MAM
Focus creates launch campaign for Dalmia Cement with Mary Kom as brand ambassador
MUMBAI: Focus has been recently awarded with the creative duties of the cement major ‘Dalmia Cement‘ for the entire North-East region.
The mandate involves the entire integrated brand and communication strategy which includes ATL and BTL initiatives. The agency has begun work on the project and launched its first campaign for the brand recently. The brand has also brought on board Olympic bronze medallist boxer Mary Kom as brand ambassador.
Focus Circle (creative arm of Focus) national creative director Rahool Talukdar said, “This association has given us the opportunity to not only work for a heavy weight cement brand like Dalmia but also associate with the iconic Mary Kom. Sometimes brand ambassadors seem force fit for brands, that wasn‘t the case here. She had the perfect brand fit for Dalmia in North East that stood for attributes like Performance, Victory and Commitment. As communication strategists, the challenge now remains in making Dalmia a ‘prominent brand‘ in the region. And our initiatives planned for Dalmia in the coming phase will prove to be efficient in penetrating the same; enhancing its national presence furthermore.”
Dalmia Bharat Cement senior executive director group marketing and corporate communication B K Singh said, “Given our reputation as a leading player in the cement industry with a very strong brand of Dalmia, the challenge was to combine the experience of 70 years and the experience of the local team. The team felt we needed a strong brand ambassador to connect with the people of the region. So, choosing Mary Kom was very critical to establish the connection. In Focus we found a team with rare combination of rich experience in the region and knowledge of the industry. This helped us to leverage the strength of both team and come up with a robust and innovative marketing campaign.”
Dalmia has recently taken over North East based Adhunik cement and Calcom cement (76 per cent stake) and the group stands as one of the top five largest cement manufacturer in the country. Being the incumbent communication partner of Calcom, Focus has been considered as the preferred agency (with its Kolkata branch operations) for Dalmia Cement in the region.
The agency has demonstrated its expertise and deep understanding of the North Eastern markets through its past projects, with established leading brands.
MAM
Ad:tech honours 2026: Full list of winners announced
Expanded awards spotlight winners across 22 categories as industry doubles down on intelligent automation
NEW DELHI: Marketing’s tech elite took the spotlight as the ad:tech honours 2026 returned with a sharper focus on AI, data and immersive media, signalling how deeply technology now underpins brand strategy. Held at Yashobhoomi on March 17, the second edition drew industry leaders to celebrate innovation that is reshaping engagement and performance.
Presented with the International Advertising Association India chapter and new partner Huella, the awards expanded from 8 to 22 categories, tracking the rapid convergence of creativity, automation and analytics.
The winners’ list reads like a snapshot of marketing’s future. In affiliate and partner marketing, Lyxel & Flamingo – Boat and Paytm Ads – Giva took silver. Mobavenue Media Private Limited struck gold in AI-driven dynamic creative optimisation, alongside a silver for Laqshya Media Limited.
Creative AI collaboration saw Rediffusion Brand Solutions Private Limited win gold, with Saltinc Consulting Private Limited securing silver. Laqshya Media Limited continued its strong run, taking gold in AI conversation agents and adding multiple wins across categories, including silver in GenAI-led creative and both gold and silver in interactive DOOH campaigns for Tanishq and Tata Coffee.
Predictive AI honours went to Strong Metrics and Tyroo, both silver, while Orient Bell Limited picked up silver in immersive retail tech. In GenAI-led creative, Laqshya Media Limited, Salt – Kotak and Sumimoto each secured silver, reflecting the crowded race in generative creativity.
Publicis bagged silver in influencer management and gold in performance marketing, where it shared the stage with Arm Worldwide and The Trade Desk, both silver. Glad U Came Private Limited stood out with gold in influencer measurement and analytics.
Marketing automation saw CereOne Media Pvt. Ltd. and Globale Media win silver, while ADMOTT Private Limited claimed silver in OTT innovation.
Programmatic media categories highlighted the shift to advanced targeting and connected screens. Mobavenue Media Private Limited clinched gold in connected TV advertising, with Animmoov Digital Media Pvt Ltd – Asus and Lyxel and Flamingo taking silver. Cheggout Services Private Limited won silver in retail media advertising, while Paytm Ads – Versuni secured gold.
On social platforms, Vayner Media India took gold in community and UGC engagement, with Under 25 – Oppo winning silver. Segumento rounded off the list with silver in the innovation category.
Jaswant Singh, country managing director at ad:tech India, underscored the momentum, saying generative AI and data-driven decision-making are now central to marketing impact. Neena Dasgupta, IAA mancom member and chief executive and founder at The Salt Inc Consulting, added that the awards celebrate not just technology, but “the people, the creativity, and the relentless effort behind it.”
Backed by Comexposium Group, ad:tech New Delhi has long tracked digital disruption. Now, with the honours, it is rewarding those who are not just adapting to change but engineering it.
In an industry racing towards automation, the message from 2026 is unmistakable. The future of marketing will be written not just in ideas, but in algorithms.
