MAM
Carat ranked No 1 agency in the 2014 India Business League: R3
MUMBAI: Carat has been named the number one media agency in India in the 2014 New Business League table, published by R3. Conducted across 14 of the Asia Pacific’s leading media agencies, the New Business League is a market-wise monthly tally of the agencies’ new business acquisitions. In India, the tally was conducted across 17 of the region’s leading media agencies.
For the record, R3 is a global marketing consultancy, focused on improving the effectiveness and efficiency of marketers and their agencies. Founded in 1972 in the US, and 2002 beyond the US, it works with eight of the world’s top 20 global marketers. Herein, R3’s methodology for New Business League is a compilation of the most recent data supplied by 26 multinational agencies on a monthly basis. The report is balanced against client estimates, Nielsen ADEX (advertising expenditure), discounted to appropriate levels and then converted to revenue estimates.
Commenting on the announcement, Dentsu Aegis Network south Asia CEO and chairman Ashish Bhasin said, “This is a very proud moment. Carat has been steadily gaining scale in India and I congratulate Kartik and his team for this achievement. New business is the best indicator of the health and vitality of an agency, and this should give us encouragement that Carat is in a good place across the region.”
Added Carat Media India MD Kartik Iyer, “2014 has been a watershed year for Carat in India. Thanks to the great work by the teams and huge support from our network, we have won quite a few very large and important businesses. With a healthy mix of Local and Global pitches, the wins are a result of some great strategic work by the team and outstanding support from our network. We are absolutely delighted by the response received from our clients on the innovative solutions and strategic thinking we presented to them. We look forward to continuing in the winning ways and a great year ahead.” In India, Carat has added some of the largest accounts of 2014 including General Motors, Microsoft, Nokia, British Airways, Mastercard and Ayurwin to name a few.”
And it’s not just India where Carat has managed to grab the number one spot in the 2014 New Business League table but has also been named as the number one media agency across the Asia Pacific region. Apart from India, the agency has been adjudged as the number one media agency in Thailand, Korea, Japan, Hong-Kong and Australia.
Carat, the world’s largest independent media communications specialist, is part of the global operating unit – The Dentsu Aegis Network, which also includes Vizeum, Posterscope, Brandscope, Hyperspace, psLive, PSI, Isobar and iProspect Communicate 2. The network also encapsulates Dentsu and Dentsu Media along with the local brands Webchutney, TaprootIndia and Milestone Brandcom.
Brands
Abhinav Rastogi named global marketing director for YouTube Shopping
Google veteran to scale creator commerce and expand shopping across global markets
SINGAPORE: Abhinav Rastogi has stepped into a new role as global marketing director for YouTube Shopping, marking the latest chapter in a more than decade-long career at Google.
Rastogi, who took on the position in February and is based in Singapore, will lead global marketing for YouTube Shopping, a platform designed to connect creators, viewers and merchants in a single ecosystem. His remit includes expanding the service into new markets and strengthening its positioning as a growth channel for both creators and brands.
In a reflective note on the transition, Rastogi pointed to a simple but powerful idea driving the role. For years, creators have quietly built trust with audiences through consistent and authentic content, and that trust often shapes purchasing decisions. What is changing now, he said, is the infrastructure around that behaviour. YouTube Shopping aims to make it easier for viewers to discover and buy products recommended by creators they already follow.
The scale is already significant. More than half a million creators have joined the programme, with recent expansion into Japan through a partnership with Rakuten signalling further global ambitions.
Rastogi believes the future of shopping on YouTube will be driven by a blend of creators, content and communities. In his view, it is the human voice behind the screen, not just the product, that ultimately builds trust and drives discovery.
Prior to this role, he served as director of marketing, YouTube Asia Pacific, where he led regional marketing across creator engagement, brand building and reputation. During that time, he played a key role in launching and scaling YouTube Shopping across eight markets in the region.
Earlier stints at Google include group product marketing manager, consumer apps, overseeing growth for products such as Search, Maps and Assistant across India and Southeast Asia, and product marketing manager roles spanning consumer apps and YouTube, where he contributed to launches including YouTube Music, YouTube Originals and YouTube Shorts.
Rastogi began his career in consulting with Boston Consulting Group and A.T. Kearney, before moving into the technology sector. He is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management Calcutta and Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.
Alongside his corporate role, he is also an active angel investor, backing early-stage startups in consumer technology and electric mobility across India and Southeast Asia.
As he settles into the new role, Rastogi is betting on a future where every video can double up as a storefront, and where commerce feels less like a transaction and more like a recommendation from a trusted voice.
