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Tag: WPP

  • GroupM elevates Arshan Saha to APAC CEO, Xaxis & specialty businesses

    GroupM elevates Arshan Saha to APAC CEO, Xaxis & specialty businesses

    MUMBAI: WPP’s media investment group, GroupM on Tuesday announced that it has expanded Arshan Saha’s role to CEO of Xaxis & specialty businesses, APAC. Saha’s previous title was CEO of Xaxis APAC and in his new role, will lead GroupM’s data-driven specialty businesses including Xaxis (programmatic), INCA (influencer marketing), finecast (addressable TV), sightline (addressable out-of-home), and acceleration (data & tech consultancy practice).

    The consolidation of leadership for all data-driven specialty businesses for APAC, will ensure GroupM’s continued future-ready innovation and growth. Saha brings his experience in growing and scaling Xaxis across the region to further strengthen GroupM’s data and technology suite of products, said the company in a press statement.

    GroupM, APAC CEO, Ashutosh Srivastava commented, “As part of GroupM’s overall global strategy for growth, we have been investing in launching and growing several data-driven specialty businesses in the region. Apart from Xaxis, we have fast-growing businesses in INCA and finecast, and are on the verge of launching addressable OOH and data & tech consulting. Arshan has shown great product and commercial acumen in growing Xaxis, and we are confident of his success in scaling our performance and digital product offerings across Asia-Pacific.”

    Speaking on his new role, Saha said, “My journey at Xaxis has provided me with the perfect platform to succeed in this role. I am excited to embark on this new challenge, leading a high-growth portfolio of specialty businesses for GroupM in channels that are in high demand from our clients. This consolidation will empower our clients to make media work harder for them while allowing them to easily access GroupM’s digital expertise as a single unit.”

  • GroupM India elevates Atique Kazi to president – data, performance and digital products

    GroupM India elevates Atique Kazi to president – data, performance and digital products

    Mumbai: GroupM India, WPP’s media investment group, Friday elevated Atique Kazi to president – Data, Performance and Digital Products, with effect from 2 August. 

    Kazi will be based out of the agency’s Mumbai office and report to GroupM South Asia CEO Prasanth Kumar and Xaxis APAC CEO Arshan Saha. He will also be joining the conglomerate’s executive committee, the company said in a statement.

    Kazi has been a part of the GroupM family since 2013. He was integral in launching Xaxis in India before moving to Singapore to take over a regional role. He established the agency’s AI-enabled influencer marketing solution, INCA across 10 key markets.

    In his new role, Atique will continue to build on the brand’s best practices and technologies across the fields of data analytics, deep learning, process mining, performance marketing and business intelligence to create efficient, fast, and scalable value-added processes, it further said.

    Welcoming Kazi on board, Prasanth Kumar said, “At GroupM our focus is to continue evolving by offering flexible, scalable and innovative solutions. Atique joining the core team at GroupM India is the reflection of our commitment towards offering digital solutions that can create great value-add for brands in this ever-evolving market. I look forward to working closely with Atique and I am confident that he will continue to grow our digital offerings. His expertise of aiming at innovation and providing value-propositions will be key towards Digital Transformation of our clients and partners.”

    Arshan Saha said, “The scale and speed of digital transformation and the fact that India as a market has demonstrated its leadership in this area means that we need to have our best talent to fulfil this demand. Atique is one of our very best with a proven track record locally and most recently regionally in APAC where he launched and scaled GroupM’s Influencer and content arm – INCA.  Having worked with Atique for over 8 years, I can attest to his leadership, curiosity, knowledge and drive which are invaluable in defining and determining client success.”

    Before joining GroupM Kazi was a part of Yahoo! in London heading planning and strategy for emerging markets in EMEA. His career pedigree also spans The Economist, The Times Group, JVC etc over the past 18+ years.

    On his new role, Kazi said, “I am excited by this role given the scale of the opportunity to drive further growth within GroupM. I strongly believe that digital acceleration provides agility to organizations. With the support of better data, analysis, innovation, stronger performance, and result orientation we can better respond to brand challenges and accelerate their transformation journeys and help them achieve faster business outcomes. India is a market of opportunities and by leveraging GroupM’s digital expertise we can redefine the ecosystem.”

  • GroupM India appoints Karthik Shankar as head of digital trading

    GroupM India appoints Karthik Shankar as head of digital trading

    Mumbai: GroupM India, WPP’s media investment group, has announced the appointment of Karthik Shankar as head of digital trading. He will be responsible for digital trading and partnerships for the company and will report to GroupM India’s investments & pricing president Sidharth Parashar, the company said.

    Karthik comes with vast experience in building businesses using digital advertising technologies. He has worked with video technology start-ups and set up business units for programmatic & connected TV platforms.

    Sidharth Parashar said, “Karthik has a proven track record of managing tech & media partnerships, digital trading, e-commerce, and leading brand safety initiatives. We believe that Karthik would play a pivotal role, as we partner with our esteemed clients in their digital transformation journey,”

    On his new role, Karthik Shankar said, “These are exciting times for digital advertising which is witnessing hyper-growth in all spectrums including video, commerce, and data. Clients and partners seek guidance and support in navigating this complex ecosystem. This role has the right mix of understanding, access, and ability to collaborate with the ecosystem to streamline media investments. I am excited to join and be part of the GroupM family.”

  • GroupM appoints Madhvi Pahwa as chief people officer, South Asia

    Mumbai: GroupM, WPP’s media investment group on Thursday appointed Madhvi Pahwa as its new chief people officer for the South Asia region (APAC). Pahwa, previously chief people officer at Mindshare APAC was promoted into the role to lead the GroupM India talent team and develop the company’s talent proposition for the region. She will report to GroupM South Asia CEO, Prasanth Kumar.

    In her six years as Mindshare’s APAC CPO, Pahwa led several ground-breaking initiatives in the region including, the design and rollout of Mindshare’s award-winning ‘Balance’ program in APAC. This resilience training programme won a Women Leading Change Award two years in a row (2020 & 2021) and is now being extended globally. She is also credited for bringing Mindshare’s ‘Momentum’ high potential leadership training programme to Asia and delivering numerous L&D programmes across commerce, AI, and planning.

    Pahwa replaces Rohit Suri, who is moving on to explore other opportunities.

    GroupM South Asia, chief executive officer, Prasanth Kumar said: “Madhvi has a proven track record of delivering innovation and education that moves the dial for the business. She is the perfect choice to lead the GroupM South Asia talent team and to lead us into the next phase of our growth. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Rohit Suri for his commitment and efforts in helping build the talent team across South Asia. We greatly appreciate his contributions and wish him the best.”

    Talking about her new role, Pahwa said: “Our employee promise has been to make Mindshare the place where you do your best work, and it has certainly been true for me. The people, priorities, and culture just come together almost magically to bring out the best in you. I am grateful and proud to be part of the GroupM network that has given me growth opportunities across multiple agencies and geographic remits spanning global, regional, and markets while supporting flexibility and personal priorities. I am super excited for the next chapter for GroupM India.”

    A replacement for the role of Mindshare APAC CPO will be announced shortly, said the company.

  • Sandeep Goyal led Mogae Media to acquire Rediffusion

    Sandeep Goyal led Mogae Media to acquire Rediffusion

    New Delhi: Integrated marketing and communications agency Mogae Media is all set to acquire independent advertising agency Rediffusion.

    The deal also includes sibling agency Everest Brand Solutions.

    Rediffusion was launched by Diwan Arun Nanda, Ajit Balkrishnan, and Mohammed Khan in 1973. In 1994, agency holding network WPP had acquired Rediffusion and merged it with US agency Young & Rubicam (Y&R) to form Rediffusion Y&R. In 2018, Nanda and Balakrishnan gained 100 per cent control of the agency to become an independent entity once again.

    It is learnt that post the current acquisition, Mogae Media founder & chairman Sandeep Goyal will take over as the managing director of the agency. Goyal was president at Rediffusion (Rediffusion Y&R) between 1997 and 2001, after which he left the firm to become Zee Group’s chief executive officer. He had exited the Zee Group a year later and entered into a joint venture with dentsu to become its group chairman. In 2011, he sold his stake and launched Mogae Media.

  • WPP launches global data company Choreograph

    WPP launches global data company Choreograph

    MUMBAI: WPP has launched its new global data consultancy arm Choreograph, to help clients realise the value of their first-party data, consult on and implement their data and technology strategies, and advise on privacy-first approaches to navigate the fast-changing data landscape.

    WPP Choreograph will help clients create and manage their first-party data assets and activate them for media buys as third-party trackers phase out. Accessible to clients through GroupM’s media agencies, Choreograph will offer data and identity management consulting, audience and insight-driven media planning, AI-driven media optimisation and predictive analytics. The group will also help clients with strategies around premium media supply, ad verification and data ethics. 

    “We have a host of products and tools across WPP that we need to simplify, rationalise and make investments in, in order to help clients own their first-party data,” said GroupM global CEO Christian Juhl.

    Agencies can access Choreograph tools through WPP Open, a common platform housing the applications, best practices and frameworks across the holding company. The group is “another important step in our simplification strategy,” WPP CEO Mark Read said in a statement.

    “We are at an inflection point in the industry, where brands have an imperative to leverage their own first-party data to make advertising more relevant, effective and personal while fully respecting consumer privacy,” he said. “We must also use data to gain insights, shape our creative work and measure results – and this requires a holistic approach that this integrated offering brings by enabling data to flow across client, agency and media owners.”

    WPP will continue to build out Choreograph through acquisitions and partnerships, and has “almost unlimited investment budget to do what we need to do for clients,” Juhl said. The group will also look to hire talent from data and technology organizations, as opposed to agencies.

    Choreograph will operate as part of GroupM, with GroupM North America CEO Kirk McDonald extending his remit to lead the new company. McDonald is joined by a seasoned data and technology leadership team from across WPP along with more than 700 technologists, product developers and data scientists.

  • Facebook’s Dave Rolfe moves to WPP as global head of production

    Facebook’s Dave Rolfe moves to WPP as global head of production

    NEW DELHI: WPP has appointed Dave Rolfe to the new role of global head of production, WPP and Hogarth.

    Rolfe, who was most recently head of production for global business marketing at Facebook, will be based in Hogarth Worldwide, WPP’s creative production arm. He joins in March, reporting to WPP’s incoming global chief creative officer Rob Reilly and Hogarth CEO Richard Glasson.

    In this newly created role, Rolfe will be responsible for executing a strategy that elevates the role of production in delivering creative excellence across WPP. He is tasked with attracting and nurturing the best production talent from across the industry and building a best-in-class production community that offers integrated and innovative solutions for clients. Given Hogarth’s long-standing partnership with Ogilvy, Dave will also oversee production at the agency.

    Prior to Facebook, Rolfe was global EVP, director of integrated production at BBDO for eight years. He played a key role in BBDO’s creative success, garnering numerous prizes for work ranging from social and innovation to Super Bowl, as well as high-profile cause-related work.

    He has consistently earned creative and innovation recognition working with clients such as AT&T, Burger King, GE, Mars, Bacardi, Microsoft, Anheuser-Bush, Domino’s, VW, MINI, as well as Sandy Hook Promise and American Legacy Foundation’s Truth.

    WPP CEO Mark Read said, “Dave is simply the best in the industry, and his appointment underlines our commitment to outstanding creativity on behalf of our clients. He will be a great partner to Rob and the Hogarth team, and a great champion of excellence and innovation in creative production throughout WPP.”

    Rolfe added, “Over the past five years I’ve focused much of my efforts on how the consolidated production model can best perform, as it both innovates for clients at the highest level and aligns with agencies – respecting and bolstering their production offering. As much as I’ve spent time cultivating projects small and large, the scaled model enables effective partnership and great work at all levels. I couldn’t be more excited to work with the talented team at Hogarth and to help deliver WPP’s creative ambitions for its agencies and clients.”

  • WPP to host second series of CX India in partnership with Adobe

    WPP to host second series of CX India in partnership with Adobe

    NEW DELHI: WPP is all set to host the second session of its CX series, to be held on 26 November 2020, in partnership with Adobe. Recognising the importance of CX in today’s day and age, the session will discuss a human-centred design approach and design thinking methodologies, with design, experience and technology experts sharing their thoughts on how to reframe CX strategies in an agile landscape. A previous session featuring Kantar had focused on Indian brands which had the experience advantage, including those within media, telecom, digital devices and digital services categories.

    The key speakers for the session will include VMLY&R global lead — human-centred design and CX executive director Jason Gaikowski, VMLY&R co-CEO Asia Tripti Lochan, Adobe India head of solutions consulting Ayshak Venugopalan, and Licious chief business officer Meghna Apparao. 

    CVL Srinivas, country manager – India for WPP said, “The customer journey has become more complex than ever. Traditional avenues of reaching consumers are now being replaced by virtual touchpoints. Technology has created opportunities for brands to create unique, compelling and even personal customer experiences. With the right mix and strong design approach, brands can differentiate themselves from the competition and continue to interact and stay connected with their consumers.”

    Jason Gaikowski said, “Covid2019 has essentially pulled technology adoption forward by a decade. While this has had an obvious impact to more mature technologies involving data, commerce, and contactless services, it’s had an even stronger impact to emerging tech; particularly in the AR/VR and game-world space. With these technologies, brands have the opportunity to replace and enhance the experiences that otherwise relied on place and space. With so much of society; work, school, medicine; moving online, it’s an amazing opportunity to redesign what we experience in these digital places and spaces.”              

    Tripti Lochan said, “India has incredible opportunities for CX thinking and innovation. It's a space in which most leading brands are now looking to invest, and those who aren't need to get there quickly. Great CX is about connecting a brand to its consumers on an emotional level, across devices, platforms and mediums. Consumers today live in a connected world, and brands need to keep up.”

    “The CX race is to earn your customers trust and loyalty. This means you must understand them better than anyone else, and deliver exactly what they want when they need it. It's easier said than done. Businesses need to re-architect their systems around the customer, which changes the way they operate. Failing to realise this, there goes your competitive advantage,” added Vyshak Venungopalan. 

  • Geometry joins VMLY&R to create leading global commerce business

    Geometry joins VMLY&R to create leading global commerce business

    New Delhi: WPP has launched VMLY&R Commerce, a new end-to-end “Creative Commerce Company” combining the talent and scale of two thriving global offerings. VMLY&R Commerce will operate as a distinct company within the VMLY&R global network.

    WPP agencies Geometry and VMLY&R will bring together their respective commerce capabilities to provide world-leading expertise and delivery for clients at a time of unprecedented global growth in e-commerce. VMLY&R Commerce will be led by global chief executive officer Beth Ann Kaminkow, currently global CEO of Geometry.

    VMLY&R Commerce will be central to the VMLY&R network’s total brand and customer experience offering. It will help connected brands grow by unifying client strategies around commerce to drive both brand equity and conversion.

    Kaminkow said: “Consumer experiences today are centered on commerce, making it increasingly important to our clients’ marketing and media decisions. As the pandemic accelerates new consumer behaviors and expectations, commerce is fast becoming the next channel for the most creative engagements and experiences. With the launch of VMLY&R Commerce, we can now offer our clients creative commerce at scale, harnessing data and technology to build brands and sell products across channels.”

    Geometry has proven a key partner in helping clients navigate the new commerce landscape. VMLY&R has also seen substantial momentum across its customer experience practice, expanding its e-commerce business with client partners. VMLY&R Commerce will align these global powerhouses to create a best-in-class, end-to-end offer for clients. It will leverage the combined assets of the Geometry and VMLY&R networks, which between them have more than 11,000 employees across 80 countries worldwide.

    VMLY&R Commerce will harness Geometry’s proprietary Living CommerceTM platform to guide strategic commerce consultation, development and activation across retail, design, experiential and innovation disciplines. Living Commerce facilitates the understanding of how, when and why people buy to deliver creative commerce solutions based on real human insights, driving commercial impact.

    “I’m thrilled to work with Beth Ann on the evolution of our collective commerce offering through VMLY&R Commerce,” VMLY&R Global CEO Jon Cook said. “We have been partnering closely across many clients and it is clear we share a vision and belief in the role commerce plays in a consumer’s journey and creating connected brands. Importantly, we both have a deep passion for leading our businesses with a focus on culture – both internally and with our client partners which is essential in creating a new company built for the future.”

    WPP CEO Mark Read said: “2020 has seen explosive growth in e-commerce as brands adapt to a new reality. This new company will offer outstanding creativity, industry-leading commerce expertise, and sophisticated data and technology skills to help brands grow in an omni-channel world. It also meets clients’ needs for simple, tightly integrated propositions from their marketing services partners.”

    VMLY&R Commerce will be fully operational from January 1, 2021, and the integration of the agencies’ teams and assets will continue through 2021.

  • WPP merges AKQA and Grey into new AKQA Group

    WPP merges AKQA and Grey into new AKQA Group

    NEW DELHI: WPP has amalgamated its agencies AKQA and Grey to form a new network model, AKQA Group. With heightened demand for digital transformation and technology-driven capabilities, the combination will create a powerful new proposition for clients as a leading creative solutions company with a worldwide footprint, the group mentioned in a note.

    The new group will be led by AKQA founder Ajaz Ahmed, who will become the CEO and Grey Worldwide CEO Michael Houston, who will be the global president and COO.

    The AKQA Group will launch with the AKQA and Grey brands, which will be integrated over time into a single company based on client and market needs. The management team and creative leadership will be announced in the coming weeks, comprising leaders from AKQA and Grey.

    It will have 6,000 people in more than 50 countries and a blue-chip client roster that includes more than half of the Fortune 500’s top 20. It will provide a full range of brand experience capabilities across all communications platforms, strengthening the skills and services of both companies for clients.

    Ajaz Ahmed said: “Our goal is to expand horizons, combining the curiosity, ambition, imagination and pioneering spirit of a startup with the reach of a global enterprise. This is an unparalleled opportunity for AKQA and Grey to bring our shared assets to life into a modern, creatively-led company, building upon our inspiring and useful work to create value for our clients, people and communities.”

    Michael Houston said: “This exciting new partnership begins with what consumers expect, clients value, and brands need. Forming a new company that can deliver culture-driving ideas through technology at speed and scale is a potent proposition for our clients, large and small, and will allow us to offer the most powerful creative solutions in the industry.”

    WPP CEO Mark Read said: “Our clients want outstanding creativity, powered by technology expertise and delivered at a global scale. This new company is designed precisely to meet those needs and is another important step forward in building our future-facing offer for clients.”