Brands
Mindshare launches blockchain pilot with MediaMath
MUMBAI: Mindshare, the global media planning and buying agency that is part of WPP, together with Zilliqa, the blockchain platform, are building a programmatic alliance on blockchain designed to explore the application of the technology in the advertising ecosystem.
The aim of the alliance is to realistically assess the applicability of blockchain technology into the world of advertising where billions of impressions are viewed online, by testing two critical components of this technology – one on the throughput and the other to arrive at the right consensus protocol.
The alliance includes multiple businesses in the programmatic advertising supply chain including advertisers, advertising agencies, Demand Side Platforms (DSPs), Supply Side Platforms (SSPs), Data Management Platforms (DMPs), trading desks, independent verification companies and publishers. It also has the potential to include key opinion leaders or industry experts, if required.
Mindshare and Zilliqa have partnered with MediaMath, Rubicon Project and Integral Ad Science in developing the first prototype – “Project Proton” – which aims to transform the current programmatic advertising ecosystem by providing a way for all the stakeholders across the value chain to interact in a secure and verifiable manner through smart contracts on a high throughput blockchain. This makes it suitable for the enterprise level implementation of the project for all the partners involved in a transparent manner so that all the actors in the ecosystem can completely trust each other allowing the entire programmatic ad space to grow.
Mindshare announced a partnership with Zilliqa last year to build blockchain applications for the digital advertising industry. Project Proton is the first phase of this partnership that will evaluate how Zilliqa’s blockchain protocol can address some of the potential applications of this technology to the advertising industry. Findings should be ready before the end of the year.
Mindshare AMENA chief development officer Gowthaman Ragothaman says, “We are absolutely delighted and thankful to have MediaMath, IAS, Rubicon Project and Underscore CLT partner with us on this project with Zilliqa. There are many claims and speculations on the applicability of this technology to our business. Project Proton is designed to test this, particularly in the areas of building consensus and managing high throughput.”
The Key members of the Project Proton Alliance Are:
Mindshare: Mindshare is a global media planning and buying agency that is part of WPP. It has 8,500 employees across 116 offices in 86 countries and global revenues of $34.5 billion annually. Clients include Unilever, PepsiCo, GSK, Yum Restaurants, Dyson, American Express amongst others.
Zilliqa: Zilliqa is a blockchain platform tailored towards enabling high-throughput data-driven decentralized applications. Zilliqa also provides a secure and efficient smart contract layer to enable secure-by-design smart contract programming and verification.
MediaMath : MediaMath helps leading global marketers deliver personalised digital advertising across all connected touchpoints. Over 9,500 marketers in 42 countries use MediaMath’s enterprise software every day to launch, analyse, and optimise their digital advertising campaigns.
Rubicon Project: Founded in 2007, Rubicon Project is one of the world’s largest advertising exchanges. The company helps websites and apps thrive by giving them tools and expertise to sell ads easily and safely. In addition, the world’s leading agencies and brands rely on Rubicon Project’s technology to execute billions of advertising transactions each month. Rubicon Project is an independent, publicly traded company headquartered in Los Angeles, California
Integral Ad Science (IAS) : A global software company, headquartered in New York, that builds verification, optimisation, and analytics solutions, acting as leaders in viewability, brand safety and ad fraud.
Underscore CLT: Underscore CLT develops cryptographic ledger technologies to power real business solutions for marketers and their partners.
Brands
Pernod Ricard, Chivas Regal parent, in talks for possible India IPO: Bloomberg
Deliberations in early stage, with no decision taken so far
PARIS: Pernod Ricard is evaluating a potential stock market listing of its Indian business, according to a Bloomberg News report citing people familiar with the matter.
The French drinks group has begun discussions with prospective advisers to assess the feasibility and merits of a separate public listing for Pernod Ricard India. The deliberations are at an early stage and no final decision has been made.
India is one of Pernod Ricard’s most important growth markets. The company is among the country’s largest alcoholic beverage players, selling premium global brands such as Chivas Regal and Absolut Vodka, and competing closely with Diageo across premium and mass-market segments.
The reported move comes as Pernod Ricard navigates heightened regulatory scrutiny in India. The group is facing antitrust proceedings and is also contesting allegations by authorities in New Delhi over potential violations of local liquor regulations. Pernod Ricard has denied any wrongdoing.
In the market, Pernod Ricard’s Paris-listed shares are up nearly 12 per cent so far this year, valuing the group at about $24.4 billion. That recovery follows a bruising 2025, when the stock lost close to a third of its value.
A separate India listing, if it materialises, could help unlock value from a fast-growing business, even as the group works through legal and regulatory challenges in one of its most strategically important markets.
