MAM
Reid & Taylor is a superbrand
MUMBAI: The UK-based Superbrands Council has ranked S Kumars’ Reid & Taylor amongst the top Indian super brands chosen from 711 Indian brands.
The selection is made across 98 categories and chairs Reid & Taylor among 800 global brands.
S Kumars Nationwide managing director Nitin Kasliwal was quoted in an official release, as saying, “To be ranked amongst the top brands by a team of world-renowned experts in advertising and marketing, for a brand that has entered India less than five years ago is indeed a privilege. It also vindicates our branding strategy for the world’s premium suiting that “bonds with the best”.
The Indian panel of judges for Superbrand Council comprised 11 eminent personalities from media communications field that included . ITC chairman Yogi C Deveshwar, Ogilvy and Mather’s creative director Piyush Pandey, TV 18 managing director Raghav Bahl.
A super brand must offer consumers significant emotional and physical advantages over its competitors which – consciously or subconsciously – consumers want, recognize, and are willing to pay a premium for, the release said. The selection influencers were the brands’ mind dominance, goodwill, consumer loyalty, trust and emotional bonding.
The Superbrands concept started 10 years ago in the UK to chronicle case studies of exceptional brands – to pay tribute to them and their brand guardians. Since then it has been replicated in 26 countries. Some brands like Coke and American Express have appeared in almost all the editions. The release added that in every country where Superbrands has been launched, it is seen as the ‘branding Bible’ – the ultimate source for drawing inspiration and learning how brands fight back.
Brands
Chinese Wok appoints Havas as integrated creative and media partner
Desi-Chinese chain bets on integrated creative and media muscle to power national expansion
MUMBAI: Chinese Wok is turning up the heat. India’s largest desi-Chinese qsr chain has appointed Havas Creative India and Arena Media as its integrated creative, social and digital media partner, sharpening its marketing firepower as it pushes past 260 outlets and eyes 500 stores across tier 1, 2 and 3 cities.
The mandate is sweeping. Havas Creative India and Arena Media, part of Havas Media Network India, will steer creative strategy, brand campaigns, social media, digital performance marketing and media planning and buying, orchestrating campaigns across atl, digital and in-store touchpoints. The brief: build a unified, platform-led brand system fit for national scale.
Founded in 2015 under Lenexis Foodworks, Chinese Wok has grown into the country’s largest Chinese qsr brand, with a footprint spanning more than 50 cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Lucknow and Hyderabad. Now it wants more. Much more.
Aayush Madhusudan Agrawal, founder and director, Lenexis Foodworks, said the shift marks an investment in integrated brand building that matches the company’s growth ambitions. “As Chinese Wok scales nationally, we are investing in integrated brand building that matches our growth ambition. Havas will partner with us in shaping the next chapter of our journey, where creativity, culture and commerce work seamlessly together.”
The brand is doubling down on its youth-first positioning, amplifying cultural properties such as Wok FM and Crush Hour while building a broader content slate. The pivot away from campaign-led bursts to a continuous, platform-driven narrative signals a more systematised approach to brand equity.
Vikas Iyer, marketing head, Lenexis Foodworks, framed the move as essential to winning over Gen Z. “Chinese Wok has always been a culture-first brand, and as we deepen our connect with Gen Z, integration becomes critical. With Havas, we aim to create sharper campaigns, stronger digital ecosystems, and measurable impact, ensuring the brand stays relevant, visible, and performance-driven at scale”.
On the creative front, Anupama Ramaswamy, managing director and chief creative officer, Havas Creative India, described the brand as “pure fire, fast, flavourful and completely plugged into pop culture”. Her ambition: “to bottle that energy into a living brand platform that fuels everything, from big campaigns to cheeky social chatter to irresistible in-store experiences.” The goal, she added, is “stronger brand love, deeper youth obsession, and work that doesn’t just look good but moves business. More heat. More heart. More hunger”.
Uday Mohan, coo, Havas Media India and Havas Play, said integration is the real unlock. “By bringing together creative, media, and performance under one cohesive vision, we aim to build a brand ecosystem that is culturally sharp, digitally agile, and built for scale”.
Lenexis Foodworks also operates The Momo Co. and Big Bowl, but Chinese Wok remains its flagship and growth engine . As competition intensifies in India’s fast-food sector, scale alone is no longer enough. Cultural fluency, data-driven performance and seamless brand experiences are the new battleground.
Chinese Wok is betting that with Havas in its corner, it can serve up all three — fast, loud and at national scale.
