Moves and wins roundup: Week of 24 Feb

Sarovar names Nitika Khanna as marketing and communications director

Sarovar Hotels has appointed Nitika Khanna as director of marketing and communications. She brings experience in brand management, strategic partnerships, and digital marketing, having worked with Yatra, FCB ULKA, Euro RSCG, UTV, and ORG-Marg.

Khanna's role will focus on strengthening Sarovar Hotels' market positioning and expanding its communication outreach. The appointment aligns with the company’s strategy to enhance leadership with experienced professionals to drive growth and brand evolution.

Sarovar Hotels manages over 135 hotels across 85 destinations in India, Nepal, and Africa under brands such as Sarovar Premiere, Sarovar Portico, Hometel, and Golden Tulip. It operates under the Paris-based Group Du Louvre, which has a portfolio of 1,700 hotels in 60 countries.

MagicCircle announces senior leadership appointments

MagicCircle Communications has appointed Ashit Chakravarty as associate partner and chief operating officer to drive the agency’s expansion. He previously led business and growth at Dentsu Creative Webchutney and has worked on brands such as Uber, Airtel, and Maruti Suzuki.

The agency has also promoted Dheeraj Renganath to the post of head of transformation and creative excellence. Renganath previously served as chief creative officer of MagicCircle and has worked on campaigns for PolicyBazaar and MakeMyTrip in the past.

Gulf Oil appoints Aarthy Sridhar as CMO

Gulf Oil Lubricants India has appointed Aarthy Sridhar as its chief marketing officer (CMO). She will lead the company’s marketing initiatives and brand strategy as it strengthens its focus on consumer-centric marketing.

Sridhar joined Gulf Oil after 13 years at Hindustan Unilever, where she handled brand building, portfolio transformation, and strategic growth across multiple categories, including beauty, home care, and ice creams. She was involved in launching brands and driving premiumisation for products such as Lakme, Surf Excel, Comfort, and Magnum.

Gulf Oil aims to transition from industrial marketing to a more dynamic, consumer-focused approach. The company expects Sridhar’s expertise in brand architecture, product innovation, and strategic portfolio management to enhance its market position and brand equity.

Sridhar holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and a BTech in Information Technology from VJTI, Mumbai. She will report to Abhijit Kulkarni, the recently appointed chief commercial officer.

Upload Digital positions Rescript as sustainable stationery brand

Upload Digital has helped Rescript Stationery expand its market presence through branding and marketing initiatives focused on sustainable stationery. Over four years, Upload Digital has developed Rescript’s brand identity, executed strategic campaigns, and positioned it as a key player in the eco-friendly stationery sector.

Rescript aimed to challenge the perception that sustainable paper products were inferior in quality. Upload Digital addressed this by launching direct product comparisons, educational content, and experiential marketing. One initiative involved sending personalised letters on Rescript paper to over 100 businesses, showcasing its quality.

The marketing strategy also included data-driven outreach using SaaS tools to identify corporate clients seeking sustainable alternatives. This approach enabled Rescript to expand its reach in both B2B and D2C markets, contributing to a growing customer base.

As a result, Rescript recorded over four lakh yearly website visitors and built an organic social media following of 12,000. It also received 2,000 wholesale inquiries in a year. A recent on-ground activation campaign led to a 30% increase in website traffic and a 50% rise in sales inquiries.

With Upload Digital’s expertise, Rescript has strengthened its position in the sustainable stationery market, demonstrating that eco-friendly products can compete with conventional alternatives in quality and appeal.

Sakal Media partners with Adgebra for online monetisation

Adgebra has signed an exclusive deal with Sakal Media Group to provide native and in-read video advertising across its digital platforms. The partnership aims to enhance regional language advertising by integrating Adgebra’s ad technology with Sakal’s digital ecosystem, which includes eSakal, Gomantak, SaamTV, Agrowon, Gomantak Times, The Bridge Chronicle, and Sarkarnama.

As part of the agreement, Adgebra will serve as Sakal’s exclusive monetisation partner, delivering contextually relevant ads to over three crore monthly users. The deal also marks Sakal as the first adopter of NextTrend (Beta), a predictive analytics suite designed to forecast viral content trends in regional markets.

Adgebra Ocean, an AI-driven content amplification engine, will be deployed to align advertisements with editorial content. The platform uses cognitive semantic analysis, multi-language ad-content pairing, and behavioural resonance technology to optimise ad placement. NextTrend, currently in beta, combines Sakal’s editorial insights with Adgebra’s data models to predict emerging content trends, optimise headlines, and forecast monetisation potential.

By integrating predictive analytics with advertising, the collaboration aims to enhance audience engagement and improve ad relevance. Adgebra’s technology will support Sakal in leveraging data-driven insights to refine editorial and advertising strategies in Maharashtra’s digital media landscape.

Ranjan Bargotra returns to Crayons as executive director

Crayons Advertising has appointed the former president Ranjan Bargotra as executive director, marking his return to the agency after a brief sabbatical. Previously serving as the president of the organisation, Bargotra played a key role in building brands such as Kajaria Tiles, Fortis Healthcare, Kohinoor Rice, ITC Fortune Hotels, and APL Apollo. He also contributed to over two dozen political campaigns in India.

His return is expected to drive the agency’s strategic expansion and strengthen its industry position. Beyond advertising, Bargotra serves on the board of Abhinandan, an education and welfare NGO, and is associated with Digital Health Associates.

Crayons Advertising, founded in 1986 and headquartered in Delhi, operates across multiple cities, offering services in strategy, creative, media, digital, events, and out-of-home advertising. The agency went public in 2022 and works with brands such as Tata, Dabur, and Bank of Baroda.

1 Play Group appoints Rachna Baruah to advisory panel

Singapore-based technology company 1 Play Group has appointed Rachna Baruah to its advisory panel to oversee strategic communications and marketing efforts in India. Baruah, founder of Madchatter Brand Solutions, will help structure the company’s India team, streamline communication strategies, and explore business expansion opportunities.

The company, founded by media and tech entrepreneur Mohit Lalvani, operates PlayMersiv, a platform collaborating with governments and institutions to develop video applications. The appointment comes as 1 Play Group seeks to strengthen its market presence in India.

Titan expands Qoruz partnership for influencer marketing

Titan Company Limited has expanded its partnership with Qoruz to enhance its influencer marketing strategy using data-driven insights. Qoruz’s platform provides AI-powered tools for influencer discovery, campaign management, and competition analysis, enabling Titan to optimise engagement and brand impact.

The collaboration reflects a broader shift towards data-backed influencer marketing, allowing brands to make informed decisions and maximise campaign effectiveness. Titan aims to scale its digital outreach through this extended partnership.

Big Owl, Initium partner for unscripted content in India

Big Owl Pictures Australia and Initium Productions India have partnered to develop and distribute unscripted television formats for the Indian market. The collaboration will introduce 25 original formats spanning entertainment, dating, food, quiz, reality, sports, and survival genres.

Big Owl Pictures, led by former Warner Bros Australia executive Shaun Murphy, has produced global formats such as The Masked Singer and The Bachelor. Initium Productions, part of Procam International, has worked on projects for Tata, Microsoft, Disney+ Hotstar, and others.

The deal, facilitated by Link Marketing & Management International, aims to bring new storytelling formats to India’s growing television and OTT landscape.

Rose Audio Visuals launches branded content division

Rose Audio Visuals has launched Connect NXT, a branded content division aimed at creating story-driven narratives for brands. The initiative responds to shifting audience preferences, focusing on content that fosters engagement beyond traditional advertising. 

Connect NXT will develop and execute branded content using Rose Audio Visuals’ production and distribution networks. The division will explore new storytelling tools and formats to enhance brand messaging.

Megha Desai, with over 25 years of experience in content creation and brand partnerships, has been appointed as head of Connect NXT. Arvind Menon has been onboarded to serve as creative advisor, bringing expertise in merging creativity with strategic objectives. Menon, a former executive creative director at BBH India, has worked on campaigns for Mercedes-Benz, HDFC Ergo, and CaratLane.

Rose Audio Visuals, founded in 2003 by Goldie Behl, has produced multiple television series, OTT content, and films. The company has also expanded into audio storytelling with RosePod India and entered the Telugu market with Rose Kanakavalli. The launch of Connect NXT marks its entry into branded content, integrating entertainment with brand communication.

Hashtag Orange names Umeish Shashidharan as vice president of media

Hashtag Orange has appointed Umeish Shashidharan as vice president of media. In this role, Shashidharan will oversee media operations and new business development, working closely with Ankush Vij at the Mumbai office. Shashidharan brings 14 years of experience in digital media, with expertise in paid search, social media, and media planning.

Hashtag Orange is a full-service digital-first agency specialising in branding, marketing, and technology solutions. Aiming to expand its media capabilities, it expects Shashidharan's appointment to help elevate its digital media operations and growth trajectory.

Raksha Hospitality launches The Talking Spoons

Raksha Hospitality has launched The Talking Spoons, a premium catering brand aimed at evolving Indian wedding trends. The brand, developed in collaboration with strategy firm Sam & Andy, seeks to expand Raksha Hospitality’s presence in the high-end catering market while retaining its expertise in vegetarian wedding services. 

Raksha Hospitality has been in the industry for over 35 years and is among Mumbai’s top 10 vegetarian wedding hospitality firms. The Talking Spoons was introduced to cater to changing customer demands, particularly the rise of house parties and modern wedding trends. 

Sam & Andy worked on the brand strategy, including a new identity, menu design, and brand assets. The firm also proposed a cloud kitchen model to support revenue expansion. The partnership aimed to align The Talking Spoons with evolving market expectations while maintaining Raksha Hospitality’s established reputation.

Firebolt appoints Sandeep Mathur as APAC MD

Firebolt has appointed Sandeep Mathur as managing director for the Asia-Pacific region, aiming to expand its presence in key sectors such as financial services, e-commerce, and technology. Mathur will lead the company's regional growth strategy, go-to-market efforts, and oversee the development of global teams based in India, including support, sales development, and engineering.

He has over 25 years of experience in enterprise data and analytics, having held leadership roles at Lentra and Oracle. Firebolt plans to leverage his expertise to strengthen its footprint in APAC, where demand for real-time analytics and high-performance data solutions is increasing.

Firebolt specialises in cloud data warehousing for AI applications, offering low-latency and high-concurrency solutions. The company aims to address the growing need for AI-powered analytics and cost-efficient cloud solutions in the region. Mathur’s appointment is part of Firebolt’s broader strategy to expand its global reach and enhance its analytics offerings.

PR Professionals bags PR and digital mandate from Bihar revenue dept

PR Professionals has been awarded the public relations and digital media mandate for the Department of Revenue and Land Reforms, Government of Bihar. The firm strengthens its presence in the state by managing communications for multiple government departments.

PR Professionals has previously handled projects for institutions such as Bihar State Education Board, Patna Metro, and GSTN. The agency recently managed the 85th All India Presiding Officers' Conference in Patna, ensuring extensive media coverage.

Zouk onboards Kriti Sanon as ambassador

Zouk has named actor Kriti Sanon as its brand ambassador to strengthen its presence in the lifestyle and fashion accessories market. The company, which specialises in bags blending Indian craftsmanship with modern design, aims to expand its consumer base through the partnership.

Zouk has over 12 lakh customers and operates both online and through exclusive stores in Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru, Lucknow, and Gurugram. It recently launched a women-first luggage line designed for Indian travellers. The collaboration with Sanon is expected to boost brand visibility and align with the company's focus on contemporary Indian fashion.

Kotak Securities awards content marketing contract to NP Digital

NP Digital India has secured the content marketing mandate for Kotak Securities, focusing on expanding the brokerage firm’s digital reach. The agency will implement a strategic content marketing approach to enhance search visibility and audience engagement.

Through SEO-driven content and data insights, NP Digital India aims to position Kotak Securities as a leading source for capital markets information. The firm will optimise content distribution and improve discoverability across digital channels.

NP Digital India, co-founded by digital marketing expert Neil Patel, provides performance-driven marketing solutions. The company continues to grow its presence in India, supporting brands with innovative digital strategies.

Ramagya Group awards PR mandate to Brand Talkeez

Ramagya Group has appointed Brand Talkeez as its official public relations partner. The collaboration aims to boost the group’s presence in education, sports, and philanthropy. With over 41 years of legacy, Ramagya Group operates educational institutions and sports academies, focusing on inclusive learning and novel methods such as TED-inspired talks and experiential learning. The group’s sports academy has trained over 2.82 lakh athletes, with many of them securing over 36,000 medals across different sports. The group plans to open a new professional institute in March 2025.

Under the terms of the partnership deal, Brand Talkeez will be required to amplify Ramagya’s initiatives, enhancing its brand awareness, and reinforcing its contributions to education as well as sports. It will leverage its strategic storytelling capabilities to share Ramagya’s achievements and vision for the future.