MAM
Advertising world should re-strategise business now to sustain the impending economic blow
NEW DELHI: The ongoing global lockdown prompted by the deadly COVID-19 has pushed the world economy off a cliff, with even the most developed nations staring into an impending dark phase of recession. The Indian economy, which was already dealing with certain setbacks, is also going to be hit severely. The situation is expected to pave the way for a totally new world and how businesses are done in the coming seven to eight months.
Advertising agencies will have to amp up their strategies significantly to deal with the looming uncertainties and work with a fresher perspective, stated Ad-Vice Software and Consulting Inc founder Vincent G Gong, addressing the advertising community over a Zoom conference, organised by the Advertising Club of Bangalore.
During the hour-long session, Gong shared many tips and tricks with the agencies to keep their business afloat, including suggesting them to stick to a concrete business plan, keeping an eye on their own as well as the clients’ finances, and considering sensitivity analysis of their forecasts.
He recommended ten immediate steps to be taken in the next 90 days to prevent a sliding business, including determining early on for how many months they can pay expenses without any revenue and planning their expenses accordingly.
Gogh prompted the agencies to think twice about entering any long-term obligations during these times and prevent touching their line of credit, but should continuously be looking out for new businesses.
He added that agencies should be focusing on sales efforts, and if possible control the payrolls.
While he said that companies should be considering different steps other than a termination to manage the payrolls, he also warned that any employee who is not doing a hundred per cent for the agency should fear a layoff and agencies be prompt in taking decisions related to expenses. He also asked ad firms to be very transparent with their employees regarding their pays and job security to keep up the employee morale.
Gong's belief is that agencies should not be chasing clients for money as everyone is going through pain. "Keep reminding them that you need to pay your bills, but you need to remember that it is a partnership that you have with your client," he stated.
His action plan also mentioned an improvement in daily project management systems, with more involvement of employees, generation of better briefs and a close vigil on estimates versus actual costs.
To keep hold of existing clients, he urged the agencies to develop a far better understanding of the clients’ consumers and keep innovating with fresher ideas. He insisted that agencies should be willing to turn small projects into elaborate programmes to keep the clients engaged.
Gogh clarified that the agencies might have to make some difficult decisions in the coming three months, but if they do not swallow the bitter pill now, it will become harder for them to keep the shop running in the future.
MAM
Gurpreet Singh named President of DishTV Alumni Network
Former Dish TV executive to lead community building and collaboration.
MUMBAI: Back to the dish, but this time it’s about connections, not channels Gurpreet Singh is returning to familiar territory with a new mandate that swaps subscribers for relationships. Singh has been appointed President of the DishTV Alumni Network, a move aimed at strengthening ties among former employees and building a more engaged professional community around the Dish TV ecosystem. The initiative reflects a growing trend among large organisations to formalise alumni networks as platforms for collaboration, mentorship and business opportunities.
The appointment draws on Singh’s deep-rooted history with Dish TV, where he held multiple leadership roles over nearly a decade. As National Business Head between June 2019 and September 2020, he oversaw profit and loss as well as operations, managing revenues of Rs 6,000 crore and leading a team of around 1,250 employees across the country. His tenure included working alongside two regional business heads and 16 circle heads, underscoring the scale of operations he handled.
Prior to that, Singh served as Executive Vice President and National Head for Sales and Revenue from 2016 to 2019, and earlier as Senior Vice President and National Head for Sales and Revenue. He also briefly led international operations as Country Head for Sri Lanka, further expanding his exposure across markets.
His broader career spans leadership roles across telecom and consumer businesses, including a stint as Chief Operating Officer at Bharti Airtel’s Malawi operations, senior leadership roles at Reliance Communications, and earlier positions at Hindustan Sanitaryware and Kodak India, where he spent over a decade.
In his new role, Singh is expected to focus on reconnecting former employees, fostering collaboration, and building a structured alumni ecosystem that leverages shared experience and industry networks. As companies increasingly recognise the long-term value of their extended workforce, the DishTV Alumni Network appears set to turn nostalgia into a strategic asset, one connection at a time.
