Starcom MediaVest begins CEO-South Asia hunt; Ravi Kiran speaks on his next plans

As Ravi Kiran, CEO – South Asia, Starcom MediaVest Group, announced his decision to move on from the agency, SMG has got busy meeting people in Mumbai and Delhi for deciding on a replacement. Also on the consideration set is Sandeep Lakhina, COO, Starcom Worldwide. As for what next for Ravi, he says, “Not known, all options open”.

e4m by Noor Fathima Warsia
Published: Sep 30, 2010 8:42 AM  | 3 min read
Starcom MediaVest begins CEO-South Asia hunt; Ravi Kiran speaks on his next plans

The media service brands domain in India saw a high-profile movement on September 29, 2010, when Ravi Kiran, CEO, Starcom MediaVest Group (SMG), announced his decision to move on from the agency. While speculation on his movement has been doing the industry rounds for almost two months now, the company issued an official statement confirming the development, yesterday.

Kiran serves his notice with the Group till end of the year, which, as he put it, gave everyone involved a “comfortable transition period”.

Needless to say, SMG has begun an aggressive CEO - South Asia hunt. Andrew Swinand, President, Global Operations, Starcom MediaVest Group, has been busy meeting people in Mumbai and Delhi on September 29 and September 30, 2010 to identify a replacement. It is understood that Sandeep Lakhina, COO, Starcom Worldwide, is also a strong contender in the consideration set.

On the other hand, Kiran will now begin the search for his destination next. In a conversation with exchange4media, he observed, “Whether it was right or wrong thing to have done, I just couldn’t think of what I would be doing next, while staying focussed on the SMG agenda. Nothing has come to my mind yet. I have, in fact, not even started any conversations with anyone in any industry, no venture capitalists, no private equity, no head hunters, nothing. All I have right now are random thoughts, but they are so random that they may not make any money. From now to end-December, I will think about all this.”

Does he intend to continue with the advertising and media industry? “Let me put it this way,” replied Kiran, “For 20 years, I have done only this, and this is the only thing I know. Now I have to balance my risk and returns if I think of opting for something different or stay focussed on what I know best. But all options are open right now.”

For Kiran, now was the right time to make the move. Elaborating on why he had thought so, he said, “Things are going well right now – we have build a good team in the agency now. Despite the tough year that the media service brands saw, business at Starcom has been strong and stable, and this is a matter of great pride for all of us. It is a testimony to the strength of the company. Now is the time to hand over the baton to somebody else.”

Adding further to that point, he remarked, “Even if it may sound philosophical, when the going is good, and you hand over the baton to somebody else, it would start a new phase for the company, which may not be necessarily true if it was any different.”

SMG has grown manifold under the Ravi Kiran’s charge, and today boasts of being one of the most diversified media service brands in India, a model that SMG has even taken to other markets. The year 2010, and some of 2009 as well, didn’t see the agency add on any big business, but as SMG officials have explained on occasions in the past, 2010 was a stable year for the company with the agency recording significant organic growth.

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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur

The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:15 PM  | 1 min read
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With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.

The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.

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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out

The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:07 PM  | 1 min read
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Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."

The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."

COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.

Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.

He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 11:48 AM  | 1 min read
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e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.

According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.

As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.

A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.

Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.

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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall

The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 10:54 AM  | 1 min read
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Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.

“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.

“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.

"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."

"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:39 PM  | 1 min read

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:38 PM  | 1 min read

KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias

Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 24, 2023 3:35 PM  | 1 min read
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KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.

Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy

Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.

Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."

Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."

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