MAM
WPP launches marketing foresight consultancy Gain Theory
MUMBAI: WPP has launched Gain Theory, a marketing foresight consultancy that will bring together data, analytics, technology solutions and consumer-insight capabilities.
It combines WPP’s intellectual capital in media, marketing, data and technology to create a consultancy that will help brands make smarter, faster, predictive business decisions.
According to a recent independent qualitative research study, marketers feel swamped by the sheer volume of data and technology solutions in the marketplace. Marketers also highlighted the need for a partner that would help them navigate this landscape, offering the insight and intelligence required to integrate, predict, plan and model marketing decisions effectively.
Led by worldwide CEO Jason Harrison, Gain Theory will address this need by providing solutions that tackle a set of pain points faced by marketing and insight professionals today in achieving the desired ROI from their marketing activities. These pain points include:
· Difficulty discerning actionable information from an expanding set of data and technology
· Confusion around terminology and jargon
· Multiple answers to a single business question
· The need for faster, smarter predictive insights
“At Gain Theory, our goal is to give clients the confidence to make the best marketing decisions now and in the future. Gain Theory’s predictive analytics and global team of specialists help simplify the process, distilling complex data and providing a holistic perspective to improve marketing results. I’m honored to lead such a dynamic team of smart problem solvers,” said Harrison.
The Gain Theory team comprises 200 marketing effectiveness consultants, analysts, data experts and engineers. This team offers insight-backed recommendations so that brands can adjust their marketing programmes for maximum business impact.
Gain Theory APAC CEO and worldwide chief strategy officer Sunder Muthuraman said, “At Gain Theory we will offer marketers thorough bespoke analytical solutions. Our solutions will bring intellectual capital in marketing analytics, big data, technology, media and customer relationship management to drive successful marketing decisions. Our goal is to create a new, independent and unbiased consultancy that will help marketers on the journey from data to outcomes and make smarter, faster predictive marketing decisions.”
He further added, “Gain Theory service will include a number of new exciting products that will be launched shortly – marketing ROI management platforms; visual analytics platforms, customer engagement management services, marketing forecasting and more.”
With key hubs in New York, London and Bangalore, the global operations will be supported by Manjiry Tamhane as worldwide COO and CEO, EMEA and Muthuraman.
“There’s no denying that technology today offers us more access to data than ever before but, in doing so it can also create paralysis for companies that need to act quickly. As an independent, third-party consultant, Gain Theory is a trusted partner that can help brands move forward confidently with the right marketing strategy,” said Harrison.
Globally, Gain Theory serves a host of premier global businesses across multiple geographies.
Brands
UltraTech Cement appoints Jayant Dua as managing director
Dua will succeed K. C. Jhanwar after his term ends in December 2026
MUMBAI: UltraTech Cement, the flagship cement arm of the Aditya Birla Group, has elevated Jayant Dua as managing director, effective 1 April, 2026.
The company’s board also approved his appointment as additional director, managing director and key managerial personnel, effective 1 January, 2027, following the completion of the current managing director K C Jhanwar’s term on 31 December, 2026, according to a regulatory filing.
Dua will serve as managing director for a four-year term from 1 January, 2027 to 31 December, 2030.
A veteran executive with more than 37 years of professional experience, Dua joined the Aditya Birla Group’s cement business in 1996 and spent nearly a decade in various functional and leadership roles.
Over the past two decades, he has held several profit-and-loss and chief executive responsibilities across multiple group businesses, including insulators, insurance, Century Cement and the chlor-alkali segment. In 2023, he was elevated to lead the group’s renewables and textiles businesses.
Within the group, Dua has received several internal honours, including the chairman’s individual award for exceptional contribution in 2002, the outstanding leader award in 2009 and the leader of leaders recognition in 2022.
He holds an engineering degree from Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, an MBA from International Management Institute and has completed the advanced management programme at Harvard Business School.
