ITV

Tag: Prasanth Kumar

  • Mindshare South Asia announces agency restructuring, key appointments

    Mindshare South Asia announces agency restructuring, key appointments

    MUMBAI: Media agency Mindshare has announced an organisation restructure that mirrors the agency’s ambition to become collaborative in client success and navigate its marketing agenda with intelligence and agility.

    After the tremendous success of team Fulcrum in delivering client delight and industry accolades, Amin Lakhani is elevated and has taken on a larger role as president of client leadership at Mindshare India. In his new role, Lakhani is responsible to further strengthen client relationships and drive client growth in a cross media market. He will manage core client capabilities across all offices in the country. During his 14 years at GroupM and Mindshare, Lakhani has grown from strength to strength and will continue to be a key growth contributor in the new role. 

    Anita Kotwani with her unique brand of leadership at Mindshare West has ensured remarkable growth of all business teams in the region. Her continued success and motivation are evident from the number of accolades and the stream of client appreciation her teams have acquired year after year. 

    Given Mindshare’s emphasis on growth through diversification, Kotwani has been promoted to senior vice president, responsible for new business development across the market. In addition to this, she will also drive Horizontality, and work closely with the larger marketing ecosystem. 

    As Lakhani transitions into his new role, Premjeet Sodhi will join Mindshare South Asia as senior vice president at Mindshare Fulcrum, South Asia, and will lead. In his current assignment, Sodhi is the COO at Initiative/ BPN, part of the IPG group, where he handles strategy and new business development for the company. He manages clients such as Amazon, Reckitt, Gionee, Kraft Heinz, Infoedge and Bajaj Auto. With a passion for brands, Sodhi has kept pace with the evolving media space and has contributed immensely in various leadership roles. His new role is effective March 2018. 

    Mindshare South Asia CEO Prasanth Kumar says, “As we enter 2018, we are accelerating transformation which is true to our DNA. We are clear on our strategic priorities, strengthening our connections with a growing universe of clients, consumers, brands and partners in the marketing ecosystem. To be able to do so, we now have the leadership and structure within our organisation to continue our path to greater success, and our renewed focus on creating a disruptive Mindshare with speed, provocation, teamwork.” 

  • Unibic awards media duties to Mindshare

    Unibic awards media duties to Mindshare

    MUMBAI: Unibic, a renowned name in the cookie industry has awarded its media duties to Mindshare, after a competitive multi-agency pitch. The mandate involves handling the media strategy, planning and implementation across all media in India. The account will be handled out of the Mindshare Bangalore office.

    Unibic is one of India’s largest ‘real’ cookie production company with a range of over 24 variants and an added sugar free segment. It has also just launched its healthy range of biscuits such as Gluten-free, Ragi and 40 per cent Oats. 

    On the new appointment, Unibic Foods managing director Nikhil Sen says, “We were looking for a seasoned and versatile partner who will work towards building our brand and taking it to the next level. Mindshare is a reputed agency and comes with high recommendations. We are confident that together we will be able to reach our desired goal.”

    Commenting on the new win, Mindshare South Asia CEO Prasanth Kumar adds, “We are delighted to work with premium cookie brand Unibic. We look forward to working with the team on their strategic marketing initiatives to deliver their business outcomes and strengthen the brand’s position in the cookie category.”

  • Mindshare appoints M K Machaiah as chief innovation officer

    Mindshare appoints M K Machaiah as chief innovation officer

    MUMBAI: India’s largest full service media agency, Mindshare, a part of GroupM has appointed MK Machaiah, known as Mac, as chief innovation officer for South Asia.

    In this role, Mac will lead the integrated approach to consumer engagement and strengthen brand propositions across all consumer touchpoints including traditional, social and experiential. He will be responsible for setting up an innovations lab through systemic integrations of content + social and activations and building sports practice. He will build future-ready capabilities and revenue models by assessing the scope of each practice, set the innovation vision & drive the team to work on client specific propositions. Mac has worked across global markets and has proven ability to bring together different cultural nuances which will be critical in the integration of these two diverse practices.

    After spending over a decade in different media agencies including a two-year stint with Mindshare India, Mac became an integral part of the India leadership team in 2012 as office head, South. He then progressed to chief executive officer, SSA to lead Mindshare Sub Saharan Africa region where he was entrusted with the responsibility to set up Mindshare and consolidate the Unilever business across the region and drive global best practices.

    Mindshare South Asia CEO Prasanth Kumar says, “Mac has been a part of the Mindshare family and comes with credible and rich experience in the industry. We have always taken not just the lead but also the leap in defining industry’s best practices and becoming the trusted marketing partners for our clients. To take this leap, we have appointed Mac who brings experience across industries and markets, which makes him the perfect fit to assist in the growth of the agency.”

    MK Machaiah chief innovation officer South Asia adds, “Mindshare is one of the largest media agencies and I am delighted to embark on a new journey with them. It’s an honour to be a part of an organisation with great stature in the industry. I am excited to be working with some of the top creative and strategic minds in the industry at Mindshare. I look forward to utilise my knowledge and experience to fortify our position in the market and assert the trust of our partners and consumers”

  • Talent retention is key, says Mindshare’s Prasanth Kumar

    Talent retention is key, says Mindshare’s Prasanth Kumar

    MUMBAI: Mindshare, a global media and marketing services company that is a part of GroupM, has completed 20 years this November globally and 15 years in India. The company was created by the merger of the media operations of JWT and Ogilvy & Mather, then the two big full-service advertising agencies within the WPP group.

    Mindshare has global billings in excess of $34.5 billion. The network consists of more than 7,000 employees, in 116 offices across 86 countries spread throughout North America, Latin America, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. Each office is dedicated to forging a competitive marketing advantage for businesses and their brands based on speed and teamwork. Mindshare is a part of GroupM, which oversees the media investment management sector for WPP, the world’s leading communications services group.

    Mindshare helps clients to make collaborative decisions across their paid, owned and earned marketing in real-time with various tools and services such as FAST, Content+, Mindscan, Kyve and Loop rooms offered by the network.

    While FAST is the programmatic and performance marketing engine leveraging audience insights, category dynamics and environmental triggers to deliver a customised solution in real-time, Content+ was launched to focus on producing insight-driven, purposeful content for a specific audience, at a specific time to meet a specific brand need. Kyve is a platform for brands and advertisers to track online video viewership. It also helps to use the data and intelligence gathered to scan, seed, and strategise end-to-end digital video and content strategies for brands. The tool also leverages its platform for precise brand targeting on online video, to eliminate audience spillage, and further measure the success of video campaigns. LOOP Room brings diverse talent together in one place to interpret data, gain insights and optimise campaigns in real time.

    Prasanth Kumar, also known as PK, took over as the CEO of Mindshare India and South Asia in February 2015. Prior to this he was the managing partner, Central Trading Group, South Asia, GroupM.

    Thanking his predecessors for making the organisation what it is today and laying a strong foundation, Kumar says, “We are glad to be celebrating 20 years and it is a big milestone for any agency. In the last 20 years, the Indian media industry has evolved along with our agency. It is a great achievement for any agency to be celebrating 20 years in this ever-evolving media world.”

    Kumar also added that talent retention is a big challenge in today’s time when the younger generation does not want to join the media world. To combat the issue, Mindshare organises workshops and seminars for its employees while also encouraging and appreciating their hard work.

    He also mentioned that the client agency relationship has changed dynamically over the last few years and it is a challenge to retain clients. An agency needs to be attentive and agile to cater to the client’s changing need and Mindshare has been successful in doing that over the last 20 years, resulting in clients being with Mindshare for the long term.

    Terms such as analytics, big data and AI (artificial intelligence) became more prominent this year but Kumar believes that the Indian media landscape is yet to adapt and understand these tools. He has a positive outlook for 2018 and believes it will be a good year for the industry as a whole after a year’s slowdown due to demonetisation and GST.

  • Arré, FB to stream Ilaiyaraaja film, former to launch Tamil originals

    Arré, FB to stream Ilaiyaraaja film, former to launch Tamil originals

    MUMBAI: Ilaiyaraaja, Isaignani, the reclusive master, known for his unique skill is all set to disrupt, choosing to tell via Facebook his story to the new digital generation.

    This ‘digital-first’ film will play out first on Facebook, Instagram and Arré. Arré recently launched its music vertical, Arré Earworm, and has also entered the Tamil market and will soon be launching originals in Tamil.

    The regional-global story will straddle millions of Ilaiyaraaja fans and music communities across a swathe of geographies and interests

    Joining this initiative is Mindshare, whose specialised content solutions arm Content+ is working with Arré to tell this important story using their understanding of consumers across the globe.

    True to the nature of the medium and the genius of the artiste, Arré is in the process of collaborating with domestic and international creative talent to create what will be a path-defining moment for music and media.

    Ilaiyaraaja, said “I come from a small village and have had no formal training in music. Music has made me Ilaiyaraaja. I am looking forward to sharing my musical journey with all my fans and music lovers on Arré and Facebook.”

    English: https://www.facebook.com/1647011945555015/videos/1967237223532484/

    Tamil : https://www.facebook.com/1647011945555015/videos/1967233830199490/

    Arré B. Saikumar said: “Arré believes that digital is no longer the mainstay of just the millennial; it is increasingly the medium of choice across age-groups and community-led affinities and interests. We are happy to have Mindshare as a strategic partner to provide the required amplification and partners this project deserves.”

    Facebook India head – media partnerships Saurabh Doshi said: “Millions of people who are on Facebook will now be able to have the opportunity to get a glimpse of Ilaiyaraaja’s musical journey and his work through this video series on our platform.”

    Mindshare South Asia CEO Prasanth Kumar said, “The digital medium is giving us the opportunity to tell this story creatively, with the man re-living his musical journey again via video, text and imagery.”

  • Shashi Sinha named Kyoorius media jury foreman

    MUMBAI: The 4th edition of the Kyoorius Creative Awards is celebrating creative communication brilliance in the fields of digital, advertising and media. The curtain has risen, and the all-star jury panel for the media category has been unveiled.

    The media jury will be headed by IPG Mediabrands chief executive officer Shashi Sinha. He started his career as the product manager of Parle. He set up Lodestar in the early 90s. In October 2012, he became the CEO of IPG Mediabrands and was given the task of bringing together a diverse group while making it future-ready.

    Sinha took the role and made it wider – he worked on making the entire industry future-ready by participating and leading various industry organisations to look beyond their traditional beliefs.

    The panel of judges, also consists of a line-up of creative geniuses, namely, Vikram Sakhuja (Madison World – Media & OOH group CEO), Prasanth Kumar (Mindshare CEO – south Asia), Kasper Aakerlund (IPG Mediabrands – Hong Kong CEO), Susanna Cousins (MEC director of strategy), and Rahul Welde (Unilever global VP – digital transformation).

    Talking about the media category, Kyoorius founder and CEO Rajesh Kejriwal said, “Disruption is all around us. Media agencies are paving the way for marketing innovation and they are beginning in their own backyard, by re-inventing themselves. Marketers are looking to bridge the gap between content and consumers by devising effective solutions for brands.

    Creativity is stemming from innovation, and innovation is the disruptor.”

    Kyoorius Creative Awards 2017, is featuring the Media category for the second year, after its successful debut in 2016. “The Awards felicitate outstanding talent which seamlessly integrates idea and craft to create superior artistry and craftsmanship. The Jury’s exceptional calibre and experience acknowledges the importance our awards and its place in the creative arts,” said Kejriwal.

    The awards invite participation from advertising, digital, media and mobile agencies, production houses, event management companies, photographers, brands, corporates, NGOs and even individuals.

    The Open Jury Sessions will be held between 11 and 13 May, 2017, at Ecole Intuit Lab, Mumbai. This innovative session will invite people from the industry and media to attend the jury sessions, to learn and benefit from the discussions and the entries showcased.

    While entries for awards will close on 19 April 2017, 26 April 2017 will be the last day to submit physical entries. The Kyoorius Creative Awards ceremony will be held on Friday, 2 June, 2017, at the Dome, NSCI in Mumbai.

  • SBI Life’s #PapaHainNa campaign shines at LIMRA & LOMA 2016

    SBI Life’s #PapaHainNa campaign shines at LIMRA & LOMA 2016

    MUMBAI: SBI Life’s #PapaHainNa Social Media Campaign bagged LIMRA & LOMA 2016 Social Media Silver Bowl Award for Best Use of Social outside US. The idea was conceptualized and co-created by SBI Life and their media agency Mindshare India, a part of GroupM. This is an award by the world renowned organization, LIMRA, which is known for its research, learning and development initiatives in the Insurance industry across the world. SBI Life and Mindshare India overcame competition from six countries to achieve this win.

    SBI Life’s #PapaHaiNa campaign has showcased excellent use of Social Media to engage their customers in an emotional manner. The campaign is an emotional ballad, in the form of a music video, celebrating the Father – Child relationship, on which the company’s overall communication also focuses. The video was launched on the SBI Life’s YouTube channel along with SBI Life’s Facebook page and Twitter handle. The video received over 1.2 Million views on YouTube and had over 7,150 interactions on Facebook. The song was well received by the audience on social media and had garnered more than 30.5 million impressions and more than 2,912 conversations on twitter, which also led to it trending nationally.

    On the occasion of Father’s Day, 21st June 2015, through the campaign, audiences were encouraged to participate by sharing their treasured moments with their Dad using the hashtag #PapaHainNa. The contest received over 125 entries. The selected entries were then featured in the video created using content received during the campaign and was launched on SBI Life`s YouTube channel and Facebook page on Father’s Day.

    Speaking on the occasion SBI Life Insurance MD and CEO Arijit Basu said, “As a brand we believe in building a strong bond with our customers. A special day like Father’s Day helps remind everyone of the sacrifices that our parents made for us, and the #PapaHainNa campaign was a way to articulate our gratitude towards them. We are highly honored with this recognition and equally proud of the well-executed campaign that rightfully leveraged the brands messaging and engaged the consumers on various social media platforms.”

    Expressing his delight, Mindshare South Asia CEO Prasanth Kumar said ‘’Winning this award is like adding another feather into our hat. These awards showcase the development we have made in the International market. It is a proud moment for me as it proves how our teams’ efforts have exponentially grown on such a large forefront. We shall keep striving to one up our current level of performance, so as to cease more opportunities and wins such as these. ‘’

    SBI Life head brand and corporate communication Ravindra Sharma said, “It is truly a matter of honor for us that we have received this coveted award. The award further validates the success of this campaign in connecting to our customers and giving them a platform to express their emotions via social media. SBI Life’s continuous thrive to reach out to our customers and giving them the moments to cherish and celebrate life will definitely lead to many such awards in the coming days as well.”

    LIMRA is the trusted source of industry knowledge for over 850 financial services firms. LOMA is committed to business partnerships with over 1,200 world-wide members in the insurance and financial services industry. The 2016 awards program categories recognized how social media is being used to educate consumers, recruit employees; showcase how companies are integrating social media initiatives to support campaigns. The awards recognize those who are adopting the growing list of new platforms and advance ‘social good’ through their programs.

    For the awards, thirty-six companies submitted 57 entries for consideration this year. LIMRA and LOMA enlisted 41 financial services executives and social media subject experts to judge the submissions. This win signifies how Mindshare and SBI Life are working together to utilize the social media platforms effectively to engage with consumers and meet their business goals.

  • SBI Life’s #PapaHainNa campaign shines at LIMRA & LOMA 2016

    SBI Life’s #PapaHainNa campaign shines at LIMRA & LOMA 2016

    MUMBAI: SBI Life’s #PapaHainNa Social Media Campaign bagged LIMRA & LOMA 2016 Social Media Silver Bowl Award for Best Use of Social outside US. The idea was conceptualized and co-created by SBI Life and their media agency Mindshare India, a part of GroupM. This is an award by the world renowned organization, LIMRA, which is known for its research, learning and development initiatives in the Insurance industry across the world. SBI Life and Mindshare India overcame competition from six countries to achieve this win.

    SBI Life’s #PapaHaiNa campaign has showcased excellent use of Social Media to engage their customers in an emotional manner. The campaign is an emotional ballad, in the form of a music video, celebrating the Father – Child relationship, on which the company’s overall communication also focuses. The video was launched on the SBI Life’s YouTube channel along with SBI Life’s Facebook page and Twitter handle. The video received over 1.2 Million views on YouTube and had over 7,150 interactions on Facebook. The song was well received by the audience on social media and had garnered more than 30.5 million impressions and more than 2,912 conversations on twitter, which also led to it trending nationally.

    On the occasion of Father’s Day, 21st June 2015, through the campaign, audiences were encouraged to participate by sharing their treasured moments with their Dad using the hashtag #PapaHainNa. The contest received over 125 entries. The selected entries were then featured in the video created using content received during the campaign and was launched on SBI Life`s YouTube channel and Facebook page on Father’s Day.

    Speaking on the occasion SBI Life Insurance MD and CEO Arijit Basu said, “As a brand we believe in building a strong bond with our customers. A special day like Father’s Day helps remind everyone of the sacrifices that our parents made for us, and the #PapaHainNa campaign was a way to articulate our gratitude towards them. We are highly honored with this recognition and equally proud of the well-executed campaign that rightfully leveraged the brands messaging and engaged the consumers on various social media platforms.”

    Expressing his delight, Mindshare South Asia CEO Prasanth Kumar said ‘’Winning this award is like adding another feather into our hat. These awards showcase the development we have made in the International market. It is a proud moment for me as it proves how our teams’ efforts have exponentially grown on such a large forefront. We shall keep striving to one up our current level of performance, so as to cease more opportunities and wins such as these. ‘’

    SBI Life head brand and corporate communication Ravindra Sharma said, “It is truly a matter of honor for us that we have received this coveted award. The award further validates the success of this campaign in connecting to our customers and giving them a platform to express their emotions via social media. SBI Life’s continuous thrive to reach out to our customers and giving them the moments to cherish and celebrate life will definitely lead to many such awards in the coming days as well.”

    LIMRA is the trusted source of industry knowledge for over 850 financial services firms. LOMA is committed to business partnerships with over 1,200 world-wide members in the insurance and financial services industry. The 2016 awards program categories recognized how social media is being used to educate consumers, recruit employees; showcase how companies are integrating social media initiatives to support campaigns. The awards recognize those who are adopting the growing list of new platforms and advance ‘social good’ through their programs.

    For the awards, thirty-six companies submitted 57 entries for consideration this year. LIMRA and LOMA enlisted 41 financial services executives and social media subject experts to judge the submissions. This win signifies how Mindshare and SBI Life are working together to utilize the social media platforms effectively to engage with consumers and meet their business goals.