We are looking at greater integration within the group: Jt. President & CCO, Rediffusion
Recently promoted as the Joint President, Rahul Jauhari talks to us on the new developments, and what being no.1 means to him

It was historic of sorts when last week, co-founders of Rediffusion, Arun Nanda and Ajit Balakrishnan, acquired the combined 40 per cent stake of WPP agency Y&R and Dentsu, contending full control of the agency. The agency which was branded as Rediffusion-Y&R, will now go on to being called Rediffusion. This week, the agency also announced the elevation of their CCO, Rahul Jauhari as Joint President of Rediffusion India & Everest Brand Solutions. And the recent SBI mandate win post a rigorously-contested pitch apart from other big account wins like Tata Trusts and Liebherr say a thing or two about how it seems like now is Rediffusion's time to shine.
As it felt like things are picking up steam here, exchange4media caught up with Jauhari on the recent developments, about being No.1 and becoming the new Joint President, and more.
Edited excerpts below:
With your elevation as the Joint President, what will change and what will not?
I'm humbled at one level, and excited at another. The work I do, which is that of creation, does not change. But as my Chairman put it very well, one now needs to also think of every colleague in the company - the responsibility is greater.
Your perspective on WPP selling its stakes in JV with Rediffusion? What can we expect as we go forward?
Actually, the right thing to say would be that Rediffusion bought back the stake. That aside, we are looking at greater integration within the group. A closer relationship with rediff.com gives us a technology edge few have and this in turn will help us respond faster and better to our clients’ needs in a world that is hyper connected and mobile driven. The road ahead looks exciting, to say the least.
How has this over a decade-long journey been with Everest and Rediffusion?
I have spent almost 15 years in this group, over two stints. From 2000 till 2008 I was in the Delhi and Mumbai offices. Those were crazy times of the telecom boom in the country. Those were also the times when I cut my teeth on huge brands and even bigger challenges. Post a three-year stint with Lintas, I returned to the group in 2011 to lead the creative at Everest. And since 2015, I have been looking after the creative for both Rediffusion and Everest. Rediffusion has always given me the space, pace, learning and backing, whenever I have needed it. Right now, we have so much to do, so much to build and so much love and support of the group. Where else could I find such an opportunity in the Indian market? This is home ground for me and if you ask me there is no better place I would rather be.
Congratulations on winning the SBI mandate. Could you give us a sense of your creative plans for the brand?
It is always a team effort. And it’s not just SBI. We have also won the Tata 150 years mandate, Tata Trusts and Liebherr and each of these is a proud win for us. To answer your specific question - SBI is a massive responsibility for us. The banker to every Indian has evolved and continues to evolve far more than the average person knows. That in itself is a starting point. Our teams are working closely with the SBI brand custodians and our work should start rolling out in a few weeks.
What does being No.1 mean to you; awards, pitch success or simply more revenue?
None of the above. Being No.1 is not as important for me as being my clients most valued partner. That’s what I will at any time want to be and aim to be. The rest is cyclical – awards come and go, pitches come and go, revenue is sometimes good and sometimes not.
So how are client budgets at a craft level?
Overall, tighter.
Integrated agencies or specialised agencies - what do you think is the buzzword in the industry right now?
Buzzword, by definition, means that’s for some time. And then another buzzword will come along. And then another. This debate will continue forever. Let’s stay focused on being useful to our clients.
What is your creative strategy for the agency going forward?
We are here to solve our client’s business problems. The more creatively and smartly and sensibly we do it, the better we are. To do that we need to be insight-driven and culture relevant. We are now in a position to leverage our group strengths better. With deeper integration of Rediff.com, we now have the ability to respond to the clients’ needs for communication solutions in a hyper-connected and mobile driven world. That means solutions that go way beyond the basics of banner advertising, likes and shares.
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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
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'
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 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
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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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
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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