AD Agencies
Aleph drops the donut as it rebrands Mediadonuts across APAC in digital power play
MUMBAI: When global ambition meets local appetite, even digital donuts don’t last long. Aleph, the international digital media giant, has rebranded Mediadonuts—its regional digital ad business across Asia Pacific—under a single name: Aleph. This move marks the final stamp on its 2024 acquisition of Entravision’s digital operations.
As of 16 June 2025, the rebrand is live across India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. While the sprinkles of nostalgia may linger for Mediadonuts loyalists, Aleph is rolling forward with a streamlined identity aimed at deeper integration and regional scale.
The rebrand embeds APAC into Aleph’s global machinery, unlocking new pathways for advertisers and digital platforms. With over 60 exclusive media partnerships, a presence in 150+ markets, and 1,500+ employees, Aleph now serves more than 26,000 advertisers worldwide.
“Becoming one unique brand under Aleph represents a strategic outcome for our partners and clients, reflecting the significant potential that lies ahead under the broader umbrella of Aleph”, said Aleph in APAC MD Pieter-Jan de Kroon.
Aleph plans to use this unification to deepen its grip on the region, offering global clients local insights, publisher access, and tech-powered efficiency tailored to each market.
“By fully consolidating our APAC operations under the Aleph brand, we are achieving a new level of strategic alignment between global digital media platforms and the region’s vast opportunities,” said Aleph Group CEO & founder Gastón Taratuta.
From media and payments to digital education, the rebrand signals Aleph’s ambition to act as a digital bridge between the world’s fastest-growing consumer regions and its most powerful platforms.
AD Agencies
AdTrust Summit 2026 to examine trust, AI and Gen Alpha in advertising
Two-day summit in Mumbai to explore ethics, regulation and the future of advertising trust
MUMBAI: At a time when advertising is navigating a delicate trust deficit, the Advertising Standards Council of India is preparing to bring the industry to the table. On 17 and 18 March, the body will host the inaugural AdTrust Summit 2026 in Mumbai, a two-day gathering designed to spark conversation around responsibility, regulation and credibility in modern advertising.
The summit, to be held at the Jio World Convention Centre in Bandra Kurla Complex, will bring together leaders from advertising, media, technology and policy to examine how brands can build trust in a marketplace increasingly shaped by algorithms, influencers and artificial intelligence.
In an age of deepfakes, dark patterns and blurred lines between content and commerce, the question is no longer just how brands capture attention, but whether audiences believe what they see. The AdTrust Summit aims to unpack that challenge.
Day one will turn its attention to the youngest digital natives. Titled Decoding Gen Alpha, the session will unveil ‘What the Sigma?’, a study by ASCI and Futurebrands Consulting that explores how children growing up in a hyper-digital environment encounter advertising and commercial messaging.
The report presentation will be delivered by Santosh Desai, founder and director at Think9 Consumer Technologies and a social commentator known for his insights into consumer behaviour. The discussion that follows will attempt to decode how Gen Alpha consumes media, interacts with brands and navigates the growing overlap between entertainment and marketing.
In a move that mirrors the subject itself, two Gen Alpha students will also join the conversation, offering a rare perspective from the generation advertisers are trying to understand.
The second panel of the day will shift the focus from observation to implication, asking what the report’s findings mean for brands, agencies and society. Speakers include Karthik Srinivasan, communications strategy consultant; Preeti Vyas, president at Mythik; and Abigail Dias, associate president planning at Ogilvy. The session will be moderated by Sonali Krishna, editor at ET Brand Equity.
Day two moves from insight to regulation. Under the theme From Compliance to Trust, ASCI will release its Ad Law Compendium, a comprehensive guide to India’s advertising regulations.
The day will open with a keynote by Sudhanshu Vats, chairman at ASCI and managing director at Pidilite Industries, followed by a chief guest address by Sanjay Jaju, secretary at the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Legal experts from Khaitan & Co., including Haigreve Khaitan, senior partner, and Tanu Banerjee, partner, will present an overview of the current advertising law landscape in India and examine whether existing frameworks are equipped to deal with emerging technologies and formats.
Subsequent panels will explore issues increasingly shaping the industry’s ethical compass. Conversations will range from the limits of persuasive design and the rise of dark patterns, to the growing scrutiny brands face from digital creators and consumer watchdogs.
One session will also feature Revant Himatsingka, widely known online as the Food Pharmer, whose critiques of packaged food brands have sparked debate around transparency and corporate accountability.
Later discussions will turn toward media literacy among Gen Alpha, asking how children can be equipped to navigate a digital world where gaming, content and commerce are becoming indistinguishable.
The summit will conclude with a final panel on the future of advertising, bringing together voices from agencies, legal circles and technology platforms to discuss how innovation, intelligence and integrity can coexist.
For an industry built on persuasion, trust has always been its quiet currency. But as audiences grow more sceptical and digital ecosystems more complex, that currency is under pressure.
Events like the AdTrust Summit suggest the advertising world knows it cannot afford to take credibility for granted. The real challenge now is turning conversation into commitment.
