MAM
Waggener Edstrom Worldwide expands in India with Presence in Delhi, Bangaloret
MUMBAI: Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, a multiservice communications agency, today announced its expansion in India, as it establishes a presence in major cities Delhi and Bangalore. This is in addition to its Mumbai office, which launched a year ago.
Waggener Edstrom Worldwide CEO, president and founder Melissa Waggener Zorkin said, “India is today one of the fastest growing markets globally, across industries. It presents both a challenge and opportunity, to constantly diversify, innovate and create new approaches in engaging as well as influencing audiences. As a company, we have always challenged the conventional formats of communication to ultimately drive real impact and solve business problems. We strongly believe that this is one market that will continue to evolve and shape this.”
This continued growth is also supported by a new survey commissioned by the agency. The study interviewed over 50 marketing and communications professionals as well as 200 consumers across India. Conducted by Blackbox Research, it reports on recent shifts in the Indian media and communications landscape, particularly in the wake of growing influence of social media platforms.
The study revealed a growing shift away from print as digital media continues to gain influence among businesses – 94 per cent in 2011 versus 87 per cent in 2010. Digital spend is also expected to continue rising over the next 12 months with key areas of investment being corporate websites, social networking platforms and online news media.
At the same time, the study also suggests a significant disconnect between communications professionals and consumers about the power of real-time negative feedback on digital platforms. While consumers and communication and marketing specialists are in close agreement about the impact of positive communication via digital channels, 63 per cent of consumers believed that it has a major impact, while only 46 per cent of communications professionals think the same. It is also interesting to note that although 69 percent of communications and marketing specialists agree that they are now more vulnerable to consumer backlashes because of social media, 60 per cent claim that they are adequately prepared to cope with the potential impact.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
