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Tag: Raja Rajamannar

  • Mastercard clinches naming rights to McLaren Formula 1 team from 2026

    Mastercard clinches naming rights to McLaren Formula 1 team from 2026

    AMSTERDAM: Mastercard has signed a landmark naming-rights deal with McLaren Racing, under which the team will compete from 2026 as the McLaren Mastercard Formula 1 team. The partnership is valued by industry observers at more than $100 million over several years, putting it among the top tier of F1 sponsorship agreements.

    The announcement was made in Amsterdam by Raja Rajamannar, Mastercard’s chief marketing and communications officer and founding president of its healthcare business, alongside McLaren chief executive Zak Brown and drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

    Rajamannar said the tie-up rested on shared values of innovation, performance and fan engagement. “McLaren is the number one team, and this partnership allows us to connect fans to the sport in ways never seen before,” he said.

    As part of the deal, Mastercard unveiled Team Priceless, a global fan programme aimed at bringing supporters closer to the action through behind-the-scenes access, immersive digital activations and exclusive experiences with the drivers.

    The timing is strategic. Formula 1’s popularity has surged since Liberty Media acquired the sport in 2017 for $8 billion. Global TV audiences now exceed 500 million per year, with more than 45 per cent of viewers under 35 — a demographic highly prized by brands. Social media engagement grew 23 per cent year-on-year in 2024, making F1 the fastest-growing sports property online.

    McLaren, meanwhile, has staged a revival, finishing fourth in the constructors’ championship last season and securing eight podiums. New technical regulations in 2026, including hybrid power units with 50 per cent electrical output, are expected to level the playing field — an opportunity McLaren intends to seize with fresh investment.

    For Mastercard, the move reinforces a sponsorship strategy that already spans the UEFA Champions League, the Rugby World Cup and the Australian Open. Sports partnerships account for a significant portion of its global marketing spend, estimated at over $1.7 billion annually. By attaching its name directly to an F1 team, the company is betting that the sport’s glamour and youthful audience will deliver long-term brand dividends.

  • Mastercard and ICC partner for priceless cricket World Cup 2023 experiences

    Mastercard and ICC partner for priceless cricket World Cup 2023 experiences

    Mumbai: The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced an exciting association, with Mastercard becoming a Global Partner for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 to be held in India between 5 October and 19 November 2023.

    Mastercard will continue its rich legacy of sports sponsorships to provide unique experiences to its cardholders and customers through exclusive benefits. With cricket being one of the most popular sports in India, South Asia and many other regions across the globe, the World Cup places fans at the centre of the action enabling them to experience the game like never before.

    In addition to the exclusive 24-hour pre-sale window, Mastercard cardholders will be able to avail a number of benefits. These opportunities include the chance to meet cricket legends, get up close to the Men’s Cricket World Cup trophy and experience unique access on match days. Children of cardholders aged between 12-18 years will also have the chance to be a part of the flagbearer programme and there will be a wide range of offers for Mastercard cardholders on official ICC merchandise.

    Mastercard’s tie-up with the ICC highlights the brand’s commitment to cricket and adds to the global technology company’s prestigious international sports sponsorship portfolio which includes associations with the likes of UEFA Champions League and the PGA Tour.

    ICC chief executive, Geoff Allardice said: “We are delighted to announce Mastercard as a global partner for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, the pinnacle event of the one-day game. Mastercard brings its rich experience of sports partnerships to the table, and the ICC is looking forward to collaborating with a renowned global brand to bring many benefits to cricket lovers around the world.”

    Mastercard chief marketing and communications officer Raja Rajamannar said: “Cricket is a huge passion for millions of people across the globe, particularly in India and South Asia. We are excited to partner with the ICC for the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, allowing us to bring fans closer to their passion for the sport. We’re dedicated to connecting our customers, cardholders and all cricket enthusiasts to priceless possibilities throughout the tournament.”

  • ISA concludes the global CEO conference 2022 on ‘VUCA 2.0: transforming organisations and brands’

    ISA concludes the global CEO conference 2022 on ‘VUCA 2.0: transforming organisations and brands’

    Mumbai: The Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA) hosted the third annual Global CEO Conference on 22 August in Mumbai.

    Around 200 industry leaders gathered to discuss strategies that will enable them to triumph in today’s complex business environment.

    The conference’s theme this year was “VUCA 2.0: Transforming Organisations and Brands.”

    The event followed an engaging format that included keynote addresses, interesting presentations, and panel discussions by distinguished thought leaders from the industry, in line with the theme. 

    The keynote speakers included Hindustan Unilever chairman and chief people and transformation officer Nitin Paranjpe, who highlighted the role of technology and questioned whether organisations are ready for web 3.0.

    Nitin said, “Industries and devices must be responsibly governed with technology which is designed to allow rapid innovation. Some of the technologies developing the next iteration of the internet have larger challenges than just disruptions. Other than helping us understand what is happening in the world around us better, it will also help us prepare for and create a better future.”

    World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) president and Mastercard president-healthcare division, chief marketing and communications officer Raja Rajamannar said, “The whole field of content has become completely filtered and layered. The fact is that traditional marketers are assuming that people are aware. However, they need to develop a far better understanding of the subconscious processes that happen in the minds of their consumers and thereby develop new insights.” 

    Procter & Gamble Company chief operating officer Shailesh Jejurikar said, “Innovation is being spurred on by digital technology, and we combine innovation with human insight, so that our consumers are better off. Rapid change creates unique opportunities to drive market growth. All of these point to a positive future that can sustain people and the environment better, not only now but also for the generations to come.” 

    The panel discussion on VUCA 2.0 and its implications for Indian businesses saw leaders such as Diageo India managing director & CEO Hina Nagarajan, Multiples Alternate Asset Management MD & CEO Renuka Ramnath, Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals managing director Shantanu Khosla, and Nestle India chairman & managing director Suresh Narayanan. The panel discussed various aspects, including strategies taken by companies during the pandemic, future-proofing brands, and creating a work environment that leads to optimising productivity.

    Speaking about the successful third edition of ISA Global CEO conference, ISA chairman and Raymond Lifestyle CEO – India & SAARC,  Sunil Kataria said, “Organisations and brands must adopt a radical and creative approach to navigate through this VUCA 2.0 world. As we have learnt during the course of this conference, the ultimate objective of transformation is to develop the capacity to swiftly change circumstances and opportunities in the market and reinvent business models to stay ahead of time.” 

    ISA chairman (events) Dr. R. Ramakrishnan said, “Each of the keynote speakers and panellists brought a wealth of insights, practical experience, and their case studies to add great value to the conference. The 200 industry leaders at the event have taken back a wealth of knowledge and wisdom to transform their organisations, brands and processes.”

    The third edition of ISA’s Global CEO conference was powered by presenting partner Google Cloud, and co-powered by partner Hindustan Unilever Limited.

    Sony Pictures Network is the exclusive gold partner, followed by Neutrogena as gold partner and P&G as co-gold partner. As associate partners, Prestige, ABP Network, Aditya Birla Group, Godrej Goodknight, and Centrum Wealth joined the list of sponsors; Adani Wilmar, Crompton, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Raymond, V Guard, Bajaj Electricals, and SugarFree Green were co-partners. Also, Storyboard 18 is the TV partner, Hindustan Times is the print partner, Adfactors PR is the PR partner, and Schbang is the social media partner.

  • Mastercard’s Raja Rajamannar named WFA President

    Mastercard’s Raja Rajamannar named WFA President

    MUMBAI: WFA has announced a new leadership team and elected Mastercard’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Raja Rajamannar, as its new President. He will serve a two-year term as WFA President, with the option to extend for a further two years.

    Rajamannar has worked for Mastercard since 2013, and in particular has led the company’s marketing transformation, including the integration of the Marketing and Communication functions, evolution of its Priceless experiential platform, and creation of cutting-edge marketing-led business models into the core of the company. Recently Raja pioneered Mastercard’s move to become a symbol brand and the launch ofits breakthrough sonic brand platform.  He also serves as President of Mastercard’s Healthcare Division in addition to his role as Chief Marketing and Communications Officer. 

    With more than 30 years of experience as a global executive across multiple industries, previous roles include Executive Vice President and Chief Transformation Officer, WellPoint (now Anthem, Inc.); Chief Executive, International and Chief Innovation & Marketing Officer, Humana;Global Chief Marketing Officer, Cards and Payments, Citigroup; and CEO of Diners Club North America. Raja started his career with Asian Paints in India. He was also the winner of the 2018 WFA Global Marketer of the Year award.

    He replaces David Wheldon, CMO at RBS, who has been president since 2015. Wheldon will continue to serve on WFA’s Executive Committee as Regional Vice-President for Western Europe.

    “The opportunity in front of marketers today to make a difference for their brand, their business and even the world is tremendous. I am honouredto pick up and carry the torch as President of WFA, an organization committed to elevating and advancing the activities of our profession, and a role I am convinced will become even more important in the years to come,” saidRajamannar.

    “We’re thrilled to be working with Raja as our new President. He’s one of the very best in the business and his work at Mastercard demonstrates how marketers can deliver unrivalled business and social impact when they’re at the top of their game,” said Stephan Loerke, CEO of WFA. “I’d also like to thank David for hisinvaluable service as President. He is nothing short of a giant in the global marketing industry and he has helped lift the organisation to another level in terms of its relevance to CMOs, its strategic focus and its global expansion. We’re delighted he’s agreed to stay on our Executive Committee and help steer the organisation through future challenges.”

    The Deputy President role has been attributed to Philip Myers, Senior Vice-President, Global Policy and Government Affairs at PepsiCo, who takes over from Matthias Berninger, former Vice-President, Public Affairs at Mars.

    Philip leadsPepsiCo’s government and stakeholder relations. Previously, he oversaw public policy and communications across the company’s Europe Sub-Saharan Africa business and before that led theEuropean Retail Round Table, which brought together Europe’s leading retailers on public policy issues. His appointment reflects the dual nature of WFA’s mission working with both marketers to ensure marketing effectiveness and policy professionals to protect brands’ license to operate.

    The new President, Deputy President and Regional Vice-President roles are part of a wider change in WFA’s leadership team which also includes a number of new executive committee members:

    •    Jean-Luc Chétrit, CEO, French Advertisers Association (UDA) & WFA Treasurer
    •    Edward Bell, General Manager Brand, Insight and Marketing Communications, Cathay Pacific Airways
    •    Adam Mohamed Wee Abdullah, Group Chief Marketing Officer, CIMB
    •    Valérie Hernando-Presse, Chief Marketing Officer, Danone
    •    Gerhard Louw, Head of International Media Management, Deutsche Telekom
    •    Allyson Park, Global Vice-President, Corporate Affairs, Mars
    •    Francesco Tramontin, Director, Global Public Affairs, Mondelez
    •    Lynette Pang, Assistant Chief Executive, Marketing Group, Singapore Tourism Board
    •    Atul Agrawal, Senior Vice-President, Corporate Brand and Marketing, Tata
    •    Jan Morten Drange, CEO, Association of Norwegian Advertisers (ANFO)

    “It’s always gratifying that so many senior marketers are willing to serve on WFA’s committees and forums. We couldn’t do half the work we do without these vital contributions and the wisdom of so many senior marketers and policy professionals is critical in identifying upcoming issues and potential solutions to the many challenges faced by brands today,” said Stephan Loerke. 

    The full list of the WFA’s executive committee members can be seen at www.wfanet.org/executive. 

  • Mastercard drops name to rely on logo

    Mastercard drops name to rely on logo

    MUMBAI: Mastercard has announced the dropping of its name from the brand mark in select contexts. It has shared that the Mastercard Symbol, of interlocking red and yellow circles, will now stand on its own across cards. The mark will be accepted at all retail locations both in the physical and digital worlds, and major sponsorship properties.

    The decision has been taken keeping in mind the continuous evolvement of the consumer and commerce landscape. The brand believes that  the Mastercard symbol, which has been the hallmark of for more than 50 years, represents it better than one word ever could, and the flexible modern design will allow it to work seamlessly across the digital landscape.

    Mastercard chief marketing and communication officer Raja Rajamannar said, “Reinvention in the digital age calls for modern simplicity and with more than 80 per cent of people spontaneously recognising the Mastercard symbol without the word 'MasterCard,' we felt ready to take this next step in our brand evolution. We are proud of our rich brand heritage and are excited to see the iconic circles standing on their own."

    Partner at Pentagram Michael Bierut said, “We live in a time where, increasingly, we communicate not through words but through icons and symbols. Mastercard has had the great fortune of being represented by two interlocking circles, one red, one yellow, since its founding in 1966. Now, by allowing this symbol to shine on its own, Mastercard enters an elite cadre of brands that are represented not by name, but by the symbol: an apple, a target, a swoosh. Mastercard's two interlocking circles have always represented their commitment to connecting people. Now, that commitment is given greater presence by Mastercard's status as a symbol brand."