MAM
WPP Media’s ‘beyond price tags’ redefines India’s e-commerce game
MUMBAI: Forget discounts and flash sales. India’s next e-commerce boom is getting a luxury makeover. WPP Media India has unveiled ‘Beyond Price Tags: The Power of Premiumization’ in India’s e-commerce boom, a new playbook that argues the future of online shopping is not just digital, but decisively premium.
Launched in Mumbai, the report sheds light on how Indian consumers are moving beyond price wars and seeking something more lasting: experiences, personalisation, and ethics over mere affordability. The message is clear: value is being redefined.
Drawing from insights by leading platforms, brands, and experts, the playbook highlights that premium demand is now democratised. Thanks to credit solutions, efficient delivery networks, and the rise of social and quick commerce, premium choices are no longer limited to metro buyers, they’re reaching the heart of Bharat.
Among its key findings, the report identifies five defining shifts: the democratisation of premium demand; consumers’ appetite for elevated experiences; platform-driven brand reinvention; a cross-category tilt towards feature-rich, design-led products; and the evolution of mass brands into “masstige” offerings.
To help brands turn insight into action, WPP Media introduces four strategic frameworks: Flash, Vista, Prime, and Rise, each designed to guide discoverability, curation, customer experience, and loyalty building in the digital era.
“At WPP Media, we are constantly at the forefront of shaping the future of commerce,” said WPP Media South Asia COO Ashwin Padmanabhan. “The premiumization trend in Indian e-commerce is more than just a shift in price points, it reflects evolving consumer aspirations and the growing desire for quality, experience, and status.”
Echoing this, WPP Media India head of commerce Sairam Ranganathan added, “Premiumization marks a pivotal shift where rising aspirations, global exposure, and digital empowerment are redefining how consumers engage with brands. This playbook is not just a guide but a catalyst for growth.”
AD Agencies
WPP appoints Hephzibah Pathak CEO of WPP Creative India
Ogilvy India chair takes charge of unified creative model in key market
NEW DELHI: WPP has appointed Hephzibah Pathak as chief executive officer of WPP Creative India, putting a local leader at the helm of its newly created creative operating model in one of its most important growth markets.
The move brings clarity to how WPP’s global restructuring will play out in India, weeks after the group unveiled WPP Creative as part of its Elevate28 strategy. The unit sits alongside WPP Media, WPP Production and WPP Enterprise Solutions, and is designed to simplify what the company previously described as an overly complex structure.
Pathak, who continues as executive chairperson of Ogilvy India, will represent all agencies under the WPP Creative umbrella in India. Her role centres on driving integration across brands, expanding capabilities and ensuring clients can tap into the network’s full talent pool without friction.
WPP said Pathak will work closely with agency brand CEOs to “enhance integration, expand capabilities, and ensure seamless client access”, while maintaining the distinct identities of its agencies.
The portfolio under WPP Creative includes leading networks such as VML, Landor, AKQA and Grey, along with Burson and its affiliated firms. Leaders across these agencies will now report into Pathak, even as each brand continues to operate independently within a unified system.
The appointment also formalises a dual-track strategy in India, preserving agency identities while accelerating collaboration. Pathak is expected to work closely with media leadership to align creative and media capabilities, reflecting growing client demand for integrated, multi-market solutions.
WPP Creative global CEO Jon Cook has described the unit as “not an agency” but an operating system that helps creative, design and PR brands work together more effectively. The group has been clear that it is not merging or phasing out legacy agency brands, instead aiming to reduce complexity on the client side.
Pathak brings nearly three decades of experience within the network, having joined in 1997 and held roles ranging from Mumbai office head to chief client officer. She made history in 2024 as the first woman to lead Ogilvy India in its 95-year presence in the country.
Her expanded mandate positions India at the centre of WPP’s Asia-Pacific strategy, with a focus on strengthening brand presence, deepening client relationships and unlocking growth in a fast-evolving market.
The appointment signals WPP’s intent to move beyond the traditional holding company model towards a more integrated, AI-enabled structure. With Pathak now steering WPP Creative India, the group appears set to test whether simpler structures can indeed deliver sharper creative outcomes.
