MAM
Sameer Singh elevated to additional and managing director at HT Media Group
New Delhi: HT Media Group has elevated Sameer Singh to the role of managing director, a move that consolidates leadership as the legacy media group navigates the twin challenges of digital disruption and audience fragmentation. The board of Hindustan Media Ventures approved Singh’s appointment for a five-year term starting March 1, 2026, the company said in a BSE filing. The promotion is subject to shareholder approval.
Singh will also be designated as a key managerial personnel, strengthening his strategic influence across the group’s operations. Since March 1, 2025, he has served as chief executive officer of Hindustan Media Ventures and group chief executive officer of HT Media Limited, roles that laid the foundation for his elevation to managing director.
An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, Singh brings more than three decades of leadership experience spanning media, technology, consumer insights and global markets. His career track record ranges from multinational consumer brands to digital platforms, underpinned by deep first-hand knowledge of audiences in India, the United States, China, the United Kingdom and the Middle East.
Before joining HT Media Group, Singh was head of global business solutions for North America at TikTok and ByteDance, where he led large advertising and sales teams during a period of rapid platform growth. He earlier headed global business solutions for the Asia Pacific region, building revenue and client engagement models across diverse markets.
Singh’s global leadership lens was shaped in part by his tenure at GroupM, where he served as chief executive officer for South Asia, steering media strategy and investment for major brands across the region.
At Google, Singh held senior roles including director of agencies business for India and director of client solutions in the Americas, managing large client portfolios and driving digital transformation for advertisers. His earlier career includes a significant stint at Procter & Gamble, where he spent more than 15 years in roles of increasing responsibility. His P&G portfolio included vice-president of media and trial for Greater China and Asia, director of media for Asia, and leadership of media operations across Greater China, roles widely regarded as among the most complex in the company’s global network.
Singh began his professional journey in marketing and advertising with MullenLowe Lintas Group, laying the groundwork for later leadership in global brand management and media strategy. His early work spanned category leadership, consumer research and cross-market brand growth.
As group CEO of HT Media Group, Singh has been responsible for the sustained development of the business and its people, guiding operations in a way that satisfies customers and delivers long-term value to stakeholders. The managing director appointment consolidates that role at the group level, signalling continuity at the top as the company pushes into new digital formats and revenue models.
Industry analysts say Singh’s blend of legacy media expertise and experience in high-growth technology platforms positions him well to lead HT Media’s transformation. The media ecosystem in India has been shifting rapidly, with audience attention splintering across digital video platforms, social media and subscription streaming, even as print and broadcast continue to hold sway in core markets.
Singh’s elevation underscores HT Media’s intent to bridge traditional strengths with innovation. With global experience and a deep understanding of the intersections between consumers, brands and technology, he is tasked with steering the group through its next chapter of growth.
The board’s message is clear: in a crowded, competitive and evolving media landscape, leadership must be global in outlook and local in execution. With Singh at the helm, HT Media’s strategy appears focused, calibrated and ready to meet the pace of change.
MAM
Barista partners Ginny Weds Sunny 2 with mango campaign
Cafe chain blends cinema buzz with summer menu and 20 per cent offer.
MUMBAI: Love may brew slowly, but marketing clearly doesn’t especially when coffee meets cinema and mangoes steal the spotlight. Barista Coffee Company has partnered with the upcoming hindi film Ginny Weds Sunny 2 as its official beverage partner, in a move aimed at tapping into youth culture through entertainment-led engagement. The collaboration is not just a logo placement exercise. Instead, Barista is translating the film’s high-energy vibe into its cafés with a themed summer menu titled “Main Hoon Mango”, accompanied by a limited-period 20 per cent discount on combo offerings across outlets.
Actors Medha Shankr and Avinash Tiwary feature in the campaign, seen engaging with the mango-themed menu inside Barista cafés, a visual cue designed to blur the lines between reel and real-life consumption moments.
The strategy reflects a broader shift in how consumer brands are leveraging hindi film industry not just for visibility, but for immersive, on-ground engagement. By embedding the film’s narrative into its product experience, Barista is aiming to drive footfall, especially among younger audiences who increasingly seek experiential touchpoints over traditional advertising.
Barista Coffee Company CEO Rajat Agrawal described the partnership as both a branding and growth play, focused on expanding reach beyond the existing customer base and aligning with evolving consumer preferences.
The emphasis on a seasonal, flavour-led hook mango, one of India’s most culturally resonant ingredients adds a timely layer to the campaign, aligning with summer consumption trends while riding on the film’s promotional momentum.
For Barista, the move is part of a larger positioning shift. Rather than operating purely as a coffee retail chain, the brand is increasingly framing itself as a lifestyle destination, one that intersects with entertainment, conversation and shared experiences. By integrating cinema into its physical spaces, Barista is effectively turning cafés into micro-extensions of the film’s universe, where consumers do not just watch a story unfold but participate in it sip by sip.
The 20 per cent offer further nudges trial, lowering the barrier for consumers to engage with the themed menu while amplifying recall through a tangible incentive.
Brand-film collaborations are hardly new, but their execution is evolving. Where earlier partnerships relied on co-branded ads or product placements, the current playbook leans towards immersive storytelling and retail integration.
In that sense, Barista’s “Main Hoon Mango” push is less about promotion and more about participation inviting consumers to experience a slice of the film within a familiar, everyday setting. As the film industry continues to act as a cultural amplifier, such partnerships underline a growing truth, in today’s attention economy, it is not enough to be seen brands must be experienced.
And if that experience comes with a mango twist and a cinematic backdrop, all the better.
