities acted against the company without any material evidence and gave no prior notice, as required by Indian law, before such drastic action". It further added, that “blocking accounts during the process of investigation amounts (to) applying undue coercion. It is intended, improperly, to harass the petitioner.”

    The Beijing-headquartered company is also facing global scrutiny over TikTok’s data collection practices.

  • BP, Milka and HSBC top the tables in Kantar’s Creative Effectiveness awards

    BP, Milka and HSBC top the tables in Kantar’s Creative Effectiveness awards

    London: BP's Blind Date(Spain),Milka’s Christmas adGive to those who give the most(Germany) and HSBC’s CSR Birmingham(UK) are the most effective adsfrom around the world in2019, according to Kantar’s inaugural Creative Effectiveness awards.These new awards celebrate theworld’s best performing ads across the three key media channelsbased on actual consumer feedback.

    Spanning three categories (digital,print/out of home and TV) andfrom 78different markets, the winners represent the most creative and effective work from over 10,000 ads tested with consumers in 2019 usingKantar’s Link creative testing, which measures any advert’s potential to deliver against short and long-term brand goals. Thesefirst award winners perform in the top 4% for short-term sales likelihood, and the top 1% for long-term brand building when measured against the Link database of over 200,000 ads analysed over the past 30 years. The winning ads are all at least twice as likely to drive sales than an ad that performs at the median evaluation score and ten times more likely than a weak ad.

    The winners show that distinctive creativeis central to advertising success, falling in the top 15% of ads for distinctiveness in Kantar’s database. In a world flooded with content, brands need to ensure their advertising captures people’s attention.

    Digitaleffectiveness: Engage don’t enrage

    Analysis ofthe digital category revealed the most effective ads reward the viewer with entertaining content that breaks through the ‘ad filter’ in consumers’ mindsand compels them to view it. Milka’s Christmas adGive to those who give the most tops the digital ad awards, demonstrating the power of storytelling for driving engagement by evoking strong emotions. The beautifully touching film, centred around a strong, seasonally relevant message of thoughtful gifting, was created in partnership with the European Union of the Deaf and promotes inclusion in a very moving way.

    Digital Ranking

    Brand

    Ad Name

    Agency

    Country

    1

    Milka

    Milka Christmas: give to those who give the most

    Wieden + Kennedy, Amsterdam

    Germany

    2

    Google App

    Search the lyrics with Google

    Zula Alpha Kilo

    Indonesia

    3

    Dulux

    Let’s colour experiment: escalator

    Road 381

    UK

    Print & Out of Homeads: Spark a response in seconds

    The winners here illustrate the power of creative to deliver an instant impression about the brand. Immediate impact is essential as consumers give just seconds of their time to print and out of home (OOH) ads, in which the content needs to communicate its message or hook the viewer in for longer.

    HSBC evokes an immediate emotional reaction through its winning OOH execution. The shocking statistic that 1 in 45 people living in Birmingham have no address, therefore can’t have a bank account, a job, or a home, helps highlight the work the bank is doing to support the local community.The impact of the message is heightened by delivering it in situ enabled by the medium of OOH.

    Print and OOHRanking

    Brand

    Ad Name

    Agency

    Country

    1

    HSBC

    HSBC CSR Birmingham

    Wunderman Thompson

    UK

    2

    Estrella Damm

    Silja

    &Rosàs

    UK

    3

    Camden Hells

    Juicer static

    Forever Beta

    UK

    Top-performing TV ads tell great stories

    TheTV winners demonstrate the continued sales-generating and brand-building ability of broadcast content, particularly whenstrong distinctive assets are weaved into great emotional story telling. Crowned as  Kantar’s most powerful TV ad of 2019 globally, BP’s Blind Date is a great example of how a distinctive approach to a category can create differentiation. The ad shows how a functional message can be intrinsically sewn into an amusing, brand-centric story that is quite different to what you would expect to see from the category.

    TV Ranking

    Brand

    Ad Name

    Agency

    Country

    1

    BP

    Blind Date

    Ogilvy&Mather

    Spain

    2

    Tim Hortons

    Ask a Timbits Kid

    Zula Alpha Kilo

    Canada

    3

    Unox

    Tijdenveranderen

    TBWA

    Netherlands

    The first ever Kantar Creative and Effective awards showcase some of the most impactfuladvertising workfrom around the world,” said Daren Poole, Global Head of Creative at Kantar. “The commonality across allthe winning ads is distinctiveness, and how strongly the brand is integrated into the narrative. Our winners – real consumers’ favourites – take on many forms and employ a range of creative tactics to convey their message; proving there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach that can be employed to achieve great content. Interestingly, many of the winning ads in Kantar’s Creative Effectiveness awards are heart-warming stories or contain humour, in contrast to the broader industry trend, which is to incorporate humour less.” Just over one third (34%) of 2019’s adverts were intentionally light-hearted or funny, compared to more than half (54%) of ads evaluated by Kantar in 2000.

    Poole added. “For content to drive brand impact and deliver ROI, it must be created with the consumer in mind, by understanding what will translate best to the audience, and how. Weaving intelligent and iterative research into the creative development process ensures the strongest ideas, and most effective executions end up seeing the light of day. We know that in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic consumers want advertisers to have authentic empathy and to be useful. Achieving this creatively and sensitively is incredibly difficult, making pre-testing as important as ever”

    For more learnings about Link ad testing, advertising trends, and to review the full winners list, please visit :https://www.kantar.com/creative-effective.