Moves and wins roundup: Week of 8 July

B Ramanathan returns to Ogilvy India as chief client officer 

B Ramanathan has rejoined Ogilvy India as chief client officer. His last role was as the chief marketing officer of Ogilvy Asia and global brand leader–Mondelez, based out of Kuala Lumpur. He was also instrumental in driving Ogilvy Indonesia’s growth and transformation agenda as its group CEO.

Ramanathan’s stint with the global agency is now in its 24th year, which is a major part of his 29-year career graph. 16 of these have been spent in various business and office leadership roles across markets in Ogilvy India. In his new role, he will focus on the agency’s top clients driving the company’s business transformation and growth and highlighting its creative distinction.

Mitali Maheshwari joins Tata Starbucks as head of product and marketing

Starbucks has appointed Mitali Maheshwari as product and marketing head for India. She previously held the position of national brand marketing manager at Red Bull India. With more than a decade of crucial expertness in brand management and marketing, in her new position, she will lead product innovation and steer marketing initiatives for the brand.

The Marcom Avenue renews social media mandate with Reliance MET City

The Marcom Avenue, an independent marketing agency, has renewed its partnership with Reliance MET City for a second year. Reliance MET City, a rapidly growing model city in Jhajjar and a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, houses over 400 companies and claims to offer state-of-the-art infrastructure with excellent connectivity to the NCR region.

The partnership aims to enhance the brand identity of Reliance MET City, leveraging The Marcom Avenue's expertise in integrated marketing. Both parties expressed confidence in the continued success of their collaboration, emphasising the positive impact of their work together over the past year.

Kaizzen partners with Client Associates to boost financial awareness in tier-2 cities

Client Associates (CA), a Gurgaon-based multi family office and private wealth management firm based, has partnered with Kaizzen PR to enhance financial awareness in tier-2 cities across India, leveraging the agency's expertise in strategic communications and corporate reputation management.

CA plans to conduct exclusive knowledge sessions on topics relevant to high-net-worth individuals (HNIs) and ultra high-net-worth individuals (UHNIs) such as estate planning, tax, and private wealth management to keep them well-informed and financially savvy. CA has previously partnered with industry bodies to conduct client engagement programs and webinars and its partnership with Kaizzen is expected to further expand its impact in these emerging markets.

SW Network secures media mandate for Nef's Finds

SW Network has secured the media mandate for Nef’s Finds, a brand that is focused on sustainable yet chic fashion, after a competitive pitch. The mandate will be managed by the agency's Delhi headquarters, and will work towards enhancing Nef’s Finds' brand visibility and market presence through strategic media initiatives. It will work on expanding the brand's reach, targeting a youth audience increasingly interested in slow fashion. 

Aadhar Housing Finance Limited (AHFL) has selected SGA PR as its integrated communications partner. Having won this mandate in a multi-agency pitch, the mid-size communications consultancy will work with AHFL to build a comprehensive programme across brand communications, media relations, capital market PR and digital assets.

As a low-income housing finance company, AHFL wants to strengthen its market position by building a deep connection with its customers, engaging them through a personalised approach to storytelling and creating brand experiences at touchpoints that are relatable to the community. This requires it to win the trust of its customers in the competitive home loans market. SGA PR will create bespoke experiences to help it achieve its goal, which goes beyond coverage-driven PR. 

One Source bags Pocket FM's PR mandate    

Pocket FM has appointed One Source, an integrated marketing consultancy, to manage its public relations mandate. The latter will develop communication strategies to highlight the platform's growth and leadership in the audio entertainment industry.

Pocket FM, with a global audience of 130 million listeners, operates in India, the USA, and other international markets. The PR mandate will be led by Harsh Raj and his team at One Source, reporting to Debaman Guin, co-lead for corporate communication.  

Suyash Khabya takes charge as chief creative officer at The Womb

The Womb has promoted Suyash Khabya to chief creative officer. With 23 years of experience across agencies like Bates, BBH, and Ogilvy, he has been with The Womb for the past eight years, contributing to the agency's creative culture and emphasising its principle of 'simple yet unignorable' work.

Khabya'a approach to creativity focuses on developing impactful ideas while maintaining a client-centric perspective. He aims to bring more humor and unexpected concepts back into advertising. With experience in TV and OTT content creation, he plans to lead his team in producing innovative work under the new CEO, Anurag Gupta.

Korra elevates Saket Vaidya to CEO for global expansion

Digital marketing agency Korra has promoted Saket Vaidya from chief operating officer to chief executive officer, in line with the company's plans for aggressive global market expansion. Vaidya, who joined Korra’s leadership team in 2017, has been instrumental in shaping the company's strategic direction and success.

Before Korra, he was associated with Webchutney and Indigo Consulting. His leadership at Korra has played a crucial role in establishing it as a leader in direct-to-consumer marketing and in his new remit, he will continue to drive business growth and expand market presence.

Digital lending platform Lark Finserv has awarded its PR mandate to Communication Casa to boost its strategic communications and brand presence. Communication Casa, led by Manauti Walecha who has over 17 years of experience, will focus on crafting effective communication strategies and managing the fintech's public image, aiming to support its mission to become a major player in India's financial services sector. Established in 2023, Lark Finserv gained traction in the financial services industry and is collaborating with brands like Yes Bank, NPCI, and Digi Locker.

Tarun Chaudhary joins Rediffusion as head of north India

Tarun Chaudhary has joined Rediffusion as executive vice president and head of north India operations. Based in the agency’s Gurgaon office, he will oversee the Delhi and Chandigarh offices. With over 25 years of experience across advertising, sports marketing, consumer tech, digital media, and event management, Chaudhary began his career at Rediffusion in 1998 and has since worked with ad agencies like Mudra, JWT, and DaikoFHO, where he handled major brands such as Nestle, Godfrey Phillips, and Mitsubishi Motors.

In 2007, he pursued a Master in Sport Administration from AISTS Switzerland and later established the sports marketing division at Dentsu. He led initiatives like the Indian Fantasy League and Hyundai’s sponsorship of the 2011 Cricket World Cup. He also spearheaded FC Barcelona’s India project, which now trains over 5,000 kids nationwide.

Chaudhary has served as CEO of Indian Aces in the International Premier Tennis League and will now collaborate with Adrian Mendonza, the newly appointed head of creative at Rediffusion's Gurgaon office.

Havas Media Network India wins Muthoot FinCorp’s integrated media mandate

Muthoot FinCorp has appointed Havas Media Network India to manage its integrated media mandate, with the agency’s Bengaluru operations overseeing media duties across OOH, digital platforms, television, print, and on-ground activations. The collaboration aims to enhance non-banking financial company’s brand presence and amplify its financial inclusion initiatives through strategic campaigns.

The partnership's first major campaign, ‘Book My Gold Loan’, featuring actor Shah Rukh Khan, enables customers to book a gold loan instantly via a missed call. This multilingual and multi-platform campaign leverages Muthoot FinCorp’s extensive branch network and the convenience of obtaining a gold loan from home, targeting diverse audiences. Muthoot FinCorp also plans to focus on expanding its range of financial services.

Pepper Content secures content transformation mandate for French Essence 

Pepper Content, a content marketing platform, has won the digital mandate for French Essence, a fragrance and personal care brand. The collaboration will focus on creating tailored content to foster brand loyalty, utilising AI to enhance content transformation. Pepper Content's team will develop content for various audience segments at different stages of the marketing funnel.

Nidhi Gupta, chief marketing officer of French Essence, emphasised the importance of relatable content in the digital landscape. Anirudh Singla, founder and CEO of Pepper Content, highlighted their commitment to helping French Essence craft engaging content through their creator ecosystem and AI technology as it gears to build brand awareness and foster deep connections with the audience.

SOTC has appointed 21N78E Creative Labs as its creative agency after a competitive multi-agency pitch. Managed from the agency's Mumbai office, this partnership comes as India's tourism industry rapidly rebounds post-pandemic, with a surge in both domestic and international travel.

With over 75 years of experience, SOTC aims to leverage its new positioning, 'No one understands the Indian traveller better than SOTC', to reach wider audiences. Asif Riaz, SOTC's vice president and head of marketing emphasised the importance of finding a partner who could support this vision and hinted at upcoming campaigns.  

Dentsu Creative India has appointed Abhijat Bharadwaj as the chief creative officer (CCO) of Dentsu Creative Isobar. Co-reporting to Amit Wadhwa, CEO of Dentsu Creative India and Sahil Shah, president of Dentsu Creative Isobar, Bharadwaj will work closely with the leadership team to drive the agency's creative agenda forward.

With over 17 years of advertising experience, he has led campaigns for brands such as Star Sports, Swiggy, AM/NS, Mercedes-Benz, and Godrej, spearheading campaigns like 'Netflix for All,' Bhuvan Bam's Pizza Hut campaign, and 'Yeh Diwali Football Wali' campaign for the Indian Super League. Bharadwaj’s career includes key roles at agencies like Leo Burnett, McCann, and Creativeland Asia and he headed the premium sports vertical at Star Sports.

Atif Rahman joins Media.Monks India as head of client relationships

Media.Monks India has appointed Atif Rahman as head of client relationships. This is the latest addition in a series of leadership investments by the agency, which began with naming Robert Godinho as managing director, India earlier this year. Media.Monks India also named Shouvik Roy to spearhead business transformation and elevated the remit of existing talent, including John Paite to chief creative officer and Soven Mandal to executive creative officer, to strengthen the new ambitions of the India business.

Rahman brings more than 21 years of industry experience, having previously spearheaded the flagship portfolio for Samsung India at Cheil and played a pivotal role in consolidating the Coca-Cola business under the WPP banner during his tenure at Ogilvy.