MAM
Branding services agency Alia creates ‘kundalis’ for major brands
MUMBAI: We’re familiar with advertising agencies and media agencies. But what’s a branding services agency and how different is it from an ad agency? Wondering what the demarcation line between the two is?
Here’s what… A branding services agency sets the road map for a brand on how to position itself in the market by offering branding strategies, branding manifestations along with implementation and regulation. It does not encroach upon the ad agency’s space of visualizing an ad and rolling out the final product. One such player in the market, which provides strategic branding, is the Alia Group – the brain child of Sanjeev Malhotra.
Operating in a unique space, that of before, after and beyond advertising, the Alia Group works towards achieving simplicity in brand expression. Recently the group launched two new divisions namely Arc-CGL and Maximus. Arc-CGL has been formed in association with Mumbai’s leading architectural firm – Ratan J Batliboi. This division aims to create the space of ‘place branding’ in India and has bagged the contract of beautifying and branding Mumbai’s Marine Drive.
Maximus on the other hand, is a specialist provider of retail solutions that enhance brand presence at the ‘point of choice’. The agency offers solutions for experimental marketing.
A six and a half year old agency, Alia has worked with over 70 brands across 20 categories. Some of its clients are Hindustan Levers Limited (HLL), Amul, Timex, Marico, Dabur, Tata, Larsen & Tubro, Reebok, ITC, Reliance and many more. Some of the brands that Alia handles are Pepsodent, Pillsbury, Tata Indicom, Surf, Lakme, Lux, Aviance, Ayush, Clinic Plus, Liril, Close Up, Dove, Pears, Sunfeast and others.
Alia Group presidentSanjeev Malhotra
Speaking about the agency’s four C’s for brand communication audit, Malhotra says, “Compelling communication comes from a coherent idea, which is spread cohesively across mediums and is also consistent across time. We have married the three disciplines of branding strategies, manifestations and implementation to give the client a choice under one umbrella and a single window with seamless delivery.”
Stressing on the fact that strategic brand foundation is most important Malhotra says that finding the right Brand Expression, Brand Style and Brand Essence is the key to the success of any brand. Brand Style is the vocabulary one uses for a brand, which comprises seven elements namely – mnemonics, icons, name, logo, sonic, brand line and structure. “The space of controlling brand communication begins with the brand’s identity, goes on to packaging and finally the communication,” says Malhotra. One of the best examples of Brand Style was that of Star Plus’ Kaun Banega Crorepati with its distinct music, Bachchan’s persona coupled with his baritone voice and the ‘Lock Kar Diya Jaye’ line to name a few.
One of the biggest challenge that Alia faces is that of working with ad agencies as the former faces resistance from the latter as their creativity is immediately limited and restricted. However, with the long clientele list, Alia has proved that clients are becoming more open to branding solutions before taking the plunge in the market.
Malhotra who touted the agency as being responsible for creating a ‘kundali’ for a brand says that what has made the agency to reach where it is today is its passion and belief in getting in-depth communication with objectivity and honesty.
Brands
Adidas elevates Sartaj Kadian to director of digital marketing
Performance marketing lead steps up to drive AI-led, full-funnel growth across MENA and CIS
DUBAI: Adidas has promoted Sartaj Kadian to director digital marketing, tightening its grip on performance-led growth as brands double down on data, AI and cross-channel precision in a fiercely competitive retail landscape.
Kadian, who has spent over five years with the sportswear giant, most recently led performance marketing across MENA and CIS, steering media strategy and innovation to deliver both brand lift and commercial impact. In his new role, he will take charge of end-to-end digital marketing, with a sharper focus on integrating brand storytelling with measurable, full-funnel outcomes.
A digital marketing leader with over a decade of experience across global markets, Kadian has built and scaled high-performing teams, managed multi-million euro budgets and consistently delivered double-digit growth anchored in ROI. His playbook blends marketing mix modelling, AI-led optimisation and deep analytics to align marketing spends with business priorities.
Before adidas, Kadian led digital marketing, CRM and analytics at Landmark Group, where he drove omni-channel strategies spanning customer acquisition, engagement and retention across retail and e-commerce funnels. Earlier stints at McKinsey & Company and Mu Sigma saw him specialise in analytics-led marketing, predictive modelling and demand forecasting for large-scale clients.
His elevation comes as Adidas sharpens its digital muscle in key growth markets, where consumer journeys are increasingly fragmented and performance accountability is non-negotiable. The mandate is clear: fuse creativity with data, and turn every consumer interaction into measurable value.
In a market where clicks must convert and brand love must sell, Kadian now sits at the nerve centre of adidas’s digital ambition—where strategy meets scale, and data decides the winners.
