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Tag: OMD

  • Shamik Guha takes charge at EssenceMediacom: From baby oils to big brands

    Shamik Guha takes charge at EssenceMediacom: From baby oils to big brands

    MUMBAI: Shamik Guha has swapped healthcare for high-stakes hygiene as he steps into the role of general manager – client services at EssenceMediacom, where he’ll now steer the media strategy for FMCG titan P&G.
    From baby oils to baby steps in data science, Guha’s journey reads like a masterclass in media evolution. With over 18 years of industry hustle—spanning Emami, Lintas, OMD, Dabur, Abbott, and now EssenceMediacom—he’s worn every media hat from planner to P&L boss.

    At Abbott, he helped nutritional juggernauts like Pediasure and Ensure bulk up in market share, while tightening cost controls and orchestrating full-funnel media. Before that, his time at Dabur saw him blend Ayurveda with mass-market savvy, launching new SKUs and managing crores in baby and women’s health categories.

    From pushing IPL impact buys at Freecharge to stoking strategy at Dabur and crunching data at Seagull, Guha’s career has been one long pitch-perfect campaign. Now, with P&G’s mighty portfolio on his media menu, expect the playbook to only get sharper
    .
    New gig, same hustle. Shamik Guha’s back on the agency side—and he’s not playing small.

  • Zee concludes Agency Premier League T20 in Mumbai

    Zee concludes Agency Premier League T20 in Mumbai

    MUMBAI: In a cynical media agency world with shrinking budgets,  how do you thank media planners and buyers for partnering your event or looking at your offering favorably? 

    You could try the route that Zee Entertainment Enterprises  Ltd’s chief growth officer – digital & broadcast revenue Ashish Sehgal has done. He put together a three city Agency Premier League T20 which concluded on 20 December in Mumbai. 

    It worked out well, says a Zee press release, as it was “highly engaging and competitive trade marketing initiative.”

    The Mumbai leg was won by Starcom with strong  competition from leading agencies, including Wavemaker, Madison World, DBB Mudra Max, Essence Mediacom, and Mindshare Fulcrum. Zee brought in actor Utkarsh Sharma and actress Simrat Kaur, who were part of last year’s blockbuster hit, Gadar 2. The popular and versatile artists added to the excitement and thrill of the event.

    OMD clinched victory in the Delhi leg, which featured spirited performance from Havas, IPG, Group M, Publicis, and Dentsu.

    The Bengaluru leg saw Group M Mavericks claiming victory after competing against Group M Blasters, Dentsu, Havas Media, Initiative, and Madison.
     

    The Delhi LEg of Agency Premier League“We are thirilled to ponse to the Agency Premier League T20 across all three legs in Bengaluru, Delhi, and MumbaI,” says Sehgal. “This initiative is a testament of our commitment to strengthen partnerships with the media fraternity through the unifying power of cricket. It has been an incredible journey, and we look forward to continuing this momentum as we bring the excitement of DP World ILT20 closer to our partners.”

    Clearly, Sehgal  and Zee will have won some brownie points with media agency executives. Now it’s up to the sales team to cash in.

  • Zee announces Agency Premier League T20 for media agencies to build connect with DP World ILT20

    Zee announces Agency Premier League T20 for media agencies to build connect with DP World ILT20

    MUMBAI: In a vibrant fusion of cricket and creativity, the inaugural Agency Premier League T20 is set to launch in Bengaluru, blending the excitement of the game with the star power of the media industry. The tournament will kick off on 16 December, featuring renowned Kannada actor Ramesh Aravind at the opening ceremony, promising a thrilling experience that unites media professionals in a celebration of sport and collaboration.

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (Zeel) the official broadcaster of the DP World International League T20, is engaging prominent media agencies through this unique initiative, which will also take place in Delhi on 18 December and culminate in Mumbai on 20 December. With Ramesh Aravind, known for his iconic Kannada talk show Weekend with Ramesh on Zee5, headlining the Bengaluru leg, this innovative trade marketing initiative aims to promote the third edition of ILT20 among media professionals on an engaging platform.

    The Bengaluru leg will see spirited participation from prominent agencies, including Group M fielding two teams and Dentsu, Havas Media, Initiative and Madison each competing with one team. Following this, the Delhi edition will feature teams from OMD, Havas, IPG, Group M, Publicis and Dentsu. The Mumbai event will host an equally competitive lineup with Wavemaker, Starcom, Madison World, DBB Mudra Max, Essence Mediacom and Mindshare Fulcrum.

    Zeel’s chief growth officer of digital & broadcast revenue Ashish Sehgal said, “The Agency Premier League T20 reflects Zee’s commitment to fostering meaningful engagement and pursuits with our trade partners, including the media. Cricket unites India, and this league brings the excitement of ILT20 closer to the media fraternity while celebrating the unifying spirit of the game. Through this tournament, our aim is to create an innovative and immersive experience that resonates with cricket fans across the globe.”

    The month-long third edition of DP World ILT20 will begin on 11 January 2025, with the finals slated to take place on Sunday, 9 February 2025. Cricket fans can watch this action-packed tournament on Zee’s most widely distributed and viewed 15 linear TV channels: &Pictures SD, &Pictures HD, Zee Cinema HD, Zee Anmol Cinema 2, Zee Action, Zee Biskope, Zee Zest SD, Zee Cinemalu HD, Zee Telugu HD, Zee Thirai, Zee Tamil HD, Zee Kannada HD, Zee Zest HD, &Flix SD and &Flix HD. It’s also free to view on one of India’s leading OTT platforms – Zee5. The syndicate broadcast partners around the world will be announced in the coming days.

    As per the press release mentioned earlier this year, Zeel reported that the league’s second season reached 221 million viewers and to capture a viewership of 230 million for the upcoming season, Zee will expand its reach by including south Indian channels, offering a month-long cricket carnival experience.

    The channel’s extensive distribution strategy ensured widespread accessibility in India and across the globe. With a notable 46 per cent share of female viewership and 55 per cent share of youth viewership, the league’s broad appeal in India underscores its status.

  • Industry unites to draw massive delegation for Goafest 2024

    Industry unites to draw massive delegation for Goafest 2024

    Mumbai: Goafest, South Asia’s premier festival celebrating creativity excellence, continues to drive industry growth and collaboration. This year, the festival has achieved remarkable success with a surge in delegate entries and unprecedented support from industry leaders. Scheduled to take place from 29 to 31 May at the Westin Mumbai, Powai Lake, this year’s event has drawn increased participation from agencies and clients of all scales, underscoring its expanding influence and reach.

    The 17th edition of Goafest boasts of an impressive line-up with delegation from media agencies including Havas Media, Publicis Media, Group M, Madison Communications, Initiative Media, OMD, and Zenith Optimedia, among others. Creative powerhouses TLG India, L&K Saatchi & Saatchi, Leo Burnett, FCB Group, Havas Worldwide are also on board, along with brands like Nestle, Tips Industries, Kotak General Insurance, and Airtel. Media giants Bennett Coleman, ABP Group, Zee Media, Navabharat Media Network, et al have also shown unwavering registration support. The festival’s appeal spans multinational agencies to smaller firms, showcasing its inclusive ethos.

    Goafest remains a pivotal industry event, driving innovation, creativity, and collaboration year after year. It’s a hub for professionals to share ideas, learn from experts, and showcase groundbreaking work. The festival’s impact resonates throughout the industry, inspiring creativity and enhancing professional networks.

    Goafest 2024 chairman of the delegates committee – Sam Balsara expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming event, stating, “Goafest has always been a beacon of creativity and innovation in the advertising industry. This year’s entries have set a new benchmark for excellence. The support from the industry has been overwhelming, and the record number of registrations is a clear indicator of the vibrant and dynamic nature of advertising media and marketing industry.”

  • Cricket Country Box Cricket League roars into action on 17 and 18 February 2024

    Cricket Country Box Cricket League roars into action on 17 and 18 February 2024

    Mumbai: IndiaDotcom Digital Private Ltd is thrilled to announce the launch of the inaugural Cricket Country Box Cricket League, slated to take place on 17th and 18th February 2024, at the prestigious Fuzolo in Gurugram. This on-ground event promises to redefine the cricketing landscape with its unique blend of sporting prowess and entertainment.

    The upcoming Cricket Country Box Cricket League redefines sporting entertainment through innovative elements that promise an unforgettable experience. By employing tennis balls, the tournament maintains a high-paced and dynamic gameplay, prioritizing safety without compromising excitement. With umpires and digital scoring systems in place, the integrity of each match is upheld, ensuring fairness and accuracy throughout.

    Featuring eight elite teams representing prominent media agencies such as Group M, Madison, Havas Media, InnOcean, Zenith Optimedia, Wavemaker, OMD, and Dentsu. The tournament will showcase thrilling encounters across seven matches. With a knockout format and matches spanning 10 overs in the round stages and 15 overs in the semi-finals and finals, spectators can expect edge-of-the-seat action from start to finish.

    Beyond the thrilling matches, the league also caters to a diverse audience, offering a range of engaging activities and tantalizing food and beverage options. This thoughtful approach aims to enhance the overall spectator experience, making the Cricket Country Box Cricket League a must-attend event for fans of all ages.

    Essel Group CTIO Idris Loya lauded the initiative, stating, “In the Cricket Country Box Cricket League, the amalgamation of sportsmanship and entertainment unfolds like a thrilling rafting adventure, captivating players and spectators alike. This initiative epitomizes a harmonious blend, propelling cricket to unprecedented heights while championing the values of respect and teamwork. With each match, the league sets a new standard for sportsmanship, fostering an environment where the essence of fair play resonates with every stroke and every cheer.”

    Zee Media Corporation Ltd marketing head Anindya Khare further highlighted, “We strongly believe in championing sports culture and enriching community engagement through dynamic experiences. The Cricket Country Box Cricket League embodies our commitment to providing innovative entertainment that unites the media fraternity. As we embark on this journey, we aim not only to entertain but also to inspire unity and camaraderie within our community, showcasing the enduring impact of shared sporting experiences.”

    On-ground integrations such as brand logo presence on team jerseys and boundary branding will provide sponsors with valuable visibility. Additionally, promotional efforts encompass editorial articles, interview videos, reels, match highlights, live commentary, and live streaming on Cricket Country’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

  • OMD grows APAC leadership team with Dileep Raj Singh as new head of digital

    OMD grows APAC leadership team with Dileep Raj Singh as new head of digital

    Mumbai: OMD has added a head of digital (HOD) to its Asia Pacific (APAC) regional leadership team with the hiring of Dileep Raj Singh.  Singh is a digital native and brings with him a wealth of experience across product, media agency and client side in APAC, North America and the United Kingdom.  His last 10 years have been spent building diverse digital marketing teams covering areas like performance marketing, digital media planning, ad/martech, product marketing, branding and measurement.

    As head of digital, he will accelerate OMD’s digital leadership agenda, rooted in helping clients address their business challenges and digital ambitions.  He will be supporting OMD’s local teams in APAC on operational excellence, and digital transformation frameworks and roadmaps; and the development and implementation of our digital leadership agenda.  He will also be working hand in hand with both our regional and global networks to initiate complementary workstreams for our clients in APAC.

    “We will continue to invest and win in digital as part of our wider goal to be our clients’ most trusted business transformation partner,” said OMD APAC CEO Charlotte Lee.

    “It is our global ambition to continue our leadership position in digital, data and technology.  In line with this ambition, we are excited to have Singh come on board the OMD APAC leadership team.  His background of agency, in-house and start-up experience position him perfectly to understand and address our clients’ business needs,” added Lee.

    “Digital media and access to our audience, as we know it, is changing quite rapidly around us.  This puts most of us in a delicate but remarkable position, a position from which we can shape and contribute to conversations about the next evolution of digital media.  As we embark on this journey, I want to leverage the strength of the OMD network – people, technology, data, tools and platforms – to help our clients pivot and navigate through all the new and evolved possibilities in digital media.  With this, I aim to position OMD as an unrivaled partner for our current and future clients; to dominate and succeed in this incredibly competitive and multifarious digital realm,” said Singh.

    Singh will report to Lee, and work closely with the team including chief strategy officer (CSO) David McCallen, and chief client officer (CCO) Sadhan Mishra, to drive and support APAC local markets as well as regional clients on digital, data and technology needs.

    Mishra was promoted to chief client officer of OMD APAC recently in June 2023.  He will continue to be CEO of OMD Singapore, a position he was promoted into last August.  Mishra has been with OMD for over 13 years and in his concurrent new role as chief client officer, he will focus on key client relationships, understanding their business needs and ensuring we remain a critical partner on their transformation journeys.

    McCallen was elevated to the role of chief strategy officer of OMD APAC in April 2022, and was previously the chief strategy officer of OMD New Zealand for five years where he helped the agency to attain the top place in the market for new business, overall billings and award wins.  Since starting in the APAC role, his focus has been on connecting and elevating strategic best practices across the region, building capabilities across a range of strategic outputs, and supporting new business growth both regionally and locally.

  • OMD appoints Pankaj Nayak, Rochelle Chhaya into key leadership team for APAC

    OMD appoints Pankaj Nayak, Rochelle Chhaya into key leadership team for APAC

    MUMBAI: OMD has announced the appointment of two new members into its Asia Pacific team. While Rochelle Chhaya has been appointed as chief operating officer (COO), Pankaj Nayak will be joining as the chief marketing officer (CMO), effective immediately. The decision has been taken to harness the network’s growing momentum and drive further growth across the region.

    Formerly the chief digital officer for Omnicom Media Group APAC, Chhaya brings unrivalled visibility on the client-agency-partner ecosystem. Her comprehensive knowledge and experience will allow her to tackle the operational challenges and opportunities that arise when developing an agency model for the future.

    As COO, she will be responsible towards mapping out what the future client-centric, digitally powered and data-led agency model looks like for OMD.

    Nayak brings over 20 years of industry knowledge and experience to this role, having previously served in a client leadership capacity with the network and most recently, as Omnicom Media Group APAC’s business development director.

    As CMO, Nayak will be tasked with continuously enhancing the network’s approach in engaging both new clients and existing ones. This will involve developing a strategy for the seamless manifestation of the network’s new brand promise of Better Decisions, Faster throughout the client relationship, ensuring a consistent telling of the OMD story across clients and markets.

    Commenting on the appointments, OMD APAC CEO Stephen Li said, “As we return to the top of the charts and scale even greater heights, both globally and in APAC, it is imperative that we have the right leadership in place to ensure our agencies and clients continue to maximise their potential.”

    “Given her impressive track-record in delivering market-leading digital solutions, Rochelle has earned the trust and respect of our clients and partners over the years. She has also become a well-respected voice in the industry. There is no one with as strong a 360 overview of our business as her, which will be extremely valuable in developing OMD’s agency model for the future,” Li continues.

    “Throughout his tenure with both the network and the Group, Pankaj has come to know the organisation inside and out, developed significant relationships internally and externally, and has touched on the development and growth of every single market in the region. He is perfectly suited for the CMO role and I have every confidence that OMD will continue to elevate its new business momentum under his leadership.”

  • OMD India’s campaign for Dalda shines at Drum’s Social Purpose Awards 2018

    OMD India’s campaign for Dalda shines at Drum’s Social Purpose Awards 2018

    MUMBAI: Marketing performance company OMD India has announced that its campaign ‘#PehleTum’ for Dalda Cooking Oils won the award for ‘Best Integrated Marketing Campaign’ at the Drum’s Social Purpose Awards 2018 in London last week. The win comes shortly after the campaign won the Mumbrella Award for Bravery at the Mumbrella Asia Awards 2018 last month.

    ‘#PehleTum’ (You First) campaign was designed to promote gender equality, specifically targeting those households where women take the sole responsibility of cooking for the entire family and only eat after ensuring everyone else has eaten. Dalda Cooking Oils partnered with Leo Burnett and OMD India to create this campaign urging husbands and families to offer the first bite of every meal to the women of their household.

    OMD shares that in order to drive change it utilised a ‘judiciously woven mix of media, with each medium planned and integrated in a manner that added relevance, weightage and a new meaningful layer to the core communication of #PehleTum’. The compelling campaign reached over 14 million people through various touch points while increasing brand recommendation for Dalda Cooking Oils by 85 per cent.

    Commenting on the win, OMD India CEO Priti Murthy said, “I am extremely proud of the team for their media approach on this campaign, facilitating the amplification of such an important message in today’s society. These latest recognitions are a testament to the brave work we do at OMD India to help our clients cut through the clutter and generate real impact for their brands.”

    Bunge India marketing head Milind Acharya added, “A very simple insight that led to #PehleTum was; with changing times, shouldn’t the homemaker be a part of the dinner table along with entire family which, in our society is an important aspect, where family matters are also discussed. We attempted to put this onus on the Male members of the family to invite her to take her rightful place. As Dalda oil is an integral part of any meal, the homemaker is also an integral and equal part of the family and all related matters. Recognition of the campaign and its thought encourages us to continue such efforts, which are relevant for the brand, the consumer and the society.”

  • OMD India strengthens its leadership team

    OMD India strengthens its leadership team

    MUMBAI: In a move to strengthen its core leadership team, OMD India has promoted Sulina Menon to the newly created role of chief client officer, while Lalit Agrawal has been elevated to the role of head of OMD India – West.

    The promotions are in line with the executives’ long-standing track record of achievements and will enhance the agency’s leadership capabilities as it continues to take on fresh growth in the Indian market.

    Menon takes on her new role with immediate effect and will work closely with OMD India’s CEO, Priti Murthy, in building the OMD brand nationally. A media veteran with multifaceted experiences, Menon has worked across media agencies, television channels and on the client-side at Samsung. Since joining Omnicom Media Group in 2013 to lead on planning for the network’s Delhi office, Menon has proved her mettle and earned the status of a trusted partner to the agency’s longstanding clients. In this new role, she brings her media agnostic approach, helping clients to focus on what really drives value for their brands instead.

    Speaking on her promotion, Menon says,  “I am really excited about energising our team in India to drive data-enabled, integrated solutions for our clients and look forward to seamlessly on-boarding our new clients. It’s important for us to continue evolving our approach for clients and OMD is well equipped to future-proof their businesses. I am excited to be a part of the journey.”

    In his new role as Head of OMD India – West, Agrawal will drive and consolidate fresh avenues for growth. His presence as a strong business leader is already felt by some of the most iconic brands,  and his consistent delivery of innovative solutions to complex business problems has earned him respect and appreciation from both local and regional clients. During his eight years with OMD, he has been instrumental in delivering several innovations and industry-first initiatives – a feat that he will undoubtedly continue as the agency continues to expand its presence in West India.

    Speaking on his appointment, Agrawal adds, “OMD is now well underway on its new path, with a rejuvenated focus on helping clients make ‘Better Decisions, Faster’. I am thrilled to be part of this momentous occasion as we extend our footprint in West India and I look forward to working with our clients and teams to make a mark for this region.”

    Speaking on the promotions, OMD India CEO Priti Murthy mentions, “I am delighted to partner with Sulina and Lalit in their new roles. As an agency that is committed to generating business results for our clients, both Sulina and Lalit embody this value proposition, having spent considerable time in the industry and at OMD. These promotions are also a testament to the talent of our teams, taking our agency from strength to strength. I look forward to working closely with them both in navigating OMD’s continued journey of growth in India.”