MAM
APCO Worldwide, Aakriti form partnership in India
MUMBAI: The India operations of global communication consultancy APCO Worldwide has entered into a strategic partnership with Ahmedabad-based advertising agency Aakriti Promotions and Media, to focus on developing a comprehensive communication offer in the country.
APCO Worldwide India, Middle East and Africa executive director Philippe Maze-Sencier said, “India is a growing market for APCO and this partnership strategically integrates APCO and Aakriti‘s services to provide a 360-degree communication service to present and future clients.”
APCO Worldwide India managing director Sukanti Ghosh added, “We are very excited about the opportunities we see in partnering with Aakriti, which will accelerate our plans for APCO‘s growth in India.”
Aakriti managing director Pankaj Mudholkar said, “Our strategic partnership with APCO will help us provide integrated services to our existing clients and expand opportunities nationally. APCO‘s acclaimed strategic communication record mixed with Aakriti‘s expertise in above-the-line and below-the-line advertising activities will enable the partnership to deliver the best holistic service in the industry.”
APCO and Aakriti recently partnered to deliver the integrated communication campaign for the Vibrant Gujarat 2011 Summit. APCO was the official relationship partner for the 2011 summit and has been retained for the 2013 summit.
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
