MAM
Burson: Reinventing how reputation creates competitive advantage for clients
Mumbai: The official launch of Burson, the global communications leader creating value for clients through reputation to enable innovation, growth and leadership. The brand identity and new client and talent offerings unveiled today articulate Burson’s expertise in delivering creative and compelling solutions for building reputational capital.
“Businesses and organizations are operating in a constant state of complexity and uncertainty, marked by rapid advancements in technology, economic volatility, wide-ranging activism, and social and geopolitical turbulence,” said Burson Global CEO Corey duBrowa. “A strong reputation grounded in action, communicated clearly and creatively, and deployed as capital across stakeholders will enable clients to succeed in this environment. Reputation is a company’s most valuable asset for enhancing perception and growing performance, preference, valuation and return.”
Burson launched its new visual identity and value proposition across all global channels, articulating its modern approach to reinventing how reputation is built and protected in today’s dynamic environment. To bring this new positioning to life, Burson introduced a series of products and programs to empower its counsellors and creators to solve clients’ challenges across sectors and markets. The new visual identity, inspired by the power of light to illuminate insights and reveal opportunity, reinforces the company’s commitment to counselling clients with bold creativity and advisory solutions.
Relentless Innovators
Burson is introducing a new framework and consulting methodology to assess and actively manage “reputation capital” across four pillars: Company actions, communications, social narratives and stakeholder beliefs. Underpinning this work is the Burson Innovation Portfolio, a body of AI-enabled tools that, when paired with human intelligence, enables faster, better insights; precision audience targeting; and culturally relevant creative. These solutions – core components of the PR Studio of WPP Open, WPP’s AI-powered marketing operating system – include five suites that serve a continuum of client needs:
. The Sonar Suite, which anticipates and evaluates risk through social narrative intelligence;
. The Decipher Suite, which predicts the impact of proactive and defensive communications; the impact of themes globally and regionally; and emerging cultural trends;
. The Creators’ Suite, which creates audience-specific content at scale, by identifying both the supply and demand of information online as well as white space in narratives;
. The Specialists’ Suite, which trains Burson’s AI tools on specific industry sectors; and,
. The Fount Suite, which takes an aggregated view of the data across the life cycle of a campaign to measure and optimize performance.
“In today’s complex operating environment, business leaders are converting pervasive risks into opportunities for innovation and value creation,” said AnnaMaria DeSalva, Global Chairman, Burson. “The Burson Innovation Portfolio, which draws on the technology strengths of our combined agencies and WPP, reflects our promise to combine artificial and human intelligence in ways that help our clients succeed at the intersection of risk, creativity and reinvention. Leading companies are already leveraging these solutions to build and protect reputations in highly material situations. We are committed to both our clients and our employees that Burson will be an engine for their growth and for the enablement of the transformations that the world needs now.”
Experts at Scale
Burson applies its proprietary approach to reputation across the Burson Group, a streamlined suite of agencies with scale across today’s most transformational industries and anchored by the flagship full-service Burson brand. They include:
.Axicom, the earned-first global communications agency for tech brands and brands with a tech story,
. Burson Buchanan, newly rebranded from Buchanan Communications, the financial communications and capital markets advisory firm,
. GCI Health, the full-service global healthcare agency inspired by people,
. Hill & Knowlton, a full-service global firm and proven partner for business and brand transformation, providing strategic communication, marketing and corporate affairs solutions.
“A powerful differentiator across the Burson Group is the considerable number of former chief communications officers and senior client advisers among our ranks who have hands-on experience managing the issues and opportunities that clients face every day,” said duBrowa. “AnnaMaria and I both had long careers in-house, and we know the enormous value this perspective brings to clients. Our team of seasoned counsellors – with their access to industry-leading, AI-first technologies and creative firepower – is unrivalled in the marketplace.”
Lifelong Learners
Burson is also unveiling its new learning academy focused on client leadership and skills development to ensure teams are exceptionally well-versed to counsel clients today and tomorrow and are trained on a consistent, global, “one Burson” approach.
“Burson Persons past and present – and certainly future – are known for being high performers who are never satisfied with the status quo, remain relentlessly curious and are constantly striving to improve,” duBrowa noted. “We are pleased to introduce The Burson Academy for the next generation of agency leaders and to continue this important tradition of rigorous professional development.”
The Burson Academy offers curricula under four pillars: Leadership, for career navigation, management and leadership growth; Client Excellence, for building strong consultative client relationships; the Craft of reputation management, with a focus on writing, media relations, issues management and creative; and AI/Innovation, for development in data & analytics, AI, the Burson Innovation Portfolio and new ways of working.
MAM
8PM Packaged Drinking Water named Lead Trouser Sponsor for Sunrisers Hyderabad
Brand partners with IPL team for 2026 season with campaign ‘Rise in Orange, Celebrate with Black’.
MUMBAI: 8PM Packaged Drinking Water has found a clever way to stay in the game by hitching its wagon to one of cricket’s most exciting teams. The brand from Radico Khaitan Limited has announced its association with Sunrisers Hyderabad as the Lead Trouser Sponsor for India’s Premier Cricket League 2026. The partnership will see 8PM Packaged Drinking Water gain prominent visibility during the high-energy tournament.
To mark the collaboration, the brand has launched the campaign thought “Rise in Orange, Celebrate with Black.” The idea cleverly links the on-field intensity of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s iconic orange jersey with the off-field celebrations powered by 8PM Premium Black Packaged Drinking Water.
Radico Khaitan Limited chief marketing officer Kunal Madan said, “We are delighted to be associated with Sunrisers Hyderabad for the 2026 season. With the league’s unmatched reach and the team’s strong fan following, this is a great opportunity to connect meaningfully with consumers across the country.”
Sunrisers Hyderabad enters the season with a formidable lineup featuring players such as Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Travis Head, and Pat Cummins, making it one of the most watched teams this year.
A spokesperson from Sunrisers Hyderabad added, “We are pleased to welcome 8PM Packaged Drinking Water to the Sunrisers family. This association brings together shared values of energy, resilience, and excellence.”
The partnership underscores Radico Khaitan’s strategy of aligning with marquee sporting platforms to build contemporary, consumer-centric brands. By tapping into the emotional connect and massive viewership of the league, 8PM aims to deepen engagement and strengthen brand affinity during the cricket season.
In the fiercely competitive world of Indian cricket sponsorships, 8PM has chosen to play it smart, pairing the thrill of orange with the cool refreshment of black. As Sunrisers Hyderabad prepare for another exciting season, the brand is set to ride the wave of passion, performance, and celebration.
