Tag: South Asia

Mumbai, India – Madison Digital, the digital unit of Madison World, has welcomed back Shobhit Gaur, most recently the digital head at PHD India, to be its new vice president. He will be reporting to Vishal Chinchankar, CEO of Madison Digital and Madison Media Alpha.

Gaur has more than 14 years of experience in various facets of the digital world including ROI, business development, data science, integrated, online, mobile and performance marketing, and social media, as well as brand planning, and digital strategy and analytics. Aside from his previous stint at PHD India, Gaur has also worked at MEC, Interactive Avenues, Starcom – Mediavest Group and Omnicom.

Commenting on re-joining Madison Digital, Gaur said, “I am excited to be returning to Madison Digital and look forward to contributing to the organisation in my new role and responsibilities. Madison Digital offers me exciting challenges and opportunities as I look forward to unlocking our clients’ growth with data, technology, and talent.” 

Meanwhile, Chinchankar also commented, “We’re glad to have Shobhit back on board. Having worked with various categories, he brings a wealth of experience to Madison. I am confident that we will be able to take our work to the next level with new business and continue to delight existing clients.”

Just recently, Madison PR, the communications arm of Madison World, appointed Abhinav Krishna Srivastava, former COO at SPAG Asia and DYellowElephant, to be its new CEO. He is an expert in internal and external communications covering public relations, public affairs/advocacy, digital, advertising and integrated marketing campaigns.

India – Automotive brand Volkswagen in India has launched a new campaign for its newly launched sedan, ‘Virtus’, which aims to reignite the premium midsize sedan with its ‘Big by’ design, performance, safety, connectivity, convenience and comfort. 

Titled ‘Hello Goosebumps’, the film, which was conceptualised by advertising agency DDB Mudra Group, highlights the thrill and joy of driving the new Volkswagen Virtus. It also captures the core DNA of the brand of build quality, safety, and fun-to-drive experience.

Meanwhile, Volkswagen’s media agency, PHD India, has further elevated the launch campaign via its 360-degree incisive approach, covering all vital media channels, and crafting an effective marketing strategy. The agency was also tasked with building enthusiasm and maximising outreach amongst its target audience to amplify the launch experience of Volkswagen Virtus. 

The campaign kick-started on a high note with the ‘French Window Innovation’ in India’s top-read newspaper, The Times of India. Garnering scores of impressions across the country, this large-canvas innovation delivered high-visibility engagement that today’s audiences desire and was augmented by high-impact roadblocks on leading business and news digital publications to maximise reach and frequency. 

Moreover, the campaign was further strengthened with an influencer marketing strategy featuring India’s mega influencers like Tamanaah Bhatia, Yami Gautam, and Mrunal Thakur, amongst others, perfectly encapsulating the essence of Virtus’ tagline – ‘Hello Goosebumps!’ through their own personal and professional journeys.

Abbey Thomas, head of marketing and PR at Volkswagen Passenger Cars India, shared that with the launch of the new Volkswagen Virtus, their intention was to showcase the potential of the premium midsize sedan segment. 

“Our communication positioning for the Virtus ‘Hello Goosebumps’ has been rightly captured by our partner DDB Mudra Group and amplified by PHD media in reaching out to our intended consumers. The combined efforts have elevated the excitement and thrill of driving sedans paving the way for an introduction truly befitting of the Virtus,” said Thomas. 

Meanwhile, Pallavi Chakravarti, DDB Mudra’s creative head for West, commented, “This sedan looks like a dream and drives like one too. ‘Hello Goosebumps’ captures the essence of the Volkswagen Virtus in a simple, visceral campaign that every passionate driver will undoubtedly relate to.”

Monaz Todywalla, CEO at PHD Media India, noted that the partnership with Volkswagen gave them the opportunity to steer another big launch campaign to its true potential while staying true to PHD’s tradition of helping its clients make significant leaps in the marketing space. 

“Utilising key strategies across all touchpoints to maximise reach, an outcome like this always gives us the impetus to continue building impactful experiences for brands like Volkswagen and elevate their marketing strategies to be a cut above the rest,” said Todywalla.

Mumbai, India – Madison PR, the communications arm of Madison World, has appointed Abhinav Krishna Srivastava, former COO at SPAG Asia and DYellowElephant, to be its new CEO. He will be based in the agency’s Mumbai office. 

With more than 21 years of experience, Srivastava is an expert in every aspect of internal and external communications covering public relations, public affairs/advocacy, digital, advertising and integrated marketing campaigns. He also comes with enriched experience of stakeholder engagement, CSR, financial and investor relations, crisis management, and media training. 

Moreover, Srivastava has led integrated marketing and communications strategies across sectors like consumer, lifestyle, food, pharma and healthcare, technology, and telecom, as well as energy, and infrastructure, amongst others. Having worked with some of the world’s most respected brands, he has experience with multiple consumer market mechanisms and managing complex corporate reputation programs for businesses.

Commenting on his new role, Srivastava said that he is beyond excited to join Madison Public Relations and be a part of such a respected, mission-driven team of India’s leading homegrown agency group. 

“I look forward to developing our business by building on established clients and finding new opportunities for growth. As the communications domain has got revamped in the past 2 years, I believe Madison’s might and my multi-sectoral experience will help us expand our growth horizon and get into the big league,” he added.

Meanwhile, Sam Balsara, chairman at Madison World, said, “I am delighted to have Abhinav lead our very capable and experienced Madison PR team as CEO. Am sure he will take Madison PR to new heights and will add a lot of value to our client’s business.”

Bengaluru, India – India’s homegrown e-commerce marketplace, Flipkart, has unveiled its new brand promise – ‘Super products at super prices with super speed’. To communicate this fresh approach, the brand has launched a new campaign, bringing Alia Bhatt in the avatar of a ‘FlipGirl’, the ‘superhero’ protagonist for the Indian shoppers seeking a saviour to affirm their ‘wishlist’.

Dressed in a cape with Flipkart’s signature blue and yellow colours, ‘FlipGirl’ has a sharp eye to avert any danger and help people in need. While saving them from dangers, she also saves the day by offering them advice to shop on Flipkart.

The campaign aims to communicate Flipkart’s commitment to democratising e-commerce and premium brands, making them accessible through faster delivery across the country, establishing itself as the go-to destination for consumer needs. It also brings forward the fact that products across categories, including mobiles and electronics, fashion and lifestyle, home accessories, and beauty, are made available conveniently and delivered to customers’ doorsteps across the country. 

Dushyanth Jayanty, vice president of marketing at Flipkart, noted that since its inception, Flipkart has promised and delivered a great selection at fantastic value delivered at speed, and this has only gotten stronger. 

“This is what we wanted to remind shoppers of – they can count on Flipkart to save their day. ‘FlipGirl’ embodies this for us, and Alia Bhatt’s fantastic skills have brought that to life. So next time, users do not have to compromise on selection or speed to get fantastic value – they can listen to FlipGirl and just shop on Flipkart,” said Jayanty. 

Meanwhile, Hemant Badri, SVP and head of supply chain at Flipkart, said, “ As the festive season kicks in, customers across the country are looking for a companion who can help them answer their need for fast delivery without compromising on product quality and selection. Our robust tech-enabled supply chain will ensure 1-hour delivery to same-day delivery across pin codes, and the FlipGirl concept communicates that to millions of customers across the country.”

Moreover, Flipkart has devised a 360-degree campaign, which was conceptualised by McCann World Group, with a judicious mix of channels to reach its dynamic set of consumers in multiple languages across demographics.

San Francisco, USA — Levi Strauss & Co. has announced the appointment of a new leader in its commercial organisation. Amisha Jain has been named as the company’s new senior vice president and managing director of South Asia-Middle East and Africa (SAMEA).

She will be responsible for leading Levi Strauss & Co’s operations in SAMEA and ensuring that the geography continues to drive expansion and growth, contributing to the company’s success in Asia and around the globe.

Jain brings more than 20 years of experience across multiple industries including physical and digital retail, consumer goods and technology and a strong track record of leading profitable, sustainable growth and transformation initiatives in both multinational and domestic companies in India to the company.

Most recently, Jain was the chief executive officer at Zivame, India’s number one intimate-wear brand and platform where she is known to be a transformational leader and a turnaround specialist. During her tenure there, she scaled the business nine times in three years before the business was acquired by Reliance Group in 2020. She started her career as an engineer with Motorola Inc. and has held roles across multiple functions including sales, operations and strategy at organisations like McKinsey & Company, Nike and Arvind Group.

Seth Ellison, EVP and chief commercial officer of Levi Strauss & Co., said, “We are thrilled to welcome such a dynamic, proven leader to the company. Jain’s years leading digital and physical retail businesses, her track record of delivering results while connecting with consumers and her passion for innovation is a combination that will set our SAMEA cluster up for accelerated growth.”

Simultaneously, Jain commented, “I am excited to join LS&Co. and the Levi’s a brand—one that I have always admired as a consumer and a business leader. The team has had an incredible journey thus far, and I am delighted to be part of this passionate and high-performing group. Together we will strive to take the brand to even greater heights in the region.”

Jain fills this role following the transition of Sanjeev Mohanty in late 2021 as Levi Strauss & Co.’s senior vice president and managing director of the U.S. and Canada.

Sri Lanka – Sri Lanka’s online payment gateway solution provider, WEBXPAY, has partnered with global payments company Visa to expand the scope of the country’s digital economy by enabling seamless, effortless, and sustainable digital payment acceptance solutions for SMBs across Sri Lanka. 

The partnership provides WEBXPAY with a boost to faster achieve its goal of empowering SMBs island-wide with face-to-face digital payment acceptance capability, offering them access to Visa cardholders across the globe. This in turn will increase scalability for the small business sector and consequently aid its recovery.

As a new member of the Visa Acceptance Fast Track Programme for APAC, WEBXPAY hopes to widen its net of financial inclusion by enabling digital payment acceptance to 10,000 new-to-digital Sri Lankan SMBs by 2025, aiming for a Gross Merchant Volume (GMV) of Rs 10 billion by 2025 to elevate the country’s digital economy. This will help increase contactless payment acceptance through soft POS, enable tap-to-phone payments with soft POS technology and bring about low-cost face-to-face transaction acceptance. In a post-pandemic economy, this will also help merchants rebuild and increase sales to more consumers and improve customer loyalty; all while offering their shoppers a friction-free digital payment experience at checkout.

Avanthi Colombage, Visa’s country manager for Sri Lanka and the Maldives, shared that small businesses have always been keen to adopt technology to further their business and most times, only need enablers to accelerate this. 

“Through the Visa Acceptance Fast Track Programme, we are excited to partner with WEBXPAY and play a role in helping thousands of small businesses across Sri Lanka go digital. With Visa’s solutions and best practices and WEBXPAY’s superior payment gateway solutions, small businesses can now accept contactless payments and enable tap-to-phone for merchants quicker and in a secure manner, in their path to recovery,” said Colombage.

Meanwhile, Omar Sahib, WEBXPAY’s founder, commented that they appreciate the support extended by Visa to help expand the fintech’s products and social goals in reaching out to the SMBs in Sri Lanka.

“Through this partnership, we are further extending our ability to offer fast, convenient, and frictionless payments processing in the hope that we contribute towards the greater expansion of the local digital payments ecosystem, and in turn play a transformative role in the growth of the digital economy of Sri Lanka,” said Sahib.

Mumbai, India – Consumer bank DBS has partnered with Bajaj Finance, the lending arm of non-banking financial services company Bajaj Finserv, to launch its first-ever credit card in India called ‘Bajaj Finserv DBS Bank SuperCard’, which is powered by Visa. This is designed to de-clutter customers’ wallets, eliminating the need for having multiple credit cards.

Through this partnership, DBS Bank India and Bajaj Finance aim to create an end-to-end digital experience and proposition for customers while catering to a large customer franchise across the geographic distribution of Bajaj Finance Limited.

The SuperCard will provide its customers with benefits and rewards across different product categories and exclusive benefits on Bajaj Finserv’s range of products and services available across the country.

Prashant Joshi, DBS Bank India’s head of consumer banking group, stated that this SuperCard is a transformative credit card experience curated to eliminate friction in the payments journey and transparency in billing so that customers can ‘Live More and Bank Less’.

“The credit card space is seeing robust growth. We are confident that the SuperCard developed in partnership with Bajaj Finance will help eliminate the need for multiple cards, widen the access to credit and offer compelling rewards and benefits to our customers, thanks to the BFL franchise network. Our vision is to leverage the strengths of both organisations and offer an end product which guarantees rich rewards and best-in-class customer experience,” said Joshi.

Meanwhile, Anup Saha, Bajaj Finance Limited’s deputy CEO, noted their partnership with DBS bank for this co-branded credit card further strengthens their position to deliver a seamless customer experience.

“The Bajaj Finserv DBS Bank SuperCard, as the name suggests, not only provides various industry-first benefits across lifestyle, travel and subscription categories but also provides exclusive Bajaj Finserv EMI network benefits like cashbacks on ‘No-cost-EMI’ loan down-payments & redemption of cash points against the same. It also has Bajaj Finserv Health benefits bundled into it. Bundling all this together, this card is a clear contender to become the most preferred card in our customers’ wallets,” said Saha.

Sandeep Ghosh, Visa’s group country manager for India and South Asia, said, “As more consumers turn to credit cards for their daily and discretionary needs, they actively seek easier access to credit alongside curated benefits and privileges. The Bajaj Finserv DBS Bank SuperCard has been designed to offer the best of both worlds. We are excited to partner DBS Bank as they launch their first credit card in India and are confident that the card’s unique value proposition will appeal to a large segment of Indian consumers.”

India – Specialty food brand VS Mani & Co has launched a new campaign to relay its core brand proposition – bringing authentic South Indian delicacies and experiences to people across the world.

The campaign, which was conceptualised in-house and executed by Chennai-based production house The Picture Machine Films, includes two films that tell a heartwarming tale of old-school, South Indian hospitality.

GD Prasad, VS Mani & Co’s founder, shared that with these films, they want to deliver a simple message, which is the delicacies are so authentic that consumers transport them in spirit to a traditional South Indian home.

“This campaign is also a hat tip to the humble, loving household I grew up in, one that welcomed every guest with open hearts and delicious food. We want our customers to experience the same sense of homecoming whenever they sample our fare,” said Prasad.

Meanwhile, Rahul Bajaj, VS Mani & Co’s co-founder, noted, “This campaign is our attempt at being recognised as a national South Indian brand offering authentic flavours and tastes from the region.”

Antony Jacson, Picture Machine’s founder, said, “In these films, we have used an over-the-top creative device to communicate VS Mani’s brand promise of the ultimate South Indian experience. This project has been doubly exciting for us, because this is a brand we have a lot of love for, and because it has given us an opportunity to put South India’s culture and cuisine on the map.”

New Delhi, India – Digital media and digital marketing solutions company Adobe in India has appointed Anindita Das Veluri, former director at Deloitte India, to be its new head of marketing.

In this role, Veluri will be leading Adobe’s marketing strategy across the Indian market, and will be directly reporting to Duncan Egan, Adobe’s vice president of marketing for APAC.

In a career spanning over two decades, Veluri has held various leadership roles across sales and marketing. During her recent stint at Deloitte, she was responsible for building the Adobe alliance and scaling the company’s business in India. Prior to that, as the India business leader for the Adobe practice at IBM, Veluri was instrumental in expanding Adobe’s footprint across client segments. She was also involved in incubating the ‘marketing-as-a-service’ model for IBM Services and setting up the digital marketing services practice for solution selling across industries.

Commenting on her appointment, Veluri said, “In today’s digital economy, businesses understand that building customer experience is mission-critical to their growth, and Adobe is at the forefront of delivering next-generation technology to power them. I am excited to join Adobe’s exceptional team to grow the company’s strong and loyal base of customers as well as partners in India.”

Meanwhile, Egan shared that they are excited to welcome Veluri to drive Adobe’s marketing in India, as her strong track record and unique experience of having worked at the intersection of marketing, technology, business, and creativity make her a great partner for their fast-growing India business.

“Given Adobe’s clear leadership in the exploding Customer Experience Management category, we’ve led the industry by creating best-in-class marketing practices that drive business success. We see Anindita playing a critical role in sharing Adobe’s marketing journey with brands in India, and enabling their digital transformation strategies,” said Egan.

Dhaka, Bangladesh — The Bangladesh-based financial institution, AB Bank Limited, has announced the elevations of Syed Mizanur Rahman and K.M Mohiuddin Ahmed as deputy managing directors.

Rahman holds an extensive understanding of the banking industry as he has over 25 years of banking experience. Under his leadership Retail Banking Division, Agent Banking Division and Business Development Unit were established in AB Bank.

Before joining AB Bank, he worked for Dhaka Bank, IPDC, Bank Al Falah and United Commercial Bank. Over the years Rahman acquired extensive knowledge in different segments of the banking industry with a distinct focus on branch banking, retail, process transformation, business development and corporate communication.

On the other hand, Ahmed joined AB Bank in 2003. Having more than 19 years of experience in the bank, Ahmed worked in different positions at the Department of Accounts and Finance.

He has extensive experience in the arena of financial management, financial control, capital management, taxation, budgetary management etc. Ahmed has also worked as a core team member and track lead of the core business software up-gradation project of the bank.