MAM
IAA Leadership Award announced winners for sixth edition
MUMBAI: The International Advertising Association (IAA) organised the sixth edition of IAA Leadership Awards 2018.
IAA president Ramesh Narayan said, “A unique power-packed event, we have with us advertisers, media, corporates all assembled to salute excellence in leadership. This is very inspirational. India chapter has been leading from the front to name a few initiatives #WorktoLivetoWork, IAA Mentorship for Women, IndIAA Regional Awards, Reigniting the Artist and Storyteller in you, IAA Olive Crown Awards, IndIAA national awards and for the first time in 80 years we have IAA World Congress being hosted in Kochi in February 2019.”
A panel discussion was moderated by Partho Dasgupta, CEO, BARC India with eminent panellists –Sanjay Behl CEO Raymond, Shashi Sinha, CEO of IPG MediaBrands and Prathyusha Agarwal, chief marketing officer, ZEEL on television medium being a strong influencer. Sanjay touched upon the importance of reach, intensity and quality. Prathyusha mentioned how emotionally invested and involved people are when they see television and with the coming of Digital the loop can now be closed. Shashi Sinha urged marketers to explore as he was of the strong opinion that television is still under-utilised and holds immense potential.
“TV today reaches 836 million individuals across India, we as Indians still are TV fanatics. People are spending 4 hours on TV in the South of India. Almost 12 hours of advertising gets telecasted in India. Hindi content is still ruling, 688 million viewers are watching GEC serials while at a similar number 680 million are watching movies which is a higher number than people who watch movies in the theatre. Sport as a genre is also going up. Overall, I would say TV is the biggest dominant medium today and will continue to grow,” said Dasgupta.
Piramal Group chairman Ajay Piramal was honoured as the IAA Business Leader of the Year. He said “I am honoured to receive the Business Leader of the Year Award 2018 by International Advertising Association. At Piramal Group, our deep driving desire has been our values of knowledge, action, care and impact. This value-driven path has helped us create value for the group and our stakeholders, and provides us with a purpose of ‘Doing Well and Doing Good’. As trustees, we act in the best interest of all our stakeholders, to create mutual, enduring value; and make a positive difference to the world around us.”
IAA India inducted Sam Balsara into the IAA Hall of Fame for doing so much more than just founding and building a great communication company. Membership to the Indian Chapter of IAA is by invitation only and IAA has very senior marketing, advertising and media professionals as it members. IAA in India is seen as the most active chapter by IAA Global. IAA India is well-recognized for some of its marquee events like the IAA Leadership Awards, IAA Olive Crown Awards, IAA Debates, IAA Conversations, IAA Young Turks Forum and an array of IAA Knowledge Seminars, Webinars, Workshops, Conclaves etc.
Brands
Abhinav Rastogi named global marketing director for YouTube Shopping
Google veteran to scale creator commerce and expand shopping across global markets
SINGAPORE: Abhinav Rastogi has stepped into a new role as global marketing director for YouTube Shopping, marking the latest chapter in a more than decade-long career at Google.
Rastogi, who took on the position in February and is based in Singapore, will lead global marketing for YouTube Shopping, a platform designed to connect creators, viewers and merchants in a single ecosystem. His remit includes expanding the service into new markets and strengthening its positioning as a growth channel for both creators and brands.
In a reflective note on the transition, Rastogi pointed to a simple but powerful idea driving the role. For years, creators have quietly built trust with audiences through consistent and authentic content, and that trust often shapes purchasing decisions. What is changing now, he said, is the infrastructure around that behaviour. YouTube Shopping aims to make it easier for viewers to discover and buy products recommended by creators they already follow.
The scale is already significant. More than half a million creators have joined the programme, with recent expansion into Japan through a partnership with Rakuten signalling further global ambitions.
Rastogi believes the future of shopping on YouTube will be driven by a blend of creators, content and communities. In his view, it is the human voice behind the screen, not just the product, that ultimately builds trust and drives discovery.
Prior to this role, he served as director of marketing, YouTube Asia Pacific, where he led regional marketing across creator engagement, brand building and reputation. During that time, he played a key role in launching and scaling YouTube Shopping across eight markets in the region.
Earlier stints at Google include group product marketing manager, consumer apps, overseeing growth for products such as Search, Maps and Assistant across India and Southeast Asia, and product marketing manager roles spanning consumer apps and YouTube, where he contributed to launches including YouTube Music, YouTube Originals and YouTube Shorts.
Rastogi began his career in consulting with Boston Consulting Group and A.T. Kearney, before moving into the technology sector. He is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management Calcutta and Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.
Alongside his corporate role, he is also an active angel investor, backing early-stage startups in consumer technology and electric mobility across India and Southeast Asia.
As he settles into the new role, Rastogi is betting on a future where every video can double up as a storefront, and where commerce feels less like a transaction and more like a recommendation from a trusted voice.
