MAM
Shashidhar Sharma exits WPP Media after five-year run
MUMBAI: Shashidhar Sharma has moved on from WPP Media, closing the chapter on a five-year stint that helped sharpen the group’s programmatic muscle in India and beyond.
In a reflective note marking his final day on January 2, Sharma described his time at WPP Media as more than a list of projects. It was, he said, a community that pushed him to grow, experiment and build lasting relationships. Together with his teams, he navigated industry highs and lows while keeping reinvention at the centre of the agenda.
Sharma joined the company in January 2021 as head of programmatic and ad operations, taking charge of the practice across all GroupM agencies and sub-agencies. During his tenure, he played a central role in standardising best practices, streamlining operations and scaling innovation across a diverse client portfolio.
One of the standout milestones was leading GroupM to achieve Google Marketing Platform certification, the first holding company in India to do so. Under his watch, programmatic buying became sharper and more transparent, with initiatives such as supply path optimisation, clean supply frameworks and benchmarking dashboards bringing greater clarity to the often complex media supply chain.
Operationally, Sharma focused on making systems work smarter, not harder. Through automation, clear SOPs and defined RACI structures, his teams delivered efficiency gains of over 30 percent while maintaining accuracy and performance. At the same time, he invested heavily in people, rolling out training programmes, certification pathways and growth roadmaps that helped reduce attrition and build a stronger talent pipeline.
Beyond the business, Sharma emerged as a visible industry voice, authoring more than 20 articles on programmatic advertising and speaking at multiple forums. His teams picked up over 15 awards in 2023 and 2024, including honours for innovative use of AI in campaigns.
Before WPP Media, Sharma held senior programmatic roles at FCB Global and Omnicom Media Group in New Zealand and India, and spent over seven years at Google in operations leadership roles.
As for what comes next, Sharma says he is pressing pause before hitting play again. He plans to take a short break to recharge before announcing his next move, carrying forward, as he puts it, a heart full of lessons and a clear view of the road ahead.
MAM
Star Sports under fire for ‘cringe’ India–SA Super 8 promo
Broadcaster accused of arrogance and disrespect as fans slam Super 8 promotion
AHMEDABAD: Star Sports is facing a wave of criticism after its latest promotional campaign for the India–South Africa T20 World Cup Super 8 match triggered a fierce social media backlash, quickly dubbed “Cupcakegate”.
The advertisement, released this week, hinges on a cupcake metaphor that many viewers have condemned as patronising and disrespectful. In the clip, an Indian supporter mockingly offers a pink cupcake to a South African fan, a visual jibe widely interpreted as portraying the Proteas as a soft, easily beaten opponent.
The backlash has been swift across platforms such as X and Reddit, with fans and commentators accusing the broadcaster of tone-deaf bravado at a crucial stage of the tournament. The criticism is sharpened by the context: both India and South Africa arrive in the Super 8s unbeaten, undermining any suggestion of a one-sided contest.
Online, the cupcake symbol has been read as carrying multiple barbs. Some users argue it alludes to South African president Cyril Ramaphosa’s domestic nickname, while others see it as recycling the long-running “chokers” trope associated with South Africa in ICC tournaments. The casting choice has also drawn scrutiny, with viewers noting the physical disparity between the actors playing the two fans, which critics described as a cheap attempt to belittle the opposition.
Even Indian supporters have joined the pile-on. Many warned that such chest-thumping marketing risks “jinxing” the team, pointing to past tournaments where aggressive campaigns preceded unexpected defeats.
Star Sports is no stranger to rivalry-led advertising, having struck gold with its earlier “Mauka Mauka” series. But analysts say the cupcake campaign misreads a fanbase that has grown less tolerant of overtly mocking narratives and more attuned to sporting parity and respect.
India and South Africa meet on Sunday, 22 February, at the 132,000-seat Narendra Modi Stadium. With South Africa securing their Super 8 berth through a commanding win over the UAE, the fixture is widely billed as a heavyweight clash, not the walkover the ad appears to suggest.
